Civics In A Year
What do you really know about American government, the Constitution, and your rights as a citizen?
Civics in a Year is a fast-paced podcast series that delivers essential civic knowledge in just 10 minutes per episode. Over the course of a year, we’ll explore 250 key questions—from the founding documents and branches of government to civil liberties, elections, and public participation.
Rooted in the Civic Literacy Curriculum from the Center for American Civics at Arizona State University, this series is a collaborative project supported by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. Each episode is designed to spark curiosity, strengthen constitutional understanding, and encourage active citizenship.
Whether you're a student, educator, or lifelong learner, Civics in a Year will guide you through the building blocks of American democracy—one question at a time.
Civics In A Year
Eight Hours for Work, Eight Hours for Rest: America's Labor Day Story
Civic holidays are days set aside to commemorate important events or values in our nation's history. They serve as reminders of our shared past and principles rather than just opportunities for celebration. Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday in September, originated in the late 1800s when workers organized into unions to demand better working conditions, fair wages, and reasonable hours.
• Civic holidays include Independence Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Constitution Day
• Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894 after workers organized for better conditions
• The labor movement fought for the eight-hour workday with the slogan "eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for what we will."
• Labor Day honors all types of workers who keep our country running
• The US celebrates Labor Day in September, while many other countries observe International Workers' Day on May 1st
• Civic holidays connect past struggles to present-day benefits we often take for granted
Teachers, a classroom activity sheet called "Design Your Own Civic Holiday" is available here.
Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum!
School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership
Hello everyone, welcome back to Civics in a Year Student Edition. I'm Liz, and today we're going to dive into a question that connects history, citizenship and even long weekends. So today we're talking about what are civic holidays and what's the story behind Labor Day. A civic holiday is a day set aside to remember, celebrate or reflect on something important in the life of our country. These holidays just aren't about parades or days off from school. They're reminders of our shared history and values. So think about it. Independence Day celebrates the birth of our nation in 1776. Martin Luther King Jr Day honors the fight for civil rights and equality, and Constitution Day reminds us of the document that still shapes our democracy. Each civic holiday gives us a chance to pause and ask what does this event or person mean for who we are today? So now let's talk about Labor Day. Labor Day is celebrated the first Monday in September and for many people it's the unofficial end of summer Barbecues, pool parties, maybe even some back-to-school shopping. But the real history is deeper.
Speaker 1:Back in the late 1800s, the United States was going through some huge changes. Factories, railroads and industries were booming, but the workers, the people who built the railroads, worked in the mines and sewed in the factories often had tough and dangerous jobs, long hours, low pay, little safety jobs. Long hours, low pay, little safety. Workers began to organize into something called a labor union to demand better conditions, fair wages and reasonable hours. These unions pushed for an idea that might sound familiar an eight-hour workday. One of their slogans was eight hours for work, eight hours for rest and eight hours for what we will.
Speaker 1:After strikes, marches and even some violent clashes, the government recognized the importance of honoring workers. In 1894, congress made Labor Day a national holiday. So here's something to think about. When you imagine American workers, who comes to mind? Construction crews, teachers, nurses, delivery drivers, fast food employees. The truth is, labor Day honors all kinds of workers that keep our country running. Honors all kinds of workers that keep our country running. Here's a fun fact Other countries celebrate a holiday called International Workers' Day on May 1st. The US chose September instead, partly to give workers a well-deserved break between July 4th and Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1:So why do civic holidays matter? Because they help us connect past struggles and achievements to our lives today. Labor Day isn't just about the end of summer. It's about remembering the people who fought for safer workplaces, weekends and rights that benefit most of us today. So question for you If you could create a new civic holiday, what would it honor and why? Next time Labor Day comes around, enjoy the barbecue, sure, but also take a moment to think about the workers of the past and present who make our community strong. Thanks for tuning in to Civics. In a Year I'm Liz and I'll see you next time with another big civic question. Adults teachers. There is a classroom activity sheet that goes along with this episode, called Design your Own Civic Holiday. You can find it in the show notes or on our website, civicsasuedu.
