Opinion: Leading the nation in civics education

Historical Society civics social studies.

Historical Society civics social studies. Courtesy

By WILLIAM H. DUNLAP and ELIZABETH DUBRULLE

Published: 10-05-2024 7:00 AM

William H. Dunlap is president, Elizabeth Dubrulle is director of education for New Hampshire Historical Society.

Recently the Concord Monitor ran a column by the leader of a national organization that rang alarm bells about civics education for American students. The writer observed that “the lack of civic education among elementary students is particularly dire.”

While the writer was correct in raising this alarm (civics literacy is at a low nationally among all ages) he will be heartened to learn that we here in New Hampshire are already turning the tide on this problem.

More than 100 New Hampshire schools and tens of thousands of kids are now learning about our state and national history and government through the “Moose on the Loose: Social Studies for Granite State Kids” (moose.nhhistory.org), a free curriculum and website resource developed by the New Hampshire Historical Society. Originally geared toward students in grades 3 to 6, the Moose is currently being expanded to a kindergarten through eighth grade curriculum.

No other state in the nation has created such a comprehensive resource for K–8 state social studies instruction, with stories, videos, infographics, images, and an online textbook, and it’s all been done by an independent nonprofit that raised over $1.2 million in private donations to do it.

Educators have enthusiastically embraced the instructional program offered by the Moose. Through summer workshops and in-district professional days, the Historical Society has provided training to over 700 classroom teachers to date. We’ve also formed partnerships with school districts throughout New Hampshire to embed the Moose in their social studies and literacy programs, providing students with more classroom time on history and civics and age-appropriate resources. It’s a balanced curriculum from a trusted source.

Although improving civics proficiency is a long game, there is already evidence that the Moose is having positive results. New Hampshire schools spend more time on social studies today than they did five years ago, and students in New Hampshire are using higher-quality materials than are available to elementary and middle school students anywhere else in the country. The “Moose on the Loose: Social Studies for Granite State Kids” has been recognized nationally with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a Leadership in History award of excellence from the American Association of State and Local History.

The New Hampshire Historical Society is proud if its efforts in helping our young people become better informed about history and civics, and thereby become more effective participants in our civic affairs as adults. And once again, New Hampshire, which has always been an educational powerhouse, is leading the nation.

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