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Civics Literacy Study & Resource Guide

Guide purpose, what is civics literacy, selected civics literacy resources.

  • Civic Life, Politics, and Government
  • Foundations of American Political System
  • Constitution and American Democracy
  • Role of Citizens in American Democracy
  • Individuals & Events in U.S. History

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Welcome to the Civics Literacy Study & Resource Guide

This study guide is a supplement for the Civics Literacy Proficiency Program . The guide mirrors the 5 civics constructs on the required Purdue Test of Civic Knowledge, which includes:

  • Foundations of the American Political System
  • How the Government Established by the Constitution Embodies the Purpose, Value, and Principles of American Democracy
  • The Role of Citizens in American Democracy
  • Important Individuals and Events in the History of the United States

"The knowledge and skills to participate effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed, understanding governmental processes, and knowing how to exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national, and global levels. Individuals also have an understanding of the local and global implications of civic decisions" (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009; Morgan, 2016).

Selected Civics Literacy Proficiency Resources

  • The Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement Established in Fall 2017 as a national research center focused on discovery, learning, and engagement using the C-SPAN Archives. It will promote the use of the C-SPAN Archives’ 260,000 hours of American political history in classrooms and research. CCSE also sponsors campus activities as well as an annual two-week course in Washington, DC.
  • C-SPAN Video Archives The C-SPAN Archives contains over 270,000 hours of C-SPAN programming and are located in the Purdue Research Park next to Purdue University. The Archives represents a record of over thirty years of our nation’s political history. Details on the API can be found under the mycspan tab at the top of c-span.org for individuals who create an account. Use Chrome browser for best results.
  • C-SPAN's The Weekly (Podcast) A 30-minute weekly podcast series from from C-SPAN. New episodes available every Friday.

How to Search the C-SPAN Video Archives

How to Search the C-SPAN Video Archives from Connie Doebele on Vimeo .

  • Next: Civic Life, Politics, and Government >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 14, 2024 2:41 PM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/civicsliteracy

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The Best US History Regents Review Guide 2020

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Taking US History in preparation for the Regents test? The next US History Regents exam dates are Wednesday, January 22nd and Thursday, June 18th, both at 9:15am. Will you be prepared?

You may have heard the test is undergoing some significant changes. In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about the newly-revised US History Regents exam, from what the format will look like to which topics it'll cover. We also include official sample questions of every question type you'll see on this test and break down exactly what your answers to each of them should include.

What Is the Format of the US History Regents Exam?

Beginning in 2020, the US History Regents exam will have a new format. Previously, the test consisted of 50 multiple-choice questions with long essays, but now it will have a mix of multiple choice, short answer, short essay, and long essay questions (schools can choose to use the old version of the exam through June 2021). Here's the format of the new test, along with how it's scored:

 
28 Multiple choice 1 No 28
2 Short essay 5 Yes 10
7 6 short answer 1 Civic Literacy essay 1 per short answer, 5 for the essay Only for the long essay 11

In Part 2, there will be two sets of paired documents (always primary sources). For each pair of documents, students will answer with a short essay (about two to three paragraphs, no introduction or conclusion).

For the first pair of documents, students will need to describe the historical context of the documents and explain how the two documents relate to each other. For the second pair, students will again describe the historical context of the documents then explain how audience, bias, purpose, or point of view affect the reliability of each document.

Part A: Students will be given a set of documents focused on a civil or constitutional issue, and they'll need to respond to a set of six short-answer questions about them.

Part B: Using the same set of documents as Part A, students will write a full-length essay (the Civic Literacy essay) that answers the following prompt:

  • Describe the historical circumstances surrounding a constitutional or civic issue.
  • Explain efforts by individuals, groups, and/or governments to address this constitutional or civic issue.
  • Discuss the extent to which these efforts were successful OR discuss the impact of the efforts on the United States and/or American society.

What Topics Does the US History Regents Exam Cover?

Even though the format of the US History Regents test is changing, the topics the exam focuses on are pretty much staying the same. New Visions for Public Schools recommends teachers base their US History class around the following ten units:

As you can see, the US History Regents exam can cover pretty much any major topic/era/conflict in US History from the colonial period to present day, so make sure you have a good grasp of each topic during your US History Regents review.

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What Will Questions Look Like on the US History Regents Exam?

Because the US History Regents exam is being revamped for 2020, all the old released exams (with answer explanations) are out-of-date. They can still be useful study tools, but you'll need to remember that they won't be the same as the test you'll be taking.

Fortunately, the New York State Education Department has released a partial sample exam so you can see what the new version of the US History Regents exam will be like. In this section, we go over a sample question for each of the four question types you'll see on the test and explain how to answer it.

Multiple-Choice Sample Question

Base your answers to questions 1 through 3 on the letter below and on your knowledge of social studies.

. . . For myself, I was escorted through Packingtown by a young lawyer who was brought up in the district, had worked as a boy in Armour's plant, and knew more or less intimately every foreman, "spotter," and watchman about the place. I saw with my own eyes hams, which had spoiled in pickle, being pumped full of chemicals to destroy the odor. I saw waste ends of smoked beef stored in barrels in a cellar, in a condition of filth which I could not describe in a letter. I saw rooms in which sausage meat was stored, with poisoned rats lying about, and the dung of rats covering them. I saw hogs which had died of cholera in shipment, being loaded into box cars to be taken to a place called Globe, in Indiana, to be rendered into lard. Finally, I found a physician, Dr. William K. Jaques, 4316 Woodland avenue, Chicago, who holds the chair of bacteriology in the Illinois State University, and was in charge of the city inspection of meat during 1902-3, who told me he had seen beef carcasses, bearing the inspectors' tags of condemnation, left upon open platforms and carted away at night, to be sold in the city. . . .

— Letter from Upton Sinclair to President Theodore Roosevelt, March 10, 1906

  • Upton Sinclair wrote this letter to President Theodore Roosevelt to inform the president about

1. excessive federal regulation of meatpacking plants 2. unhealthy practices in the meatpacking plants 3. raising wages for meatpacking workers 4. state laws regulating the meatpacking industry

There will be 28 multiple-choice questions on the exam, and they'll all reference "stimuli" such as this example's excerpt of a letter from Upton Sinclair to Theodore Roosevelt. This means you'll never need to pull an answer out of thin air (you'll always have information from the stimulus to refer to), but you will still need a solid knowledge of US history to do well.

To answer these questions, first read the stimulus carefully but still efficiently. In this example, Sinclair is describing a place called "Packingtown," and it seems to be pretty gross. He mentions rotting meat, dead rats, infected animals, etc.

Once you have a solid idea of what the stimulus is about, read the answer choices (some students may prefer to read through the answer choices before reading the stimulus; try both to see which you prefer).

Option 1 doesn't seem correct because there definitely doesn't seem to be much regulation occurring in the meatpacking plant. Option 2 seems possible because things do seem very unhealthy there. Option 3 is incorrect because Sinclair mentions nothing about wages, and similarly for option 4, there is nothing about state laws in the letter.

Option 2 is the correct answer. Because of the stimulus (the letter), you don't need to know everything about the history of industrialization in the US and how its rampant growth had the tendency to cause serious health/social/moral etc. problems, but having an overview of it at least can help you answer questions like these faster and with more confidence.

Short Essay

This Short Essay Question is based on the accompanying documents and is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Each Short Essay Question set will consist of two documents. Some of these documents have been edited for the purposes of this question. Keep in mind that the language and images used in a document may reflect the historical context of the time in which it was created.

Task: Read and analyze the following documents, applying your social studies knowledge and skills to write a short essay of two or three paragraphs in which you:

between the events and/or ideas found in these documents (Cause and Effect, Similarity/Difference, Turning Point)

In developing your short essay answer of two or three paragraphs, be sure to keep these explanations in mind:

Describe means "to illustrate something in words or tell about it"

Historical Context refers to "the relevant historical circumstances surrounding or connecting the events, ideas, or developments in these documents"

Identify means "to put a name to or to name"

Explain means "to make plain or understandable; to give reasons for or causes of; to show the logical development or relationship of"

Types of Relationships :

Cause refers to "something that contributes to the occurrence of an event, the rise of an idea, or the bringing about of a development"

Effect refers to "what happens as a consequence (result, impact, outcome) of an event, an idea, or a development"

Similarity tells how "something is alike or the same as something else"

Difference tells how "something is not alike or not the same as something else"

Turning Point is "a major event, idea, or historical development that brings about significant change. It can be local, regional, national, or global"

Mr. President, would you mind commenting on the strategic importance of Indochina for the free world? I think there has been, across the country, some lack of understanding on just what it means to us.

You have, of course, both the specific and the general when you talk about such things. First of all, you have the specific value of a locality in its production of materials that the world needs.

Then you have the possibility that many human beings pass under a dictatorship that is inimical [hostile] to the free world.

Finally, you have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the "falling domino" principle. You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences. . . .

Source: Press Conference with President Dwight Eisenhower, April 7, 1954

Joint Resolution

To promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia.

Whereas naval units of the Communist regime in Vietnam, in violation of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law, have deliberately and repeatedly attacked United States naval vessels lawfully present in international waters, and have thereby created a serious threat to international peace; and

Whereas these attackers are part of deliberate and systematic campaign of aggression that the Communist regime in North Vietnam has been waging against its neighbors and the nations joined with them in the collective defense of their freedom; and

Whereas the United States is assisting the peoples of southeast Asia to protest their freedom and has no territorial, military or political ambitions in that area, but desires only that these people should be left in peace to work out their destinies in their own way: Now, therefore be it

, That the Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression. . . .

Source: Tonkin Gulf Resolution in Congress, August 7, 1964

It's important to read the instructions accompanying the documents so you know exactly how to answer the short essays. This example is from the first short essay question, so along with explaining the historical context of the documents, you'll also need to explain the relationship between the documents (for the second short essay question, you'll need to explain biases). Your options for the types of relationships are:

  • cause and effect,
  • similarity/difference
  • turning point

You'll only choose one of these relationships. Key words are explained in the instructions, which we recommend you read through carefully now so you don't waste time doing it on test day. The instructions above are the exact instructions you'll see on your own exam.

Next, read through the two documents, jotting down some brief notes if you like. Document 1 is an excerpt from a press conference where President Eisenhower discusses the importance of Indochina, namely the goods it produces, the danger of a dictatorship to the free world, and the potential of Indochina causing other countries in the region to become communist as well.

Document 2 is an excerpt from the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. It mentions an attack on the US Navy by the communist regime in Vietnam, and it states that while the US desires that there be peace in the region and is reluctant to get involved, Congress approves the President of the United States to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression."

Your response should be no more than three paragraphs. For the first paragraph, we recommend discussing the historical context of the two documents. This is where your history knowledge comes in. If you have a strong grasp of the history of this time period, you can discuss how France's colonial reign in Indochina (present-day Vietnam) ended in 1954, which led to a communist regime in the north and a pro-Western democracy in the south. Eisenhower didn't want to get directly involved in Vietnam, but he subscribed to the "domino theory" (Document 1) and believed that if Vietnam became fully communist, other countries in Southeast Asia would as well. Therefore, he supplied the south with money and weapons, which helped cause the outbreak of the Vietnam War.

After Eisenhower, the US had limited involvement in the Vietnam War, but the Gulf of Tonkin incident, where US and North Vietnam ships confronted each other and exchanged fire, led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Document 2) and gave President Lyndon B. Johnson powers to send US military forces to Vietnam without an official declaration of war. This led to a large escalation of the US's involvement in Vietnam.

You don't need to know every detail mentioned above, but having a solid knowledge of key US events (like its involvement in the Vietnam War) will help you place documents in their correct historical context.

For the next one to two paragraphs of your response, discuss the relationship of the documents. It's not really a cause and effect relationship, since it wasn't Eisenhower's domino theory that led directly to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, but you could discuss the similarities and differences between the two documents (they're similar because they both show a fear of the entire region becoming communist and a US desire for peace in the area, but they're different because the first is a much more hands-off approach while the second shows significant involvement). You could also argue it's a turning point relationship because the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was the turning point in the US's involvement in the Vietnam War. Up to that point, the US was primarily hands-off (as shown in Document 1). Typically, the relationship you choose is less important than your ability to support your argument with facts and analysis.

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Short Answers and Civic Literacy Essay

This Civic Literacy essay is based on the accompanying documents. The question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Some of these documents have been edited for the purpose of this question. As you analyze the documents, take into account the source of each document and any point of view that may be presented in the document. Keep in mind that the language and images used in a document may reflect the historical context of the time in which it was created.

Historical Context: African American Civil Rights

Throughout United States history, many constitutional and civic issues have been debated by Americans. These debates have resulted in efforts by individuals, groups, and governments to address these issues. These efforts have achieved varying degrees of success. One of these constitutional and civic issues is African American civil rights.

Task: Read and analyze the documents. Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United States history, write an essay in which you

Discuss means "to make observations about something using facts, reasoning, and argument; to present in some detail"

Document 1a

. . . Before the Civil War, blacks could vote in only a handful of northern states, and black officeholding was virtually unheard of. (The first African American to hold elective office appears to have been John M. Langston, chosen as township clerk in Brownhelm, Ohio, in 1855.) But during Reconstruction perhaps two thousand African Americans held public office, from justice of the peace to governor and United States senator. Thousands more headed Union Leagues and local branches of the Republican Party, edited newspapers, and in other ways influenced the political process. African Americans did not "control" Reconstruction politics, as their opponents frequently charged. But the advent of black suffrage and officeholding after the war represented a fundamental shift in power in southern life. It marked the culmination of both the constitutional revolution embodied in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments, and the broad grassroots mobilization of the black community. . . .

Source: Eric Foner, Forever Free: The Story of Emancipation and Reconstruction, Alfred A. Knopf, 2005

Document 1b

. . . Although 1890 to 2000 is a relatively short span of time, these eleven decades comprise a critical period in American history. The collapse of Reconstruction after the Civil War led to the establishment of white supremacy in the Southern states, a system of domination and exploitation that most whites, in the North as well as the South, expected to last indefinitely. In 1900, despite the nation's formal commitment to racial equality as expressed in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, racial discrimination remained a basic organizing principle of American society. In the South, racial discrimination, reinforced by racial segregation, became official state policy. In the North discrimination and segregation also became widely sanctioned customs that amounted to, in effect, semiofficial policy. The federal government practiced racial segregation in the armed services, discriminated against blacks in the civil service, and generally condoned, by its actions if not its words, white supremacy. . . .

Source: Adam Fairclough, Better Day Coming: Blacks and Equality 1890–2000, Viking, 2001

  • Based on these documents, state one way the end of Reconstruction affected African Americans.

. . . By 1905 those African Americans who stayed in the former Confederacy found themselves virtually banished from local elections, but that didn't mean that they weren't political actors. In his famous 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech, Tuskegee College president Booker T. Washington recommended vocational training rather than classical education for African Americans. The former slave implied that black southerners would not seek social integration, but he did demand that southern factories hire black people: "The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera-house." He looked forward to the near future when the African American third of the southern population would produce and share in one-third of its industrial bounty. . . .

The northern-born black sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois positioned himself as Washington's nemesis [opponent]. A graduate of Tennessee's Fisk University, Du Bois was the first African American to earn a Harvard Ph.D. He believed that Washington had conceded too much and said so in his 1903 book The Souls of Black Folk. Any man, he insisted, should be able to have a classical education. Moreover, accepting segregation meant abdicating all civil rights by acknowledging that black people were not equal to whites. "The problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line." Du Bois warned. In 1905 he founded the Niagara Movement, the forerunner of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was begun in 1909 to fight for political and civil rights. . . .

Source: Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore & Thomas J. Sugrue, These United States: A Nation in the Making 1890 to the Present, W. W. Norton & Company, 2015

  • According to this document, what is one way Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois disagreed about how African Americans should achieve equality?

. . . In 1950 Reverend Oliver Brown of Topeka, Kansas, was incensed that his young daughters could not attend the Sumner Elementary School, an all-white public school close to their home. Instead, they had to walk nearly a mile through a dangerous railroad switchyard to reach a bus that would take them to an inferior all-black school.

In the early 1950s, this sort of school segregation was commonplace in the South and certain border states. By law, all-black schools (and other segregated public facilities) were supposed to be as well-funded as whites'—but they rarely were. States typically spent twice as much money per student in white schools. Classrooms in black schools were overcrowded and dilapidated.

In 1951 NAACP lead counsel Thurgood Marshall filed suit on behalf of Oliver Brown. By fall 1952, the Brown case and four other school desegregation cases had made their way to the U.S. Supreme Court, all under the case name Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Marshall argued that the Supreme Court should overturn the "separate but equal" ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which had legitimized segregation. Marshall believed that even if states spent an equal amount of money on black schools, the segregated system would still be unfair because the stigma of segregation damaged black students psychologically. . . .

Source: Beth Bailey, et al, The Fifties Chronicles, Legacy, 2008

  • According to this document, what is one reason Thurgood Marshall argued that the "separate but equal" ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson should be overturned?

Document 4a

Source: Greensboro News & Record, February 2, 1960

Document 4b

. . . At lunch counters in other cities, protesters encountered hostile reactions from outraged white patrons. Sit-in demonstrators were assaulted with verbal abuse, hot coffee, lit cigarettes, and worse. Invariably, it was the young protesters who ended up arrested for "creating a disturbance." Nevertheless, by fall 1961 the movement could claim substantial victories among many targeted cities. . . .

Source: David Farber, et al, The Sixties Chronicles, Legacy, 2004

  • Based on these documents, state one result of the sit-in at the Greensboro Woolworth.

. . . The direct action protests of the 1960s paid dividends. In 1964 and 1965, the Johnson administration orchestrated the passing of the two most significant civil rights bills since Reconstruction. The Birmingham protests and the March on Washington had convinced President Kennedy to forge ahead with a civil rights bill in 1963. But his assassination on November 22, 1963, left the passage of the bill in question. President Johnson, who to that point had an unfavorable record concerning civil rights, had come to believe in the importance of federal protection for African Americans and deftly tied the civil rights bill to the memory of Kennedy. . . .

Despite passage of this far-reaching bill, African Americans still faced barriers to their right to vote. While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 addressed voting rights, it did not eliminate many of the tactics recalcitrant [stubborn] southerners used to keep blacks from the polls, such as violence, economic intimidation, and literacy tests. But the Freedom Summer protests in Mississippi and the Selma-to-Montgomery march the following year led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Johnson had already begun work on a bill before the Selma march, and he again urged Congress to pass it. On March 15, 1965, he addressed both houses of Congress. . . .

Source: Henry Louis Gates Jr., 1513–2008, Alfred A. Knopf, 2011

  • According to Henry Louis Gates Jr., what was one result of the 1960s civil rights protests?

. . . When the clock ticked off the last minute of 1969 and African Americans took stock of the last few years, they thought not only about the changes they had witnessed but also about the ones they still hoped to see. They knew they were the caretakers of King's dream of living in a nation where character was more important than color. And they knew they had to take charge of their community. After all, the civil rights and Black Power eras had forged change through community action. Although many blacks may have sensed that all progress was tempered by the social, economic, and political realities of a government and a white public often resistant to change, they could not ignore the power of their own past actions. America in 1969 was not the America of 1960 or 1965. At the end of the decade, a chorus could be heard rising from the black community proclaiming, "We changed the world.". . . .

Source: Robin D. G. Kelley and Earl Lewis, eds., To Make our World Anew: Vol. Two: A History of African Americans Since 1880, Oxford University Press, 2000

  • Based on this document, state one impact of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Start by reading the instructions, then the documents themselves. There are eight of them, all focused on African American civil rights. The short answers and the civic literacy essay use the same documents. We recommend answering the short answer questions first, then completing your essay.

A short answer question follows each document or set of documents. These are straightforward questions than can be answered in 1-2 sentences. Question 1 asks, "Based on these documents, state one way the end of Reconstruction affected African Americans."

Reading through documents 1a and 1b, there are many potential answers. Choose one (don't try to choose more than one to get more points; it won't help and you'll just lose time you could be spending on other questions) for your response. Using information from document 1a, a potential answer could be, "After Reconstruction, African Americans were able to hold many elected positions. This made it possible for them to influence politics and public life more than they had ever been able to before."

Your Civic Literacy essay will be a standard five-paragraph essay, with an introduction, thesis statement, and a conclusion. You'll need to use many of the documents to answer the three bullet points laid out in the instructions. We recommend one paragraph per bullet point. For each paragraph, you'll need to use your knowledge of US history AND information directly from the documents to make your case.

As with the short essay, we recommended devoting a paragraph to each of the bullet points. In the first paragraph, you should discuss how the documents fit into the larger narrative of African American civil rights. You could discuss the effects of Reconstruction, how the industrialization of the North affected blacks, segregation and its impacts, key events in the Civil Rights movement such as the bus boycott in Montgomery and the March on Washington, etc. The key is to use your own knowledge of US history while also discussing the documents and how they tie in.

For the second paragraph, you'll discuss efforts to address African American civil rights. Here you can talk about groups, such as the NAACP (Document 3), specific people such as W.E.B. Du Bois (Document 2), and/or major events, such as the passing of the Civil Rights Act (Document 5).

In the third paragraph, you'll discuss how successful the effort to increase African American civil rights was. Again, use both the documents and your own knowledge to discuss setbacks faced and victories achieved. Your overall opinion will reflect your thesis statement you included at the end of your introductory paragraph. As with the other essays, it matters less what you conclude than how well you are able to support your argument.

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3 Tips for Your US History Regents Review

In order to earn a Regents Diploma, you'll need to pass at least one of the social science regents. Here are some tips for passing the US Regents exam.

#1: Focus on Broad Themes, Not Tiny Details

With the revamp of the US History exam, there is much less focus on memorization and basic fact recall. Every question on the exam, including multiple choice, will have a document or excerpt referred to in the questions, so you'll never need to pull an answer out of thin air.

Because you'll never see a question like, "What year did Alabama become a state?" don't waste your time trying to memorize a lot of dates. It's good to have a general idea of when key events occurred, like WWII or the Gilded Age, but i t's much more important that you understand, say, the causes and consequences of WWII rather than the dates of specific battles. The exam tests your knowledge of major themes and changes in US history, so focus on that during your US History Regents review over rote memorization.

#2: Don't Write More Than You Need To

You only need to write one full-length essay for the US History Regents exam, and it's for the final question of the test (the Civic Literacy essay). All other questions (besides multiple choice) only require a few sentences or a few paragraphs.

Don't be tempted to go beyond these guidelines in an attempt to get more points. If a question asks for one example, only give one example; giving more won't get you any additional points, and it'll cause you to lose valuable time. For the two short essay questions, only write three paragraphs each, maximum. The short response questions only require a sentence or two. The questions are carefully designed so that they can be fully answered by responses of this length, so don't feel pressured to write more in an attempt to get a higher score. Quality is much more important than quantity here.

#3: Search the Documents for Clues

As mentioned above, all questions on this test are document-based, and those documents will hold lots of key information in them. Even ones that at first glance don't seem to show a lot, like a poster or photograph, can contain many key details if you have a general idea of what was going on at that point in history. The caption or explanation beneath each document is also often critical to fully understanding it. In your essays and short answers, remember to always refer back to the information you get from these documents to help support your answers.

What's Next?

Taking other Regents exams ? We have guides to the Chemistry , Earth Science , and Living Environment Regents , as well as the Algebra 1 , Algebra 2 , and Geometry Regents .

Need more information on Colonial America? Become an expert by reading our guide to the 13 colonies.

The Platt Amendment was written during another key time in American history. Learn all about this important document, and how it is still influencing Guantanamo Bay, by reading our complete guide to the Platt Amendment .

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Civic Literacy Curriculum Abridged Study Guides

The Civic Literacy Curriculum is a free online resource designated for high school students and teachers preparing to be more engaged in our civic society.

The Abridged Study Guide is a short, essential how-to guide to passing the United States Customs and Immigration Services' Naturalization Test , but it elaborates on the underlying logic and serves as a basic summary of the American constitutional order and political history. It is approximately 60 pages total, divided, like the citizenship test, into seven sections:

  • Principles of the American Republic
  • Systems of Government
  • Rights and Responsibilities 
  • Colonial Period and Independence
  • The 1800s 
  • Recent American History 
  • Geography, Symbols, and Holidays

Each section consists of a brief study guide, informational videos, flashcards and a section quiz. The sections are intended for students to work at their own pace. When they complete the section quiz, they can move on to the next section. The curriculum culminates in a 100-question quiz that pulls from each of the seven sections. These study guides are abridged from the full Civic Literacy Curriculum and were similarly created by the faculty at the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. If you're interested in learning more on how to utilize the Civic Literacy Curriculum in your classroom, contact us here .

The Curriculum Sections

Section 1: principles of the american republic.

Dive into the basic principles and founding ideals of the American political system created by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These include a market economy and the rule of law itself.

Section 1 Study Guide

Section 2: Systems of Government

Study the core institutions built by the United States Constitution. This includes the structure, logic, and purposes of the different parts of the federal government, as well as the division of power between the states and federal government.

Section 2 Study Guide

Section 3: Principles of the American Republic

This section focuses on the rights and responsibilities of Americans, including the protections of the Bill of Rights, voting, serving on a jury, and paying taxes.

Section 3 Study Guide

Section 4: Colonial Period and Independence

You will cover the early parts of American history, including the colonial experience (of European settlers, African slaves, and indigenous peoples), the American Revolution, and the creation of the Constitution by the Founding Fathers.

Section 4 Study Guide

Section 5: The 1800s

Section 5 focuses on 19 th  century American history, which included both the growth of the nation’s geographic size as well as the scope of those who were able to participate in the American political project. At the center was the Civil War, when Americans confronted deep tensions in their political system over the issue of slavery.

Section 5 Study Guide

Section 6: Recent History

America during 20th and early 21st century was faced with many challenges, both abroad and close to home. The United States led the free world in defeating totalitarian forces, especially communism and Nazism, which each sought to dominate the individual and define his or her worth by membership in a collective. That was not the only struggle for freedom: closer to home, reformers worked to make America true to the language of the Declaration of Independence in assuring its guarantee of liberty to all Americans. 

Section 6 Study Guide

Section 7: Geography, Symbols, and Holidays

Examine the symbols and celebrations of the American political community, as well as the geography that helps shape it.

Section 7 Study Guide

Explore the curriculum

Review all of the flashcards from the Civic Literacy Curriculum section by section.

Go to flashcards

View more than 300 Civic Literacy Curriculum videos.

View the videos.

Ready for the test?

example of a civic literacy essay

If you're ready to try the Civic Literacy Test, you can start it here. The test consists of 100 questions from the seven sections included in the Civic Literacy Curriculum. It is also modeled from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test. 

Take the test 

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  • Introduction

Civics Literacy: Introduction

What is civics literacy, civics literacy proficiency program, guide purpose.

  • Program Requirements
  • Supplemental Library Resources

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Civics literacy is defined as:

The knowledge and skills to participate effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed, understanding governmental processes, and knowing how to exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national, and global levels. Individuals also have an understanding of the local and global implications of civic decisions. (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009; Morgan, 2016)

In June 2021, the Purdue University Board of Trustees adopted a civics literacy graduation requirement for undergraduates, including all transfer students.  This requirement applies to all undergraduate students who enter Purdue University Fort Wayne in Fall 2022 or any subsequent semester.

The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop the civic knowledge of PFW students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry. These activities will: 

  • Increase your understanding of important contemporary political issues.
  • Identify opportunities to grow your engagement in American politics.
  • Expand your awareness of and options for civic participation.

The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are accessed via Brightspace. Here is the link for the PFW Civics Literacy page .

This library guide is meant to act as a supplemental resource for the program. It includes a brief overview of the requirements along with library resources that complement the program and enhance civics literacy education.

  • Next: Program Requirements >>
  • Last Updated: Oct 18, 2023 8:29 AM

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Essay on Civic Literacy

Students are often asked to write an essay on Civic Literacy in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Civic Literacy

What is civic literacy.

Civic literacy is knowing about your community, country, and laws. It means understanding how the government works and your rights and duties. It’s like learning the rules of a game so you can play it well.

Why is it Important?

Being civically literate is key because it helps you make good choices when voting and understand news about politics. It lets you help your community and speak up for what you believe is right.

How to Improve It

You can get better at civic literacy by reading about history and current events, talking with others about politics, and asking questions. Schools also teach it, so pay attention in class!

250 Words Essay on Civic Literacy

Civic literacy means knowing how the government works, understanding your rights and duties as a citizen, and being aware of how you can be a part of your community’s decisions. It’s like learning the rules of a game so you can play it well. Just like you need to know how to add and subtract for math, you need civic literacy to be a good member of your town or country.

Why is Civic Literacy Important?

How to improve civic literacy.

You can improve your civic literacy by reading about your country’s history and laws, talking to others about these topics, and asking questions when you don’t understand something. It’s like studying for a test. The more you learn, the better you’ll do. Schools and libraries often have programs to help you learn more about your government.

In conclusion, civic literacy is knowing about your government and community. It’s important because it helps you make choices that are good for everyone. You can become more civically literate by learning and talking about these topics. Remember, being a good citizen is like being a team player in a big game, and civic literacy is your playbook.

500 Words Essay on Civic Literacy

Understanding civic literacy.

Civic literacy is knowing about how your country’s government works and your role in it. It’s like being part of a big team where everyone has a job to do. Just like you have rules in school, there are rules for being a good citizen. Civic literacy means you know these rules and why they are important.

The Importance of Civic Literacy

Why should we care about civic literacy? Well, it’s simple. When people understand how their government operates, they can make better choices. For example, if you know what a mayor does, you can vote for someone who you think will do a good job. Also, when you know your rights, you can speak up if someone tries to take them away.

Learning About Government

One part of civic literacy is learning about the different parts of government. There are three main parts: the part that makes laws, the part that carries out laws, and the part that decides if laws are fair. In the United States, these are called the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. By knowing what each part does, you can better understand how decisions are made.

Your Rights and Responsibilities

Getting involved.

Civic literacy also means learning how to take part in your community. This can be as easy as helping to clean up a park or as big as running for a student council position. By getting involved, you help make your community a better place.

Staying Informed

To be civically literate, you need to stay informed. This means finding out what is happening in your town, your country, and the world. You can read the news, talk to people, or join a club. When you know what’s going on, you can have a say in what happens next.

Respecting Different Views

Civic literacy is a key part of being a good citizen. It’s about knowing how your government works, understanding your rights and responsibilities, getting involved in your community, staying informed, and respecting others. When people are civically literate, they can help make their country a better place for everyone. Remember, even as a student, you are an important part of your country, and you can make a difference!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Happy studying!

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Regents Examination in United States History and Government

The chart for determining students’ final examination scores for the June 2023 Regents Examination in United States History and Government will be posted no later than June 23, 2023. Conversion charts provided for the previous administrations of the United States History and Government examination must NOT be used to determine students’ final scores for this administration.

  • Translated Editions

University of the State of New York - New York State Education Department

  • New Visions Social Studies Curriculum
  • Curriculum Development Team
  • Content Contributors
  • Getting Started: Baseline Assessments
  • Getting Started: Resources to Enhance Instruction
  • Getting Started: Instructional Routines
  • Unit 9.1: Global 1 Introduction
  • Unit 9.2: The First Civilizations
  • Unit 9.3: Classical Civilizations
  • Unit 9.4: Political Powers and Achievements
  • Unit 9.5: Social and Cultural Growth and Conflict
  • Unit 9.6: Ottoman and Ming Pre-1600
  • Unit 9.7: Transformations in Europe
  • Unit 9.8: Africa and the Americas Pre-1600
  • Unit 9.9: Interactions and Disruptions
  • 10.0: Global 2 Introduction
  • 10.01: The World in 1750 C.E.
  • 10.02: Enlightenment, Revolution, and Nationalism
  • 10.03: Industrial Revolution
  • 10.04: Imperialism
  • 10.05: World Wars
  • 10.06: Cold War Era
  • 10.07: Decolonization & Nationalism
  • 10.08: Cultural Traditions and Modernization
  • 10.09: Globalization and the Changing Environment
  • 10.10: Human Rights Violations
  • Unit 11.0: US History Introduction
  • Unit 11.1: Colonial Foundations
  • Unit 11.2: American Revolution
  • Unit 11.3A: Building a Nation
  • Unit 11.03B: Sectionalism & the Civil War
  • Unit 11.4: Reconstruction
  • Unit 11.5: Gilded Age and Progressive Era
  • Unit 11.6: Rise of American Power

Unit 11.7: Prosperity and Depression

  • Unit 11.8: World War II
  • Unit 11.9: Cold War
  • Unit 11.10: Domestic Change
  • Resources: Regents Prep: Global 2 Exam
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Prosperity and Depression

11.7 civic literacy essay document based essay task.

U.S. History

Framework Aligned Unit Assessment Bank developed in partnership with CUNY Debating US History: 11.7 Civic Literacy Essay Document Based Essay Task

We have restricted access to assessments to  EDUCATORS ONLY. 

If you click on the "Open in Google Docs" button below and can view the document, then you already have access.

If you do not have access to the assessments,  please fill out the form linked here . 

You will need to provide your official school email address AND a Google email address. In some cases, these will be the same email account. You will only need to fill the form out once to gain access to all of the assessments and teacher materials in the curriculum.

After you fill out the form, you will receive notification that you have been added to a  Google Group  called  "New Visions Social Studies Assessments Access."  Once you receive that notification, you can access all of the assessments through the New Visions Social Studies Curriculum website, but  you must be logged into the Google account you provided in the form to view the assessments. 

We will try to respond to all access requests within 72 hours. We are sorry if this delay causes any inconvenience. 

Teacher Feedback

Please comment below with questions, feedback, suggestions, or descriptions of your experience using this resource with students.

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IMAGES

  1. Civic Literacy Essay Examples

    example of a civic literacy essay

  2. Civic Literacy Essay for Week 10, Regents US History by Teach Simple

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  3. Civic Literacy DBQ Essay Regents

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  4. 201

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  5. Civic Literacy Document Based Essay Colonial America US History

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  6. How to Write the Civic Literacy Essay

    example of a civic literacy essay

COMMENTS

  1. Civic Literacy Essay Checklist

    Civic Literacy Essay Checklist. Checklist for students and teachers. Students can use this checklist to write their essay, teachers can use this checklist to give students feedback. Please comment below with questions, feedback, suggestions, or descriptions of your experience using this resource with students.

  2. PDF Rating Guide for Part Iii a And Part Iii B (Civic Literacy Essay Question)

    For Part III A Scaffold (open-ended) questions: A question-specific rubric For Part III B Civic Literacy Essay Question (CLE) A content-specific rubric Prescored answer papers. Score levels 5 through 1 have two papers each. They are ordered by score level from high to low. Commentary explaining the specific score awarded to each paper Five ...

  3. PDF Civic Literacy Essay Introduction

    tools, such as a sample unit timeline, an assessment chart, and student worksheets that can be modified for immediate use. ... Civic Literacy Essay Introduction 14 analysis theory of vibrations with applications 5th edition published by pearson august 6 1997 1998 william t

  4. PDF For Teachers Only

    Short-Essay Questions, Civic Literacy Essay Question) on this exam after each question has been rated the required number of times as specified in the rating guides, regardless of the final exam score. Schools are required to ensure that the raw scores have been added correctly and that the resulting scale score has been determined accurately.

  5. PDF US History Part III—Civics Essay Guide

    This Civic Literacy essay is based on the accompanying documents. The question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Some of these documents have been edited for the purpose of this question. As you analyze the documents, consider the source of each document and any point of view that may be presented in the ...

  6. PDF Regents High School Examination Short-essay Questions United States

    (3) Each Part II essay must be rated by one rater. Schools are not permitted to rescore any of the open-ended questions (scaffold questions, Short-Essay Questions, Civic Literacy Essay Question) on this exam after each question has been rated the required number of times as specified in the rating guides, regardless of the final exam score.

  7. PDF New York State Education Department

    New York State Education Department

  8. Civics Literacy Study & Resource Guide

    Welcome to the Civics Literacy Study & Resource Guide Guide Purpose. This study guide is a supplement for the Civics Literacy Proficiency Program. The guide mirrors the 5 civics constructs on the required Purdue Test of Civic Knowledge, which includes: ... "The knowledge and skills to participate effectively in civic life through knowing how to ...

  9. The Best US History Regents Review Guide 2020 · PrepScholar

    This example is from the first short essay question, ... Your Civic Literacy essay will be a standard five-paragraph essay, with an introduction, thesis statement, and a conclusion. You'll need to use many of the documents to answer the three bullet points laid out in the instructions. We recommend one paragraph per bullet point.

  10. PDF UNITED STATES HISTORY & GOVERNMENT REGENTS

    The Civic Literacy essay will be a standard five-paragraph essay, with an introduction, thesis statement, and a conclusion. You'll need to use many of the documents to answer the three bullet points laid out in the instructions. In the standard U.S. Regents

  11. Civic Literacy Curriculum Home

    The Civic Literacy Curriculum is a resource for teaching and learning American civics. Organized around but going beyond the U.S. Citizenship Test, it is available as both a full curriculum and abridged study guides. The full Civic Literacy Curriculum offers over 100 lessons including historical background, edited primary texts, exercises ...

  12. PDF Presidential Actions Civic Literacy Essay

    Date:________. This Civic Literacy Essay Question is based on the accompanying documents. The question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Some of these documents have been edited for the purpose of this question. As you analyze the documents, take into account the source of each document and any point of view ...

  13. Civic Literacy and Its Importance in the 21st Century

    Civic literacy is a framework for comparing societies' capacity for informed political participation. It is the knowledge and capacity citizens have to make sense of their political world and become effective citizens. In this regard, the following essay will discuss civic literacy and why it is needed to maintain people's participation in ...

  14. Civic Literacy Essay Checklist

    Civic Literacy Essay Checklist. Regents Readiness. Regents Prep: Framework USH Exam: Regents Prep: US Exam. Resources for Part 3: Civic Literacy Document Based Essay: Civic Literacy Essay Checklist. Students can use this checklist to write their essay, teachers can use this checklist to give students feedback. Preview Resource Add a Copy of ...

  15. Civic Literacy Curriculum Learning Resources

    The Civic Literacy Curriculum is a free online resource designated for high school students and teachers preparing to be more engaged in our civic society. The Abridged Study Guide is a short, essential how-to guide to passing the United States Customs and Immigration Services' Naturalization Test, but it elaborates on the underlying logic and ...

  16. Civics Literacy: Introduction

    Civics literacy is defined as: The knowledge and skills to participate effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed, understanding governmental processes, and knowing how to exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national, and global levels. Individuals also have an understanding of the local and ...

  17. 11.5 Civic Literacy Document Based Essay Task

    Unit 11.5: Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Browse Components. Framework Aligned Unit Assessment Bank developed in partnership with CUNY Debating US History. End of Unit Assessment- NYS Framework Aligned- Teacher Materials. Causes and Effects of Industrialization (1870 - 1910)

  18. Rubric

    Rubric - Part 3 - Civic Literacy Essay | New Visions - Social Studies. August 2024 USH Regents Preparation Plan for Students. USH Regents Analysis (All Exams: 2023-2024) - Assessment Data Spreadsheet. Exam Question Bank aligned to Framework USH Regents Exam. End of Unit Assessments Aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework.

  19. PDF United States History and Government

    For Part III B(DBQ) essay: † A content-specific rubric † Prescored answer papers. Score levels 5 and 1 have two papers each, and score levels 4, 3, and 2 have three papers each. They are ordered by score level from high to low. † Commentary explaining the specific score awarded to each paper † Five prescored practice papers General:

  20. Essay on Civic Literacy

    250 Words Essay on Civic Literacy ... For example, if you know what a mayor does, you can vote for someone who you think will do a good job. Also, when you know your rights, you can speak up if someone tries to take them away. Learning About Government. One part of civic literacy is learning about the different parts of government. There are ...

  21. United States History & Government Regents Examinations

    Expand All Collapse All. January 2024. Scoring Clarification: January 2024 U.S. History and Government, Bengali, Haitian-Creole, Russian, and Spanish Editions, Civic Literacy Essay Task Directions, only. August 2023. June 2023. Last Updated: February 9, 2024. United States History and Government Regents Examinations.

  22. 11.4 Civic Literacy Document Based Essay Task

    Civic Literacy Essay Unit 11.4. If you click on the "Open in Google Docs" button below and can view the document, then you already have access. You will need to provide your official school email address AND a Google email address. In some cases, these will be the same email account.

  23. 11.7 Civic Literacy Essay Document Based Essay Task

    11.7 Civic Literacy Document Based Essay Task. If you click on the "Open in Google Docs" button below and can view the document, then you already have access. You will need to provide your official school email address AND a Google email address. In some cases, these will be the same email account.