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Category: Educator Blog

Bringing Civics to Life for Students Through Film

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor once said, “For me, civic education is the key to inspiring kids to want to stay involved in making a difference.” When students understand how government functions and the role that people play in shaping a democracy, they begin to see the value of civic education that Sotomayor highlights. 

One way to allow students to step inside of a civic experience and gain a deeper understanding of the function of government and the role that they play is through film. When used properly, films can be a powerful educational tool to develop critical thinking skills. Educators who have used film in their materials agree. One resource you might use is Journeys in Film.

Journeys In Film is a non-profit organization that believes in the power of films to open minds, inspire an interest in learning, amplify issues, and compel viewers to make a difference as they engage in their communities. “Journeys In Film introduced me to films that can have a great impact for change in the classroom,” an educator recently shared after a professional development workshop highlighting Journeys in Film’s materials.

The Journeys in Film library of films with corresponding free resources (CORE-based curricula and/or discussion guides) includes 22 films that have dedicated Social Studies Lesson Plans, many with civics components. The lessons are designed to be simple enough for the beginning teacher to manage easily, with all materials camera-ready. And of course, all lessons are standards-based, so the teacher can readily incorporate film into an established set of learning goals.

Eager to try using films in your classroom? Here are some iCivics resources that pair well with Journeys in Film lesson plans:
 

  • A favorite among Journeys in Film’s offerings for middle school classrooms in teaching civics is Please Vote For Me, a documentary about an elementary classroom election in China. The curriculum includes A Lesson In Democracy, which would pair well with many of the Politics and Public Policy lessons available through iCivics.
     
  • The film He Named Me Malala, a documentary highlighting Malala Yousafzai’s advocacy work, includes a lesson about Working For Change and a discussion of What Can You Do?, which can be used in combination with iCivics’ County Solutions lesson plan.
     
  • For teaching about First Amendment rights, consider the film The Post, which is about the Washington Post’s effort to publish information about the Pentagon Papers. Journey in Film’s curriculum includes lessons such as The Supreme Court and Freedom of the Press, Why Is a Free Press So Important?, and First Amendment Rights and the Student Press. iCivics also provides resources that can be used in conjunction with Journey in Film’s, including The Role of Media, NewsFeed Defenders, and Student Expression.

Written by Jennifer Fischer

Jennifer is a writer, film producer, and educator whose work focuses on highlighting shared human experiences to cultivate empathy and understanding. Her films have screened across the United States and abroad and have been featured by NBCLatino, ABC, Univision, Fusion, NBCBLK, Vice News, and others, with her film “THE wHOLE” premiering at Amnesty International’s 50th Anniversary Human Rights Conference. She has developed curriculum for LA’s BEST, the Metta Center for Nonviolence, and in conjunction with the Outreach Center for the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, where she received her M.A. She is currently the Outreach Director for Journeys in Film. You can connect with Journeys in Film on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

New Exploring Primary Sources Mini-Site Offers Free Primary Source Teaching Tools

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Primary sources get students closer to historical events and offer varying perspectives that spark inquiry, discussion and deeper learning. 

iCivics’ Exploring Primary Sources website, supported by a grant from the Library of Congress, is an exciting new resource for K–12 educators and their students. By using the website, you will:

  • Discover innovative, free products from iCivics and our partners that offer interactive, engaging learning experiences with primary sources
  • Build your knowledge, skills and confidence teaching with primary sources with our collection of professional development videos
  • Simplify lesson planning with this curated collection of high-quality primary source tools, including iCivics’ DBQuest, Eagle Eye Citizen, Engaging Congress, History’s Mysteries: Historical Inquiry for Elementary Classrooms, Journalism in Action, KidCitizen, and Voices for Suffrag
Explore the Website

Primary sources take students beyond the textbook and help them see the past (and present) in new ways. We’re excited to help make primary sources more accessible to you and your students.

New Game, New Partnership: Promoting Global Civics with the Council on Foreign Relations

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

As global tensions rise in Europe and the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, there is an increased urgency to help students build an understanding of U.S. foreign policy.

Our new game, Convene the Council, created in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), uses digital gameplay to teach important foreign policy and global civics lessons in an engaging way. Students who play Convene the Council step inside the Situation Room and assume the role of the president of the U.S., making foreign policy decisions through 20 different fictional foreign policy scenarios that reveal how foreign and domestic policy are intertwined and how decisions made in one corner of the world can affect us all. The game’s scenarios challenge students to use critical thinking skills to determine how the U.S. should respond based on recommendations from the president’s closest advisors.

As two organizations with the shared goal of empowering students and lifelong learners with the know-how needed to be responsible citizens, we are proud to have partnered with CFR on this game and to bring global civics, which expands and modernizes the field of civics education for our globalized era, into the spotlight.

This game was made in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations, with support from The Peter G. Peterson Fund – New York Community Trust.

Play the Game

Meet the Council on Foreign Relations

CFR Education focuses on global civics, providing students with the knowledge, skills, and perspective—the global literacy—required to navigate our interconnected world, and preparing them to confront our era’s most pressing issues.Global civics recognizes that the world is more interconnected than ever before; that we live in an era when ideas, behaviors, products, and news spread more quickly and broadly than at any other time in history; and that the challenges and opportunities that define our era don’t stop at one country’s borders.

CFR is working to put global literacy back into the spotlight by meeting students where they are with relevant, compelling case studies and innovative multimedia content.It also acknowledges that learners of all ages must be equipped with the tools necessary to steer through the churn of the daily news cycle and a social media landscape often littered with misinformation.

CFR Education’s teaching global civics has involved using the intense, international popularity of Korean pop music to help students understand concepts like soft power; serving up avocado toast as an example of how the global supply chain affects what’s for brunch; and going behind the firewall to highlight how computer viruses now operate as modern-day tools of foreign policy.

Explore global civics resources from the Council on Foreign Relations:

CFR’s two award-winning digital learning products, World101 and Model Diplomacy, provide an essential baseline for a global civics curriculum and encourage learners ages 14 and up to embrace a world that functions on the fundamental principles of democracy.

  • World101 is a growing library of free educational resources that makes complex international relations and foreign policy issues accessible to all learners using videos, interactive maps, infographics, quizzes, and online teaching materials.
  • Model Diplomacy is a free classroom simulation program that invites students to step into the shoes of decision makers on the National Security Council or United Nations Security Council to debate the world’s most pressing issues.

CFR also recently released its first-ever music video—a guaranteed bop!

Black History Month: Lesson Plans and Resources for the Classroom

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Black history is American history, and February is an opportunity to introduce classroom discussions and reflections about how Black Americans have shaped our nation. In celebration of Black History Month, we are sharing resources from iCivics, as well as partner organizations to support learning and conversations in the classroom.

Five iCivics Resources to Use This Month

The Road to Civil Rights Lesson Plan

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 federal government to effect change. Protest posters, fictional diary entries, and a map of the movement’s major events develop a greater understanding of the struggle for civil rights.

Brown v. Board of Education Mini-Lesson

This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned “separate but equal” in public schools. Students learn about segregation and “equality under the law.” 

Little Rock: Executive Order 10730 DBQuest

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 help enforce equal rights for African Americans. Using the example of Executive Order 10730, students will explore how executive orders can be used to enforce the law. The story of integrating Little Rock Central High School doesn’t start or stop with Eisenhower’s executive order. Dive into the downloadable teaching resources to share more of the history with your students through the use of primary source documents. 

VIDEO: Ethel Payne: First Lady of the Black Press

More inclusive coverage of national and world events is due, in part, to Ethel Payne, the second Black woman to become a member of the White House Press Corps. In her position, she asked leaders tough questions and wrote hard-hitting news stories. Her persistence brought civil rights issues to a national audience and put Black people’s experiences on the front page.

Resources Page

Find all of our animated videos, lessons, and DBQuests for teaching Black history all month (and all year) long conveniently located together on a resources page.

Go to the Page

Resources From Our Partners

Black history is more than teaching about the civic strategy and achievements of the Civil Rights Movement. As we work to expand our resources to better integrate the contributions as well as social, political, and historical contexts of Black Americans in civics, we invite you to check out these collections from a few of our partners:

The First 100 Days and Beyond: Lesson Plans and Classroom Resources for Teaching the Executive Branch

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

January 20th, Inauguration Day, marks the official start of the four-year term of the President of the United States, but the real work begins after the ceremony ends. The first 100 days of the presidency is a critical period for setting the stage for what is to come in the next four years. Explore the many resources we offer to help students understand what they should expect during this period and the steps the executive branch can take to turn campaign promises into a reality.

All Eyes on the First 100 Days

Just like with any job, there are a lot of expectations when a new presidential term begins. Use our lesson, The First 100 Days, to explore the history of this concept, its impact on the presidency, and how success is judged. A customizable Google Slides deck is available for this lesson.

From Campaign Promises to an Agenda

This mini-lesson explains what a presidential agenda is and how it’s executed and communicated to the American people. Students will also examine the relationship between the president and Congress as it relates to the presidential agenda.

Mini-Lesson: Vice President

The president may be front and center, but the vice president plays an important part in our nation’s government. This new lesson will help students better understand the history of this office and the modern role of the vice president. 

What’s It Like to Be President?

In Executive Command, students get to be the president and learn firsthand the many different responsibilities that come with the job. From proposing a legislative agenda and signing bills to commanding the military, this interactive game takes students deep into the Oval Office.

Answer Students’ Questions About the Election, Presidency, Cabinet, and More!

Our Election Headquarters is the place to find our curated collection of lessons, games, and activities all about the electoral process and the executive branch.

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