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Former Astronaut John Glenn Helps Launch Ohio Civics Website
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Former astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn and his wife, Annie, are lending their support to a new online civics curriculum that’s coming to Ohio.
The Glenns’ native Ohio became the first state Thursday to add its own history and government lessons to the interactive website iCivics, championed by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University will add and manage state-specific lesson content.
At a Statehouse news conference, the 93-year-old Glenn said science, technology, engineering and math education is valuable, but so is social studies. He said energizing children about government is important to the country’s future.
The website addresses deficiencies in middle-school history, geography and civics achievement identified in the recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.