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

The Louisiana Purchase: Branching Out

President Jefferson usually gets the credit for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the size of the young nation. But this ignores one important actor, the U.S. Congress. Nearly every step…
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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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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

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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Lesson Plan

Mini-lesson: Filibusters (HS)

First, teach students about filibusters and how and why senators use them. Next, help students develop their news literacy skills by taking a look at how news coverage of a filibuster can be…
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Lesson Plan

Mini-lesson: The Incumbent Advantage (HS)

Learn about the electoral advantage that favors incumbents and the benefits and drawbacks of reelecting members of Congress. Then, put students' news literacy skills to work as they learn what…
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Lesson Plan

Mini-lesson: Gerrymandering (HS)

Students try their hand at a simplified districting exercise and learn about the common gerrymandering practices of packing and cracking districts. Students then explore the media’s traditional roles…
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Lesson Plan

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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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…
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Lesson Plan

Lesson 4: Opinion & Analysis

Opinions can be cleverly disguised as news. Can you tell the difference? After completing this lesson, hopefully so! Learn to distinguish news from opinion, recognize standards of opinion journalism…
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Lesson Plan

Mini-Lesson D: Privacy Policies & You

Do you casually bypass website privacy policies? In this mini-lesson, students review key aspects of website privacy policies and learn about options they have in keeping their data safe.
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