Nearly as old as humankind, music is one excellent storytelling teaching tool. And, more than any other form of storytelling, music has a unique power to evoke feeling. When we listen to music our brains “light up,” triggering responses from the parts of our brain that are associated with movement, planning, attention, and memory.

In social studies and specifically, civics, a students’ proficiency is often determined by whether they know “the facts”: the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, how a bill becomes a law. It is certainly important for students to study this information. After all, studying history helps us make informed decisions about our future. But, if we compartmentalize mastering civics and social studies to memorizing timelines, historical figures, or facts, we are missing out on the opportunity we have to prepare students for active citizenship.

The David Mathews Center offers issue guides for classroom discussion on historical events in Alabama history, including the Creek War, women’s suffrage, and the Civil Rights movement. While the issue guides are an excellent starting point for discussing the difficult choices citizens made during these events, here are a few resources for taking your learning even farther.

Our new video series, Alabama Talks Back, highlights the creative strategies being developed by community leaders and everyday Alabamians as they adapt to the challenges that come with social distancing.

In the times when our communities are faced with the toughest challenges, there emerge powerful examples of what it means to be a good community member and active citizen.

As Fred Rogers once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Every generation has its moment of civic maturation - where young people not only observe but begin to contribute to the acts of service and partnership that emerge in a crisis. During these times young people learn by example and through action what it means to be a good neighbor.

Sometimes, however, wanting to make a difference can be overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to start. Below are a few resources that can help students better understand what it means to be an active citizen - both in the historical context as well as day to day in their community. 

This is a scary time for all of us. It’s a time requiring us to make drastic changes to our lives. In addition to taking extra health and safety precautions, we’re being asked not to gather face-to-face for a while, to practice social distancing to “flatten the curve” and protect our most vulnerable neighbors. Here are some ideas for staying connected in a time of social distancing.

With an ever-increasing number of sources to gather information from, how can we be confident that the sources we read are trustworthy and the information that they provide is reliable and accurate? When we ask ourselves this question, what we are asking about is media literacy. 

UPDATE: In light of COVID-19, the DMC is temporarily suspending the search for a new Executive Director. 

Cristin Brawner has agreed to remain in the position until the search can be resumed and completed.

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life’s (DMC) Innovators in Civic Education Fellowship provides classroom and community-based educators with the resources and training they need to bring high-quality, civics-forward social studies education to their classroom.

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life is pleased to announce our Jean O’Connor-Snyder Internship Call for Proposals for the 2020-21 academic year!

“They are a product of their upbringing" only tells us part of the story. Once we look deeper, however, a more profound meaning of this cliché comes to light.