By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek
A primary goal of our elementary Social Studies curriculum is to instill in children an understanding of what a democracy means to them and to the success of our country. It can be a struggle because to many children the Constitution, the branches of government, and voting are disconnected from their everyday lives. Many students don’t get it and don’t care to get it.
Personally, I don’t think that is anything new, considering the apathy of many citizens and the percentages of non-voters. Although I must say, this presidential election has electrified more people across the spectrum than any in a long time.
Capstone Press has developed a series of comicesque titles surrounding the many issues of government and democracy. I say comicsque as the titles are not entirely a picture book and not entirely a comic, but a hybrid of the two. No wonder they are called Cartoon Nation as that is, perhaps, the best term to describe them. The books do not make use of traditional panels, but does have narration and dialogue bubbles as well as multiple illustrations per page. The creators had fun with this, inserting humor into what is a boring subject to many.
Of the four titles I obtained, I read THE U.S. CONSTITUTION and THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. Both do a great job outlining the necessary information, historical context, and conflicts without bogging down the younger mind in a political quagmire.
Perfect for the classroom, these titles help bring alive these important aspects of life. Couple with a passionate teacher who has a flair for the creative, kids will not only learn about government, but come away with an emotional connection to America.
This year is the optimum time to hold a classroom mock election, comparing those results with the state and national data from the November presidential election. Because of the impact the next president will have on the Supreme Court, that title is particularly beneficial to the elementary classroom. Never is constructivism – self-guided inquiry – so important as with a subject that is so lackluster and insipid to children. A webquest or other constuctivist project would be dynamic. Perhaps children could run for a classroom office and develop writing, debate and marketing skills. Students could develop posters, print and video commercials, and participate in a debate, complete with student-media. And blogs … a classroom blog could also be a job in the classroom, for which one must apply and demonstrate excellent writing and analytical skills. It is a cross-curriculum unit just waiting to be unleashed.
So much could be done during this election cycle to engage the students in a real democracy, rather than just studying about it. I think these titles could be part of the foundation from which students gain the knowledge they need to participate in the larger project.
PUBLISHER: Capstone Press
GENRE: Government and Democracy
AGE RECOMMENDATION
Chris’ Rating: Ages 8 and older
Publisher’s Reading Level: Grades 3-4
Publisher’s Interest Level: Grades 3-9
OTHER INFORMATION
THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
AUTHOR: Christine Peterson
ILLUSTRATOR: Brian Bascle
CONSULTANT: Philip Bigler, James Madison University FORMAT: Hard cover
PAGES: 32
COLOR: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-4296-1984-4
GUIDED READING LEVEL: X
LEXILE: GN 710L
DEWEY: 342.7302/9
THE SUPREME COURT
AUTHOR: Danny Fingeroth
ILLUSTRATOR: Cynthia Martin
CONSULTANT: Michael Baily, Georgetown University
FORMAT: Hard cover
PAGES: 32
COLOR: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-4296-1985-1
GUIDED READING LEVEL: X
LEXILE: GN 720L
DEWEY: 347.73/12
CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended
Democracy is the one thing that all Americans, no matter how diverse or different, have in common. That commonality, that powerful force of freedom, should be a foundation in the classroom. This entire series can be a part of helping young people remember what it means to be a free person, a participant in government, an American.
Editor-in-Geek
A primary goal of our elementary Social Studies curriculum is to instill in children an understanding of what a democracy means to them and to the success of our country. It can be a struggle because to many children the Constitution, the branches of government, and voting are disconnected from their everyday lives. Many students don’t get it and don’t care to get it.
Personally, I don’t think that is anything new, considering the apathy of many citizens and the percentages of non-voters. Although I must say, this presidential election has electrified more people across the spectrum than any in a long time.
Capstone Press has developed a series of comicesque titles surrounding the many issues of government and democracy. I say comicsque as the titles are not entirely a picture book and not entirely a comic, but a hybrid of the two. No wonder they are called Cartoon Nation as that is, perhaps, the best term to describe them. The books do not make use of traditional panels, but does have narration and dialogue bubbles as well as multiple illustrations per page. The creators had fun with this, inserting humor into what is a boring subject to many.
Of the four titles I obtained, I read THE U.S. CONSTITUTION and THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. Both do a great job outlining the necessary information, historical context, and conflicts without bogging down the younger mind in a political quagmire.
Perfect for the classroom, these titles help bring alive these important aspects of life. Couple with a passionate teacher who has a flair for the creative, kids will not only learn about government, but come away with an emotional connection to America.
This year is the optimum time to hold a classroom mock election, comparing those results with the state and national data from the November presidential election. Because of the impact the next president will have on the Supreme Court, that title is particularly beneficial to the elementary classroom. Never is constructivism – self-guided inquiry – so important as with a subject that is so lackluster and insipid to children. A webquest or other constuctivist project would be dynamic. Perhaps children could run for a classroom office and develop writing, debate and marketing skills. Students could develop posters, print and video commercials, and participate in a debate, complete with student-media. And blogs … a classroom blog could also be a job in the classroom, for which one must apply and demonstrate excellent writing and analytical skills. It is a cross-curriculum unit just waiting to be unleashed.
So much could be done during this election cycle to engage the students in a real democracy, rather than just studying about it. I think these titles could be part of the foundation from which students gain the knowledge they need to participate in the larger project.
PUBLISHER: Capstone Press
GENRE: Government and Democracy
AGE RECOMMENDATION
Chris’ Rating: Ages 8 and older
Publisher’s Reading Level: Grades 3-4
Publisher’s Interest Level: Grades 3-9
OTHER INFORMATION
- THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY
- CITIZENSHIP
- DEMOCRACY
- THE FBI
- POLITICAL ELECTIONS
- POLITICAL PARTIES
- THE U.S. CONGRESS
- U.S. IMMIGRATION
THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
AUTHOR: Christine Peterson
ILLUSTRATOR: Brian Bascle
CONSULTANT: Philip Bigler, James Madison University FORMAT: Hard cover
PAGES: 32
COLOR: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-4296-1984-4
GUIDED READING LEVEL: X
LEXILE: GN 710L
DEWEY: 342.7302/9
THE SUPREME COURT
AUTHOR: Danny Fingeroth
ILLUSTRATOR: Cynthia Martin
CONSULTANT: Michael Baily, Georgetown University
FORMAT: Hard cover
PAGES: 32
COLOR: Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1-4296-1985-1
GUIDED READING LEVEL: X
LEXILE: GN 720L
DEWEY: 347.73/12
CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended
Democracy is the one thing that all Americans, no matter how diverse or different, have in common. That commonality, that powerful force of freedom, should be a foundation in the classroom. This entire series can be a part of helping young people remember what it means to be a free person, a participant in government, an American.
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