Literacy for Civic Life (LCL) is a year-long cohort-based professional learning fellowship for secondary teachers that pairs
C3-aligned, inquiry-focused rigorous curricular experiences with job-embedded professional learning as part of a
national community of practice.
LCL equips teachers to truly enact C3 inquiry and critical thinking and prepares students to grapple with complex primary sources, engage in productive civil disagreement, and produce high-quality writing—all in service of improving their ability to navigate civic life in the 21st century.
| COST: | $750 per teacher (discounts available if multiple teachers from the same school/district enroll in the same year) |
| PD TIME COMMITMENT: |
16 total hours of professional learning activities over the course of the year outside of normal school hours 10 hours online / asynchronous 6 hours virtual / synchronous via Zoom |
| CURRICULAR WORK: |
Implement at least 2 LCL curricular modules (each takes up to 2 weeks of classroom time) Select from over 100+ high-quality, C3-aligned modules LDC program staff will work with participants to fit each module into existing curriculum maps |
| SUSTAINMENT: | Participants maintain access to curricular modules they taught in perpetuity; access to all 100+ curricular modules for two years; access to online/asynchronous PD experiences for two years; and access to additional tools and resources in perpetuity |
Students learn to grapple with complex primary sources, identify bias and misinformation, engage in productive civil disagreement, and understand how to effectively use evidence from texts.
Students create writing products authentic to social studies, demonstrating not only writing skills but also reading and C3/civics inquiry abilities as measured by LDC's analytic rubrics.
Teachers join a community of practice of educators and experts, emerging from LCL with the ability to truly teach C3 inquiry, foster increased student civic literacy, and help students become more engaged in civic life.
"Nobody else is providing civic lliteracy training for educators that has this much depth and rigor. Everything else is just surface. LCL effectively develops teachers, an in turn, students. The work is invaluable.”
“My students loved the LCL curricular modules, which provide rigor for civic literacy not previously seen in education. ”
“The LCL modules speak to my students! They are well-planned, responsive, and engaging. I will definitely continue to use them in the upcoming school year.”
Teachers apply directly so LDC can review and ensure the fellowship is a good fit.
Teachers complete initial onboarding activities to prepare for the year.
Teachers prepare for, teach, and reflect on their first module.
Teachers prepare for, teach, and reflect on their second module.
| LCL Module | LDC CoreTools Link | PDF Version |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd-5th Grade SS Infographic: Voting | LDC CoreTools Link | PDF Version |
| 6th-8th Grade SS Historical Analysis: Bill of Rights/Declaration of Independence | LDC CoreTools Link | PDF Version |
| 9th-10th Grade SS Op-Ed: Free Speech in Schools | LDC CoreTools Link | PDF Version |
| 11th-12th Grade SS Policy Analysis: The Senate Filibuster | LDC CoreTools Link | PDF Version |
Below is a video that was used to recruit teachers into the 2024-25 pilot version of the LCL program.
Reach out to us to discuss options!
