Hey teachers! Episode 220 of the Tech Tools for Teachers Podcast is all about civics—and the awesome resources that make teaching government, citizenship, and community engagement more interactive and accessible. Whether you’re a social studies teacher or just weaving civic awareness into your lessons, these sites offer everything from ready-made lesson plans to engaging simulations.
iCivics.org
Founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics.org has come a long way since its early days. This free platform helps students understand how government works through hands-on learning and interactive games.
What You’ll Find:
- Lesson plans and DBQuests (Document-Based Questions) for analyzing founding documents.
- Games and simulations like Win the White House and Branches of Power that let students explore leadership, elections, and checks and balances.
- Scope and sequence alignment for easy curriculum integration.
- Printable and digital resources for K–12 classrooms.
- Multilingual options with lessons in English and Spanish.
- Google Classroom integration and links to tools like Kahoot and Nearpod.
Each activity includes clear teacher and student materials, plus slideshows and overviews to guide learning. It’s a great blend of engagement and standards alignment—students think while they play.
Pro tip: Save your favorite activities with a teacher account so you can easily revisit them year after year.
Center for Civic Education
The Center for Civic Education supports civic learning at both national and state levels. It’s not just for schools—families, community groups, and local leaders can use these resources too.
Features:
- State-specific civics centers so you can explore resources and programs tailored to your region.
- Professional development opportunities and webinars for teachers.
- We the People curriculum, which simulates congressional hearings where students present to judges—great for high school and advanced middle school learners.
- Classroom resources that break down topics like the Constitution, citizenship, and civic engagement by grade level.
Their mission is to foster informed, responsible citizens—and their resources make it easy to bring civic education to life at any grade level.
Classroom Ideas
- Use iCivics games as warm-ups or end-of-unit reviews.
- Pair a We the People lesson with a mock congressional hearing in class.
- Assign a DBQuest as collaborative group analysis work.
- Encourage students to explore state-specific issues with civiced.org.
Together, these tools help students understand their roles as active citizens—one click at a time.
Go educate and innovate!
— Shanna
TECH MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
