Civics: Government And Economics in Action

by James E. Davis

Government and Economics in Action 2007 Student Edition (Middle School & High School) This high-impact program offers students a strong introduction to government, citizenship, and the American economic and legal systems. An accessible narrative and compelling design work hand-in-hand with interactive technology, study guides, and activity-based resources to motivate students to actively participate in government. Expanded economics coverage, research-based readng instruction, and new chapter assessment tools ensure content mastery for all students.

Features and Benefits Fosters active citizenship Active Citizen activities use real examples to get students involved, both in the classroom and in the community.Partnership with Close Up Foundation, the nation's largest civic education organization Exclusive access to innovative mutlimedia and print materials, including excerpts of Current Issues.Go Online Civics Interactive Uses animations and activites to transform features into a dynamic learning experience.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Aprilleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was much more in-depth than my civics class years ago, which I suppose isn't much of a surprise because it covers more material (economics, for example) at a higher level. I was going to cover my son's civics requirement using other materials when I ran into this at a library book sale. It wasn't expensive, so I grabbed it thinking it might be a good outline of the material I needed to cover, but I ended up really liking the coverage. It's more appropriate for older students (junior or senior high school), which is why the greater depth works so well (I can't imagine teaching a bunch of elementary kids about the economic details and the finer points of how our judicial system works that are included here). As a bonus, my teen even liked the book and feels like he learned a lot. This was huge, as history is probably his least favorite subject.

The book was published while Barack Obama was in office, so the coverage of U.S. Presidents ends with him, but that's only a very small part of things so it doesn't really matter. There's none of the divisiveness you see today in American politics, including some very even-handed coverage of what the two major political parties traditionally stand for. Even if you lean strongly to one side or the other you should find both descriptions acceptable, although you may feel they only scratch the surface. I found that they reminded me why I respected some members of each party.

It's a pity the website that used to support this book doesn't exist any longer, but the material is very usable without it.