Civics Teacher Resources
Find Civics lesson plans and worksheets
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Lesson Planet Curated
Will You All Please Rise?
A three-lesson unit teaches fifth and sixth graders about the importance of participation in a democratic society. The first lesson focuses on the purpose of and importance of civic duty. The second lesson looks at the justice system and...
Lesson Planet Curated
Judicial Learning Center: How Courts Work
Six informational and easy-to-understand resources detail how the United States’ courts work. The collection provides young legal scholars with a detailed overview of the differences between civil and criminal trials, outlines the role...
Lesson Planet Curated
Ben Across the Curriculum: Middle School
Ben Across the Curriculum is a set of interdisciplinary lesson plans that highlight the five central themes in the international traveling exhibition Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World. These themes are Character Matters, B....
Lesson Planet Curated
Energy of a Nation: Immigrants in America
Immigration and immigration reform are hot button topics, now more than they have been. The Energy of a Nation curriculum is designed to dispel myths about immigrants, build empathy, and provide up-to-date facts. The 13 lessons in the...
Lesson Planet Curated
Judicial Learning Center: Student Center
A collection of 22 interactive resources provides learners with information about the United States federal courts. The pages are divided into five sections: The role of the federal courts; The organization of the federal courts; How the...
Lesson Planet Curated
The Reconstruction Era and The Fragility of Democracy
Seven lessons examine the Reconstruction Era that followed the United States Civil War. The series of detailed lessons provide background information on the era, teaching strategies, videos, and primary source materials.
Facing History and Ourselves
Reflection and Action for Civic Participation
Slacktivist or activist? Bystander or upstander? Positive social change requires involvement and commitment. After reading a series of articles about young people who chose to get involved, scholars examine a framework that helps peers...
Carolina K-12
Get Involved! - Civic Participation Project
What better way to learn about civic responsibility's importance than to experience it? From the opportunity to volunteer in an elected official's office and participate in a political campaign to observations of school board and city...
Judicial Branch of California
Defining Civic Duty and Participation
A lesson, geared toward older elementary scholars, combines art with social studies to explain the purpose of civic duty and how to encourage others in the community to participate. Academics create advertising campaigns to promote civic...
Curated OER
World War II on the Home Front: Civic Responsibility
Learners explore World War II. In this World War II lesson, students discover how volunteerism demonstrates civic responsibility. The lesson uses World War II-era posters to appeal to the learners and help them to understand the...
Facing History and Ourselves
Taking a Stand: Models of Civic Participation
How does an individual take a stand for a principle or belief? what skills are required to do so? What are the challenges and risks in doing so? Class members study examples of individuals engaging in such activities and then identify...
Curated OER
Fame, Fortune, and Philanthropy
With your middle schoolers, develop concepts such as philanthropy, civic responsibility, community service, and common good. Discuss famous philanthropists and what we can each give of our time, talent and treasure to better our...
College Board
Civic Knowledge and Action in AP U.S. Government and Politics
Vote, it's your civic duty! The high school instructional activity focuses on voter turnout and civic participation with a series of activities. Young scholars analyze data to discover voter turnout trends, complete worksheets, and...
PBS
Civic Engagement and How Students Can Get Involved
There is no age limit on civic engagement. Even if your pupils are not old enough to vote, they are old enough to get involved. Show them how with a PBS lesson that underscores the importance of civic participation and models ways young...
Curated OER
Around Your School - Bonding Students to Staff
Middle schoolers participate in an interview of a school employee. In this interview instructional activity, students develop appropriate interview questions and carry out an interview of a school employee to show that all jobs well done...
TED-Ed
SMU Commencement 2012
While being educated is undoubtedly a privilege, it also comes with great responsibility. Listen as former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice impresses upon her audience the responsibilities that members in a community of...
Curated OER
My Promise
Students define their own civic responsibility and create a PowerPoint presentation about their volunteer efforts. In this civic responsibility lesson, students define the word volunteer and read an article about a volunteer in their...
Curated OER
What Would Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Budha and Krishna Say?
Students compare and contrast five different religions and the views that their leaders have in regard to civic responsibility and philanthropy. They choose one of the five leaders and write a letter outlining their perception of that...
Curated OER
What Would You Do?
In this What Would You Do learning exercise, learners read a scenario and three proposals, then they choose and defend their solution in writing.
Curated OER
Air Pollution and Asthma (11th Grade)
What is the air quality index? Start by discussing pollution and air quality with your budding environmentalists. A list of instructional activities are provided here from inviting a guest speaker into your classroom to discussing...
Curated OER
Roman Society: Stoicism and Civic Duty
Students examine the causes and effects of the expansion of the Roman Empire. They identify the early strengths and the lasting contributions of the Empire itself. Using maps, they locate its geographic borders at the height of the...
Curated OER
Government: Texans in Politics and Civic Duties
Fourth graders examine the influence of Texans in national politics. They interview adults about the importance of participating in civic affairs. Students create brochures with three true statements and one falsehood. They trade copies...
Curated OER
Toxic Waste in Grand Banks
Students investigate the issues of economic prosperity, environmental concerns, government intervention in the market economy and responsible civic participation in solving community problems.
Scholastic
Hill of Fire Teaching Plan
Some books are perfect for drawing connections between multiple subjects. The book Hill of Fire becomes the hub for three very different, yet related activity ideas. First the class hones their oral language skills by creating an...
