Using community resources to develop active and informed citizens

What does it mean to live a good life? Philosophers through the ages such as Aristotle, Plato, Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche have wrestled with what it means to be a good citizen and live a good life. More recently, Howard Gardner applied his thinking to the skills that future generations need to synthesise and communicate complex ideas, respect human differences and fulfil the responsibilities of work, life and citizenship. He identified 'five minds for the future', one of which is the ethical mind. To be ethically
minded calls upon citizens to know their rights and responsibilities, actively contribute to the good of society and foster citizenship within and between communities. Communities encompass the family, educational setting, workplace, nation and global community (Gardner 2008). It is through contributing to others as active and informed citizens
that meaning is acquired.

This chapter extends the ideas presented in Chapter 9 by explaining what it means to be an active and informed citizen and how educators can use community resources, such as museums and national institutions, to teach the Civics and Citizenship curriculum using an inquiry approach.

© Cambridge University Press 2019