Teachers | iCivics

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Win the White House

Run your own presidential campaign!
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Lesson Plan

The Sovereign State

Discover the four features of a sovereign state. Graphic organizers and mini-quizzes help reinforce the information, while students create a fictional country to apply what they've learned.
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Lesson Plan

Who Rules?

Students learn about the different forms of government that exist, including democracy, autocracy, oligarchy, and others. They compare and contrast these types of government, and they look at real-…
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Lesson Plan

Limiting Government

Explore the five basic limits on government through the true story of Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, and other fictional cases of government power gone wild.
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Lesson Plan

Slavery: No Freedom, No Rights

From the basics about slavery to the attitudes that defended it and the efforts of those who wanted to see it abolished, in this lesson students learn about this dark part of America's past.Got a 1:…
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Lesson Plan

Why Government?

Great question! We ask Thomas Hobbes and John Locke to help us find an answer. The thing is, they don't agree. Dig into the philosophers' ideas and see how they've influenced those that have followed…
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Lesson Plan

Civic Action and Change

Students learn the basic steps of civic action and what it takes to make change, following the "I AM" model (Inform, Act, Maintain). Along the way, they explore the change-making examples of four key…
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Lesson Plan

Nation Builder in Chief

Starting a brand new nation was a tough job for America’s first presidents—and it didn’t help that many Americans were wary of the new central government. In this lesson, students learn about some of…
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Lesson Plan

We're Free... Let's Grow!

With the end of the Revolutionary War, America’s geographical size doubled… but how should new territory be added to the United States? Learn about the issues raised by this American “first” and the…
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Lesson Plan

Columbus to the Colonies

From the time Columbus first set foot in the New World, Europeans were fascinated with this new land. Learn about the “Three Gs” that drove them here—gold, God, and glory—and find out how these…
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Lesson Plan

Rule of Law

This skit-driven lesson explores the six factors that make up the rule of law and how they protect individual rights and freedoms in our day to day lives. Students then connect the rule of law to…
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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

Win the White House Extension Pack

Make your students’ game play more meaningful by using our activity and assessment set designed specifically for Win the White House. This easy-to-use Extension Pack helps you give context and…
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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

Constitutional Principles (HS)

View the Constitution from the perspective of its foundational principles. Consider the Founders' intentions and the Constitution itself as you discover how the constitutional principles are critical…
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Lesson Plan

No Bill of Rights, No Deal (HS)

Jump into the big debate over the Bill of Rights, and see how the Federalists and Anti-Federalists battled over the fate of the U.S. Constitution. Where did the idea come from? How did they decided…
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Lesson Plan

Comparing Constitutions: Massachusetts

How does the Massachusetts 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

Local Government: Massachusetts

From large cities to small towns, municipal governments serve as the closest form of government to the people of Massachusetts. In this lesson, students will explore the varied functions and…
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Lesson Plan

You Be the Judge (Simulation)

What does a Supreme Court justice really do? How do they make their decisions? What better way to find out than by trying it yourself!Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this…
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Lesson Plan

Judicial Review

If Marbury was right, then why didn't he get the writ? Find out how the Supreme Court got the power to decide what is constitutional, and what the Court can do with that power.
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