Did you know that there were 17 new political parties/groups created since 2000? Some are more serious than others (US Pirate Party). Even so, this is one piece of evidence that there are many new political viewpoints out there, each with a devoted following.
American Third Position Party 2010
American Populist Party 2009
Modern Whig Party 2008
Objectivist Party 2008
America's Independent Party 2008
Independence Party of America 2007
Boston Tea Party 2006
Jefferson Republican Party 2006
United States Pirate Party 2006
Unity Party of America 2004
Citizens Party of the US 2004
Socialism & Liberation 2004
Workers Party 2003
United States Marijuana Party 2002
Populist Party of America 2002
America First Party 2002
Green Party of the US 2001
*Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States
With this changing landscape of political opinions, how do we educate our students to navigate the information put out by each of these organizations? One answer is Civic Classes. Civics teaches students how to become active participants of society. Utilizing a real world learning environment is the most effective way to get students engaged.
I have read that some school districts are cutting civics from the curriculum. Librarians have the perfect opportunity to infuse civics related lessons into library lesson plans.
What better way to teach information analysis skills than have students find the facts behind a political campaign ads?
How about teaching responsible reporting by having students report on local election candidates and issues?
