Teaching about the U.S. Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 in Secondary Schools [electronic resource] / John J. Patrick.
The U.S. Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance are foundations of U.S. civic culture. Since they are among the most important legacies U.S. citizens have, they deserve a prominent place in the curricula of schools and the general education of citizens. But most people do not adequately understand...
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| Online Access: |
Full Text (via ERIC) |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[S.l.] :
Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
1987.
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| Summary: | The U.S. Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance are foundations of U.S. civic culture. Since they are among the most important legacies U.S. citizens have, they deserve a prominent place in the curricula of schools and the general education of citizens. But most people do not adequately understand the Constitution and lack both awareness and knowledge of the Northwest Ordinance. Most secondary school U.S. history textbooks include less than one page on the Northwest Ordinance and it is not a part of the standard secondary school courses in civics and government. There also is a need for improvement in the quality and quantity of course content on the Constitution. Recent studies recommend using the concurrent anniversaries of the two documents as an opportunity to promote and emphasize both documents in the core curricula of secondary schools. The following concepts should be emphasized in history, government, and civics classes: (1) U.S. innovations in constitutional definition, constitution-making, and state-making; (2) historical and contemporary comparisons of constitutional change in the United States and variations in types of constitutions and governments around the world; and (3) international connections of U.S. constitutional government, both in their origins and subsequent global influences. (JHP) |
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| Item Description: | ERIC Document Number: ED285786. |
| Physical Description: | 23 p. |
| Audience: | Teachers. Practitioners. |