American Civics Course with Michael Farris

How a profound understanding of civic duties and constitutional rights, underpinned by conservative values and Christian principles, is essential for nurturing informed, principled leaders.

May 14, 2024

The Department of Education released data from their “Nation’s Report Card” last May that should serve as a wake-up call to every citizen in the nation. In 2023 eighth graders scored worse on the history section of the assessment than in in any year since the test was first administered in 1994. For the first time since it was tested in 1998, civics scores dropped with less than one in every four students scoring proficient.

Couple these abysmal scores with what we are currently watching play out on college campuses and the rhetoric constantly perpetuated through the mainstream media and entertainment. The message is loud and clear: America’s founding was bad. America is toxic. It must be dismantled. It was founded on wrong and dangerous ideals.

More than ever, high-school students need a course that challenges them to think about whether the founding ideals of this country are worth preserving and inspires them to act upon their conclusion. I hear from parents in this community all the time who are hungry to offer their kids something DIFFERENT: A balanced exploration of the ideals behind our nation's founding and also a passionate argument for their enduring value. Students need something more than the civics courses of older generations that were based on a set of shared assumptions - and the solution is out there.

Michael Farris (more on him below) has released a new 30-week American Civics course that will guide you and your students to deeper understanding in three core subject areas: America’s founding principles, the mechanics of government and lawmaking, and the Constitution that makes our system of government possible. This robust and timely curriculum is as complete as I’ve ever seen a civics course be - it’s leaps and bounds more comprehensive than anything children in school are getting and it’s a fraction of the cost of other mutli-layerd curriculums on the market. It can serve as an entire year-long credit for transcripts and is fashioned to not only offer a video lecture but so much more. My eldest (16) will be taking this as her civics/government course during her junior year and my 8th grader will be watching the videos to get her ready when it’s her turn.

Let’s jump into it:

Who is Michael Farris?

Michael Farris was the founding president of both the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) (1983) and Patrick Henry College (PHC) (2000) and continues to serve as chairman of the board of HSLDA and chancellor emeritus of PHC. Mike was the CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom from 2017-2022. ADF is the world’s largest legal organization defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, freedom of speech, marriage and the family, and parental rights.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Western Washington State College, where he graduated magna cum laude. Farris earned his Juris Doctor at Gonzaga University and his Master of Laws from the University of London, graduating with honors in both programs.

He has argued before the appellate courts of 13 states, eight federal circuit courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court, where in 2018, he successfully argued NIFLA v. Becerra, resulting in a free speech victory for California’s pro-life pregnancy centers.

Farris was an executive committee member of the Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion that successfully lobbied Congress for the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. Farris is the author of over 15 books, as well as law review and other scholarly and popular articles. He and his wife, Vickie, have 10 children and many grandchildren.

What do homeschool moms have to say?

And the kids?

What are the objectives of this course?

Students who complete this course will be able to:

Identify the inalienable rights and obligations of American citizens.
Explain the mechanics voting, the role of political parties, methods for effective citizen participation in the political and civic life of the nation, the balance of powers, executive power, the legislative process and the role of the courts in upholding government adherence to the constitution.
Describe the history and facts of key constitutional cases and their application to American freedoms as protected in the constitution and Bill of Rights.
Defend their own stance on the validity of American ideals upon which the country was founded.
Advocate for the biblical role of the citizen and how a Christian worldview fits into the duties of citizenship and political activism.
Identify specific violations of constitutional rights and conceptualize sound argumentation against such constitutional violations.

What is included when you purchase this course?

There are three options for someone who is interested in taking this course:

Option One: The complete high school course for an individual family

In this 30-week high school course, students will delve into the foundational ideals of our government, understand its mechanics, and take ownership of what it means to be an American citizen. Each week includes roughly 5 hours of work and can be modified at the instructor's discretion to increase or decrease rigor. When you head to the website, you’re able to view one unit for free and be introduced to the cadence of what you and your child(ren) will be experiencing. This option includes the following:

Lifetime access
25 video lectures
Supplemental readings for each Unit
Self Assessments
3 Essay Prompts Per Unit
2 Exams
Field Trip Ideas

Cost: $299 (use code HEADLINES for 25% off!)

To learn more or purchase, head HERE.

Option Two: Homeschool Co-op

This option is formatted for multi-family classrooms of 3 students or more. This option includes:

12 months access to your course content
Individual logins for each student and instructor
Instructor can add and remove students, track student progress, and see student activity in course

Cost: $150 per child (there is no coupon code for this option as it has already been deeply discounted.)

Option Three: Video-only series

The option includes a 25-episode course on American civics, taught by Michael Farris. It's designed for adults (could absolutely be used by high schoolers) interested in deepening their understanding of the U.S. Constitution and civic responsibilities, framed by conservative and Christian viewpoints. Videos only.

Cost: $99 per purchase (use code HEADLINES for 25% off!)

To learn more and purchase, head HERE.

This is so much more than your typical “civics” course. It dives deeper into American history, critical thinking, faith, and conservatism. I’m thrilled to partner with this wonderful product and hope you will be encouraged by the imprint it will leave on your student’s life.

Message me with any questions you may have - I’m happy to help out!