Chapter 11: Revolution at Sherman High School: Simulating Democracy in the Classroom

A functional democracy requires an informed, effective citizenry. After all, the purpose of social studies is to prepare such citizens (Barr, Barth, & Shermis, 1977). However, a general lack of understanding about how the American constitutional system operates can lead to confusion about that system’s responsiveness to the average American’s needs or desires. Among students, this confusion— whether bred by civic illiteracy, disengagement, or a toxic mix of both—tends to create simplistic views of the system’s expediencies, or else a sense of cynical despair over its perceived failings. These feelings can be reinforced by (and are often inherited from) family and community members. Both views are inaccurate. Teachers are tasked with correcting these inaccurate views while also providing students with the capability to function meaningfully in a system that is often unwieldy and unresponsive.