Rangeview High School's Samantha "Sam" Westerdale is a star among high school civics teachers. Westerdale is in her 14th year teaching social studies at Rangeview and was recently recognized as a winner of the national Civic Star Challenge. She earned the honor for how she engages her students in civics - one of only 63 educators in the country to receive this honor.
Westerdale has an interactive approach to teaching civics. At the start of the year, she hands out pocket-size copies of the U.S. Constitution to every student, then brings the material to life through interactive iCivics resources and exercises, such as having students act as lawyers defending one another’s rights. She immerses her students in the Declaration of Independence, having them go beyond the famous opening lines to read and unpack each of the grievances to understand the document’s full context and purpose.
As Westerdale says, “Students care about more than just themselves. There’s a misconception that they’re inward-focused, but they’re not. They’re incredibly tuned in to the world. They want to make sense of what they see in the news every day. When we connect those moments to history and civics, they realize they have a place in the story.”
A recipient of the 2018 James Madison Fellowship for Colorado, Westerdale uses her Master's degree in Political Science teaching primarily 11th and 12th grade students the significance of civics, civic engagement and the importance of making connections in our community. She is currently teaching Dual Enrollment American Government, State & Local Government, Introduction to Political Science, and African American Studies.
Westerdale is passionate about civics education and is working to ensure that more teachers have the tools and resources they need. She is a Board Director for the Colorado Council of the Social Studies and a member of the Civics for Colorado Coalition.
CBS Colorado recently visited Westerdale's classroom to see her in action. Check out the story!