February 13, 2026 at 7:15 AM - Board of Education Americanism Committee Hearing

In 11th-grade Civics, we cover everything from the foundation of the Constitution to the duties of citizens. At the beginning of the year, juniors take the U.S. Citizenship test. This serves two purposes. It shows the students how difficult it can be to pass the test, and it is a quick way to see what knowledge, as a class, and on an individual level, they are coming in with.

1st quarter - We spend most of the first quarter on the foundation of the American government. We examine other types of government around the world and revisit some of the roots of democracy in Athens, which opens up a discussion about the differences between direct and representative democracy.

2nd quarter - We analyze the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights in depth. We also go over the other amendments and what rights they give us. The students are eventually put into the position of a lawyer and must decide if their "clients" who have issues relating to the Bill of Rights, have a case or not. The semester is rounded out with learning the details of major political parties and how our election process/electoral votes work.

3rd quarter - This quarter covers Congress and what they do on a regular basis. We discuss the role of the President, their cabinet, and the powers that they hold. Their big project is selecting an executive department and creating a presentation defending why their department should not be cut. This is presented in front of the U.S. President, Terry Bauer. We also learn about the Supreme Court and go over several landmark cases.

4th quarter - Interest groups and foreign policy are covered in the final quarter. We have a few debates to end their senior year (should we lower the voting age, taxes, border wall, etc).

It was also noted that Mr. Knehans teaches about current issues without showing bias, leaving students to form their own opinions.