Civic Inquiry is at the heart of the 2022 Illinois social science standards.  ISBE has identified six competencies that are to be developed in a student’s K-12 social science education in the Land of Lincoln:

1. Recognizing perspectives and identities, encourages students to recognize perspectives (including their own) and articulate the role of identity throughout the entire inquiry process.
2. Evaluating systems, inequity, and power encourages students to evaluate the role of systems, power, and equity in society.
3. Investigate the world through the development of essential supporting, and actionable questions.
4. Conduct analyses and draw conclusions in preparation for action taking.
5. Communicate effectively.
6. Take action to effect change and reflect.

Jack DiMatteo, a social studies teacher in Township High School District 113, used civic inquiry to engage his sophomore and senior Political Science students in a civic inquiry close to home to reflect on how to effect change in their own community. We asked Jack questions to document his experience. Here are his responses.

Can you share a bit about the class you conducted this civic inquiry in?

The civic inquiry activity was part of a Political Science class, which is a semester-long elective course with a mix of sophomore and senior students. In addition to units on the Legislative Branch, Judicial Branch, and Executive Branch, the course also focuses on developing enduring skills, including good citizenship, media literacy, civil discourse, and making evidence-based arguments for values-based positions.

What was the topic of your civic inquiry?  How did this topic resonate with your student’s lived experiences and interests?

This civic inquiry focused on the habits of good citizenship. The activity resonated with students because they have so often associated active citizenship with voting. While voting is a critical component, good citizenship goes beyond participating in elections and also includes ways in which people work to address the needs of their local communities every day. Through this activity, students were able to identify problems they cared about solving and developed ideas to improve their school community. 

What are some of the strategies and resources you used to engage student voices in this inquiry?

To engage student voices in the inquiry, we allowed students to build solutions around any problem they were passionate about addressing in the school, which gave them a greater sense of personal investment in the activity. We also had students work in teams to elevate multiple student voices and build consensus around the problems that would be most important to address. Students presented their ideas in front of the class, showing how student voices were  centered in the activity. Finally, by sharing their ideas with the school’s Security Manager, students saw how their voices mattered in shaping school policies.

What were some of the takeaways students had from this learning experience?

In describing their key takeaways from the Pick Up the Trash Activity, one student wrote, “I learned that political science isn’t just about what happens in Washington, D.C. It’s also happening here in our school and our community and I have a role to play.” Another student said that the civic inquiry helped her to move beyond complaining about problems in her school and move towards being a part of the solution. Through their participation in the activity, students realized that being a good citizen is not an activity reserved for Election Day alone; it’s a daily call to action.

How did this inquiry align with one or more of the elements of the IDS model?

The inquiry is aligned with the practice of constitutional democracy and student agency because the activity provided an opportunity for students to practice democratic skills in school. Students were split into two teams and walked around the school with a teacher to (1) compete to see which team could pick up and throw out the most pieces of trash and (2) identify problems that could be solved within the walls of our school, including challenges related to recycling and waste, accessibility, and safety. After returning to the classroom, students met in groups and engaged with peers around current issues facing the school, discussing the problems they identified and then proposing potential solutions. The class then selected one specific problem and solution to address with informed action. After students identified challenges related to school security and safety as their primary concern, a student sent a formal invitation to the school’s Security Manager to join our class to discuss ideas generated during the class discussion. Students had the opportunity to practice civic skills in the school community by interacting with a school leader, the Security Manager, and advocated for policies to enhance the student experience, create a culture of belonging, and promote school safety. Through their participation in the activity, students learned about the responsibilities of citizenship and practiced civic skills to meaningfully improve their school community.

What advice would you give other teachers who would like to engage students in inquiry as the primary mode of learning in their classroom?  Where can they start?

Our advice to other teachers who want to engage students in inquiry is to begin with something local and relevant to students’ daily lives. In our classroom, students began in the most local context imaginable: our school, where they competed to pick up trash and, more importantly, observed and identified problems they felt passionate about and could take meaningful action to address.

From there, the inquiry deepened through student-led discussions, collaboration, and ultimately advocacy. Students chose the issue of school safety and security as their focus and extended their inquiry by engaging directly with a school leader – the Security Manager – to present their ideas. That step helped students see that their voices matter, and that civic engagement doesn’t have to wait for the next election. Even one small experience like this helped students see themselves as active citizens who have responsibilities to help make their communities better.