How to Use: Lesson Plans

How to Use: Lesson Plans

Build civic knowledge with ready-to-use lesson plans that consist of readings and activities. Each lesson plan offers a teacher’s guide that outlines the objectives, timing, resources, and steps needed to complete the lesson.

Lesson plans include everything you need

Student readings

Create impactful learning experiences with approachable readings that are chunked into digestible sections and include contextualized vocabulary.

Starter and classroom activities

Encourage collaboration and instill a sense of agency with activities that invite students to wonder, predict, and consider. 

Independent student assignments 

Promote critical thinking and curiosity with independent assignments that allow you to assess a student’s progress. 

Discussion opportunities 

Spark meaningful engagement with discussion opportunities that build a sense of scholarship and community among your students.

Teaching Tips

Use the Teacher’s Guides

Teacher’s guides make lessons easy to facilitate and implement. Each guide includes step-by-step instructions, extra context and tips, and options for adapting the lesson based on students’ needs. 

Adapt based on your access to technology

Lesson plans can be completed in a variety of settings and only use common classroom materials. Many lessons also include optional and customizable slide decks.

Engage digitally with Kami

Our free Kami integration boosts creativity by equipping students to highlight, annotate, and mark up readings and activities. Built into iCivics lessons, Kami is a dynamic PDF-reading and annotation tool. Students and teachers can also leave video, voice, or screen capture comments to explain or share feedback. 

Key features

Standards-aligned 

Reduce time searching for materials and make teaching civics easy and relevant with lesson plans that meet state standards. 

Ready-to-use

Simplify planning with grab-and-go lessons that require minimal prep and include everything you need. 

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Engaging

Ignite student interest with a variety of scaffolded activities, including traditional student readings, primary sources, role-plays, and more.

Available in Spanish

Engage Spanish speakers and multilingual learners with a growing library of Spanish-language lesson plans available for middle school and high school levels.

Plan with ASK iCivics, our powerful AI co-planner

Find the resources you are looking for instantly. Our new AI chatbot, ASK iCivics, is the fastest way to discover lessons, activities, and games that align with your instructional goals.

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