Local Civics with National Purpose

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • J. Spencer Clark

   Pages 1-4

3. Contextual, Argumentative, and Theoretical Introductions

   • J. Spencer Clark

   Pages 5-15

4. The Context of Civic Education in the United States Around 1900

   • J. Spencer Clark

   Pages 17-37

5. Laura Donnan

   • J. Spencer Clark

   Pages 39-57

6. Civic Education at Shortridge High School

   • J. Spencer Clark

   Pages 59-76

7. The Extracurriculum of Shortridge High School

   • J. Spencer Clark

   Pages 77-93

8. Arthur Dunn at Shortridge 1900–1910

   • J. Spencer Clark

   Pages 95-115

9. Arthur Dunn on the National Stage: Local Civics for National Purposes

   • J. Spencer Clark

   Pages 117-130

10. Donnan, Dunn, and Their Civic Education Implications

    • J. Spencer Clark

    Pages 131-144

11. Conclusion

    • J. Spencer Clark

    Pages 145-154

12. Back Matter

    Pages 155-158

    PDF

This book examines the development of civic education in the United States through the lives of two teachers at Shortridge High School (SHS) in Indianapolis around 1900. After situating civic education at the turn-of-the-century, the book describes the career of Laura Donnan—her influences, teaching, extracurriculars, and civic life—through the lens of her unique epistemology, shaped by negotiating the gendered ideologies of her era. Then, the book re-examines Arthur W. Dunn’s career, focusing on his ten years at SHS, and the influence of Donnan on his popular community civics curriculum and subsequently the 1916 report “The Social Studies in Secondary Education.” Previous scholars have overlooked Dunn’s time at SHS, viewing it simply as a stepping stone for the progressive educator’s career. This book argues that Dunn’s time at SHS was pivotal to his career due to influential colleagues, primarily Donnan. To conclude, Clark discusses the implications of Donnan’s epistemology in shaping civic education in the United States.

• civic education
• Laura Donnan
• Arthur Dunn
• National Education Association
• Social Studies
• progressive era education
• Women in education
• 20th century

“Filling a major gap in the history of social studies by looking at the local-level, Clark’s book examines turn of the twentieth-century civic education in Indianapolis, Indiana. It focuses on the efforts and accomplishments of Laura Donnan, a Shortridge High School teacher who promoted innovative pedagogies and extracurricular activities. By focusing his analysis on a woman teacher, Clark’s carefully researched study reveals how Donnan shaped the national discourse on civic education.”
—Christine Woyshner, Professor of Education, Temple University, USA

• Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA

  J. Spencer Clark

J. Spencer Clark is Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies at Kansas State University, USA. He teaches courses on curriculum theory, history of education, research methodology, and social studies curriculum. His research examines the concept of agency in teacher education, history of education, civic and social studies education, and rural education.

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