Teachers | iCivics

Card View
List View

Game

NewsFeed Defenders

Fight hidden ads, viral deception, and false reporting as a NewsFeed Defender!
View
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…
View
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…
View
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,…
View
Lesson Plan

NewsFeed Defenders Extension Pack

Make your students’ game play more meaningful with activities designed specifically for NewsFeed Defenders. This easy-to-use resource set means deeper learning for students and best practices around…
View
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…
View
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.
View
Lesson Plan

Double Take: The Dual Court System

Does your state court system feel oddly similar to our federal one? Chances are it does, but there may still be some differences. In this lesson, students learn how our country came to have a dual…
View
Lesson Plan

Lesson 6: The Dreaded Outline

Students work through the writing process by creating an outline for or against banning band t-shirts in schools. Students organize the information from their idea web into an outline to bring…
View
Lesson Plan

The Road to Civil Rights

Discover the people, groups, and events behind the Civil Rights Movement. Learn about means of non-violent protest, opposition to the movement, and identify how it took all three branches of the…
View
Lesson Plan

Colonial Influences

Where did the American colonists get their ideas that lead to a revolution and a whole new kind of government? This foldable explores the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, English Bill of Rights, Cato’…
View
Lesson Plan

Wanted: A Just Right Government

Look at the tensions and differences of opinion that existed among early American states and citizens.Learn about the Articles of Confederation, why the first “constitution” didn’t work, and how…
View
Lesson Plan

Lesson 1: So You Think You Can Argue

Prepare students for persuasive writing by introducing them to the concept of making an argument. Students discover there’s a difference between “arguing” and making an argument in support of a…
View
Lesson Plan

Lesson 2: I Can't Wear What??

Students meet Ben Brewer and find out what happened the day he decided to wear his favorite band t-shirt to school in violation of a new dress code rule. Students read a summary of a Supreme Court…
View
Lesson Plan

Lesson 3: Lookin' for Evidence

In order to build arguments for their essays, students examine evidence about whether band t-shirts were disruptive at Ben’s school. Students think critically to filter out evidence for and against…
View
Lesson Plan

Lesson 4: No Rambling Allowed

Students begin to organize their arguments and evidence both for and against the rule banning band t-shirts. Students learn the necessity of clear organization, generate main and supporting arguments…
View
Lesson Plan

Lesson 5: Yeah, But...

Students meet “Yabbut Rabbit” and learn how to flesh out the support for their arguments by developing counterargument. Using the technique they learn in this lesson, students add arguments to their…
View
Lesson Plan

Lesson 7: Emphasize, Minimize

As a precursor to writing a rough draft, students learn that you can’t ignore evidence for the other side of an argument. Students learn how to use complex sentences to minimize or emphasize…
View