We know your students are passionate, engaged learners working to ensure a strong future for their generation. They are not focused on their limitations or inabilities, but rather are active citizens of their communities. One of the best tools you can use to support their causes is a firm foundational understanding of civics.
The current health, economic and social crises, as well as the impending presidential election have amplified the urgent need for high-quality civics education resources that teach our students how to make their voices heard. The Capitol Square Foundation, the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and iCivics offer an interactive, web-based civics curriculum for students, teachers, and families.
It is easy as pie to access these free resources: just create a free account and start using them! There is a myriad of lesson plans that you can download, or have your students participate in the online games (most of which are playable as an app!) There’s even an iCivics Clever app for those of you in schools that use Clever.
Our educators found A TON of engaging, thoughtful lesson plans you can easily paste into your lesson plans. For example, we found that the Political Debate Guide activity would be a great one to use as your class talks about the upcoming presidential debates. The best part? It even has a fillable version of the worksheet perfect for a 1:1 or virtual classroom!
Click through the links below to see all this resource has to offer.
- iCivics
- Free online civics games and lesson plans to teach middle and high school students key topics like our three branches, how to be an informed voter, how the judicial system works and how laws are made.
- Teaching the 2020 Presidential Election
- Includes games, lessons, WebQuests, and more!
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board has also prepared this guide to creating your own virtual tour through the Ohio Statehouse for your class!
Let us know if you tried out any of the resources at iCivics and tell us how it went at [email protected]! To stay up to date on all of the programming and resources we have to offer, sign up for our Resource Roundup.
Posted October 7, 2020