Teachers | iCivics

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Judges: Playing Fair

This mini-lesson takes a look at the role of fair and impartial courts in American life. Students learn about how judges are selected and held accountable. It also looks at how judges focus on the…
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Lesson Plan

Voting Matters Activity

Your students may be too young to register to vote, but it’s never too early to learn about what it takes to get to the ballot! This activity is a great way to kick off the election season, and…
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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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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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Lesson Plan

Comparative Constitutions

If you’ve seen one constitution, have you seen them all? Compare and contrast the provisions of the U.S. Constitution alongside the state constitutions of Florida and Virginia. Find common ways in…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Manifest Destiny

In this lesson, students get an introduction to the concept of Manifest Destiny. Even before the phrase “Manifest Destiny” was first used in 1845, many Americans believed the U.S. was destined to…
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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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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

This Land is Your Land

What ocean is off the east coast? Who is our southern neighbor? What are the U.S. territories? Can you draw the Rocky Mountains on a map? In this lesson, students answer these questions and more as…
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Lesson Plan

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

In this map-based lesson, students learn the historic importance of the Mississippi River and why the U.S. was determined to maintain access. They find out how the United States acquired the land…
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Lesson Plan

Step One: We've Got Issues

In the first of nine steps, students explore two county issues you have chosen. They vote to decide which issue the class will focus on for its “County Solutions” project.This resource was created…
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Step Two: The News and You

Having chosen an issue for the project, students analyze two news articles about the issue. They apply the “5W + H” method in order to learn how to gather information from a news article. Using what…
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Step Three: Who You Gonna Call?

To begin thinking about possible solutions for the issue they read about in Step Two, students learn about the difference between individual, group, and government action. They analyze examples, then…
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Step Four: Working With Websites

To increase their knowledge about both the chosen issue and the three types of actors they studied in Step Three, students examine three websites of governmental and non-governmental organizations…
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