Teachers | iCivics

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DBQuest

The Nashville Sit-Ins

What makes a movement successful? The people? The actions? The outcome? Students find out that answering this question is more involved than it may seem. Each of the three primary sources reveal a…
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DBQuest

America's Founding Preambles

Learn how the American idea of government evolved from a revolutionary response to monarchy to a union of states. The sources will illustrate the effort taken to reach “a more perfect union” through…
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DBQuest

The Constitution's Cover Letter

In 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention decided that it was time for a change. A new plan for government was outlined in the Constitution, and it was George Washington's job to present…
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DBQuest

Woman Suffrage and World War I

Students will learn how World War I impacted the woman suffrage movement. Sources will show how suffragists promoted woman suffrage as a war measure, how women’s roles expanded during the war and how…
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DBQuest

Little Rock: Executive Order 10730

When President Eisenhower authorized troops under federal authority to desegregate Little Rock Central High School in 1957, he became the first president since Reconstruction to use federal forces to…
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Game

NewsFeed Defenders

Fight hidden ads, viral deception, and false reporting as a NewsFeed Defender!
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Game

Race to Ratify

Make your own history! Are you team Federalist or AntiFederalist?
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Lesson Plan

Oregon Treaty (1845)

With the Oregon Treaty, the United States added what today is the Pacific Northwest. In this mini-lesson, students learn how it happened, what tensions were involved, and how Native Americans were…
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Lesson Plan

Annexation of Texas (1845)

The United States annexed Texas after years of debate. In this mini-lesson, students learn about Texas’ independence from Mexico, the role of slavery in delaying Texas’ admission, and how President…
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Lesson Plan

Mexican Cession (1848)

The Mexican-American War ended with Mexico giving up a million acres of land to the United States. In this lesson, students learn about Americans’ drive to expand west, tensions between the U.S. and…
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Lesson Plan

Slave States, Free States

The debate over slavery ultimately helped drive the United States into civil war, but before it did, there were decades of careful balance between slaves states and free states. In this lesson,…
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Lesson Plan

The Federalist Debate (HS)

Discover the debate that surrounded the Constitution before it became the law of the land. Excerpts from Federalist 84 and Anti-Federalist 46 offer insight into both sides of the debate while…
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Lesson Plan

History of Ohio's Constitution (HS)

View excerpts from Ohio's original 1802 state constitution and the major changes made in the 1851 version as students learn about the history of Ohio's constitution in this unique before and after…
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Lesson Plan

Lesson 1: Journalism

What separates journalism from all the other kinds of information out there? Teach students to recognize reliable reporting as they explore the tenents of high-standards reporting based on the…
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Lesson Plan

Lesson 3: Bias

Strip the fear out of bias by showing students how to notice the word choices and framing that show up when bias is present in a news story. Students learn about methods journalists use to produce…
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Lesson Plan

Mini-Lesson B: Satire

Satirical news stories, like political cartoons, are meant to poke fun—not trick people. Help your students learn to spot satire and understand both the joke and the purpose of this news-related…
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Lesson Plan

Comparing Constitutions (WA)

How does Washington’s state constitution compare and contrast with the U.S. Constitution? Look no further for the answer! Guide your class through some basic similarities and differences as well as…
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Lesson Plan

Mini-Lesson: Executive Orders (HS)

Discover how presidents use executive orders to wield power and how the legislative and judicial branches support and challenge these measures. Then take a look at what fair and balanced reporting on…
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Lesson Plan

Mini-Lesson: Succession (HS)

Review the official presidential line of succession and read about its origins. Students also learn how to detect satire in a news literacy-related activity.
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Lesson Plan

Mini-lesson: Congressional Committees (HS)

Discover the different types of congressional committees and their responsibilities. What's more, teach students about bias and balanced reporting. In the closing activity, students put their news…
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