As we head toward the 2020 presidential election, each month this school year will offer big teachable moments that can help your students build the skills they need in order to participate in civic life and become informed and engaged members of their communities.

The media plays a major role in our nation’s elections, both the upcoming midterms and the 2020 presidential election. National Media Literacy Week, Oct. 21-25, is a great time to take a look at how different media sources, including social media, report on candidates and issues. We’ve got some excellent resources to help you get your students thinking critically about what they see, hear and read in the media.

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Thurgood Marshall Sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court — Oct. 2
 
The U.S. Civil Rights Movement played out in the media as well as in the streets and courts. Thurgood Marshall was influential in the movement, even before he was confirmed as the first African American Supreme Court Justice in 1967. Teach about Justice Marshall’s, and many others, role in the struggle for change with our The Road to Civil Rights lesson.
 
Newsfeed Defenders — Oct. 14-18
 
Prepare for National Media Literacy Week with our game, Newsfeed Defenders. Task your students with managing a fictional social media site, learning how to identify problematic news items and credible sources.
 
National Media Literacy Week — Oct. 21-25
 
The lessons in our News Literacy unit are at the heart of what National Media Literacy Week is all about. High school students will learn practical skills that will help them identify and deal with misinformation, bias, opinion, and more.

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It's a big year for civics and civics educators like you. Be sure to count on iCivics for your lesson planning to 2020. Each month throughout the school year we will send you a list of resources aligned to key civics topics and events. Each month's resources will be available and archived at www.icivics.org/election.