When it comes to civics class, gone are the days of Schoolhouse Rock!’s “I’m Just a Bill.”
First lady Jill Biden visited the Independence Visitors Center on Friday to launch “Well Versed,” a new animated civics show on Nickelodeon. The short-form, musical program aims to teach children about democracy and the U.S. Bill of Rights.
A new generation of civics entertainment has arrived while United States citizens are flailing when it comes to understanding the basic functions of government.
A host of statistics point to a decline in basic civics knowledge; perhaps the most alarming was the result of a 2019 Annenberg Public Policy Center poll that found one in five Americans could not name a single branch of government.
Biden, a longtime educator and native of the Philadelphia region, was in full teacher mode as she spoke to a class of fifth graders from the General George A. McCall School, touching on the importance of democracy and the ideals the Founding Fathers forged at nearby Independence Hall.
“At the Constitutional Convention, our founders created a government that was a little revolutionary at the time — a democracy, where power was given to the people, not to kings, and not to queens,” Biden said.
“That’s still how our government works, and it’s one of the things that makes our government so special,” the first lady continued. “When we understand civics — how our government works, and how to hold it accountable — we’re able to make each other and our country the best it can be.”
Biden was joined by Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, and Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount Global, as well as Matthew Segal, co-CEO of the media company ATTN.
A prerecorded message from former first lady Laura Bush offered support for the show from the Bushes’ institute, while U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., sat in the front row.
In a special screening of “Well Versed,” before Biden’s remarks — timed for Friday’s National Civics Day — the Center City schoolchildren bobbed their heads while the show’s civics heroes, with spunky purple and pink hair, rap-rhymed constitutional amendments and battled with an evil king threatening the democratic will of the people.
“For too long we’ve seen content around civics look more like something from 30 years ago than something kids want to watch made in 2023,” said Segal, of ATTN.
Among other concerning figures offered by Segal: Only seven U.S. states have a middle school civics requirement. Last year, he said, eighth-grade civics scores declined for the first time in more than two decades.
The lessons for “Well Versed“ were created in partnership with iCivics, a national nonprofit founded by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor that develops free nonpartisan online games and resources designed to help young Americans learn about civic life. As many as 145,000 educators and 9 million students use iCivics material each year, according to the company.
“Our style at Nick is never to talk down to kids,” said Robbins. “We always want to talk to them, have a conversation, listen to them. That tradition continues with Well Versed,’”
The screening was a welcome escape from the McCall classroom at Seventh and Panama Streets. The outing, however, didn’t come without a little homework.
Following the screening, the first lady quizzed a brave trio of students; questions included naming the branches of government, as well as the big, white building in Washington where her husband, Joe, spends much of his time.
Despite the troubling statistics Segal offered earlier, the students aced the first lady’s test. Their social studies teacher, Audrey Russell, watched proudly from the audience.
“Thank you to our first lady, Mrs. Biden, for her support of civics education,” Russell said. ‘Well Versed,’ will be a fantastic tool for educators.”
And in typical Nickelodeon fashion, the fun ended with a slimy surprise.
To the joyous screams of their classmates, the trio of pupils was doused with green slime that oozed down from buckets held above their heads.
The first lady took a big step back to avoid any collateral sludge.
“I can’t even look,” Biden said with a laugh.
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© 2023 The Philadelphia Inquirer
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