Teachers | iCivics

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William Blackstone: Mini-Lesson

Discover how William Blackstone and his Commentaries on the Laws of England influenced America’s founders, founding documents, and legal system.
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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

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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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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Mini-lesson: Midterm Elections (HS)

Students learn about midterm elections, their role as a referendum on the presidency, and how a shift in party control impacts the legislative and executive branches. Page two of this Media Moment…
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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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Trial Court (Simulation)

Did Cellar breach the contract? Or was there no contract to begin with? Let students decide in this scripted trial simulation.Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's…
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Machiavelli Mini-lesson

Look into the ideas and writings of the Italian thinker and politician, Niccoló Machiavelli (1429-1527).
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The Enlightenment Mini-lesson

The Enlightenment was a period of time, starting around 1715, when people developed new ideas about human existence, including people's basic rights and the purpose of government. When our Founding…
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John Locke Mini-lesson

Introduce students to the ideas and writings of John Locke that influenced the likes of Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers.
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Montesquieu Mini-lesson

Meet the Baron de Montesquieu, one of the great thinkers of the 18th century. He spent a lot of time thinking about how governments should be created and maintained. These ideas guided the Founding…
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Rousseau Mini-lesson

Explore the ideas of Enlightenment thinker, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His writings on natural and social freedom, the social contract, and democracy shaped the American system of government in a variety…
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Benjamin Franklin Mini-lesson

"The First American", Benjamin Franklin, is the only Founding Father that signed all three major documents that founded the United States of America: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of…
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George Mason Mini-lesson

Check out George Mason's role in the founding of the U.S. Even though he never served as a president and refused to sign the Constitution, Mason's work in Virginia and with the Anti-Federalists earn…
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George Washington Mini-lesson

Review the variety of roles that George Washington played in America's early years. From commanding the Continental Army, to presiding over the Constitutional Convention, to setting the standard for…
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Thomas Jefferson Mini-lesson

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States, but he played many political roles throughout our nation’s history. His political life influenced the country in many ways, from the…
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James Madison Mini-lesson

This mini-lesson digs into the 41 year political career of James Madison. Considered the author of the U.S. Constitution, Madison was a prime architect in creating a strong national government, yet…
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Federalists & Anti-Federalists

Look at the debate, and eventual compromise, between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists that occured around the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
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The Constitutional Convention Mini-lesson

After ten years under the Articles of Confederation, Americans realized they needed something different. Explore the major debates that occurred at the convention, as well as the outcomes that…
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Early Rebellions Mini-lesson

As a new country, the United States experienced a lot of growing pains. Discover some of the citizen-led rebellions that occurred in the nation's first decades, and how the government grew to respond…
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