Teaching with iCivics Archives - Page 2 of 6

Teaching the Importance of Civic Participation

Posted on August 8, 2025September 3, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

“Raise your hand if you are eligible to vote.”

Only a few hands went up, but there were some confused looks.

“Raise your hand if you know when you vote.”

More confused looks.

“Where you vote.”

The more questions I asked my senior Government students about the voting process, the more bewildered faces I saw. Students looked around to see if anyone knew the answers to my questions, but no one did. I have been teaching for 15 years (13 in my current district), and every year I get the same responses, the same confused looks.

These students are about to become adults, but many have no idea how or when to participate in one of the most fundamental acts of citizenship: voting.

At some point, it hit me—who is actually teaching students how to make their voices heard? There are classes on calculus, literature, culinary, personal finance, automotive technology, and numerous others where students learn valuable skills, but where is the class on voting and civic participation? Where’s the guide for becoming an active, informed participant in our democracy?

For Texas, it’s in your Government class. Those skills are covered in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Standards Chapter 113, Subchapter C, sections (d)13 and (d)14. My students do not arrive with an innate understanding of how they can participate in our democracy. It is my job to assist them in ways they can engage with their government and the voting process.

Historically, youth voter participation has been extremely low in comparison to voter turnout in other age groups. It’s a trend that we teach in our classes. As the educators of these young voters, we have the opportunity to increase their level of engagement in their own democratic government, which relies so heavily on citizen participation.

In order to accomplish this, I have spoken to election officials within my county to ensure that I was up to date on election codes regarding high school voter registration, as well as received guidelines from the Texas Secretary of State. One year, I partnered up with a student group I led and, together, we created a presentation for their peers. They created a program to present to their senior class in the auditorium. They discussed voter registration requirements, upcoming election timelines with sample ballots, and ways to research offices and candidates on nonpartisan websites. At the end, we had a balloon drop! It was so much fun, and I was so happy to see the students invested and developing lifelong civic participation habits.

I’ve also used resources like the iCivics game, Cast Your Vote, which is very impactful regarding the burden a citizen faces in a democracy in the quest to become an informed voter. And I’ve used the lesson plan, Voting: Will You Do it?, as an icebreaker. I have found that students engage more when they are given agency within the assignment or task, as well as understanding the purpose or the “why.”

Democracy cannot function without citizen participation. My goal is for students to understand how crucial their participation is if they want their government to reflect their beliefs and needs. I bring up examples where students were able to bring about change by getting involved. The purpose of this is for my students to understand that there are no gatekeepers to the government or creating change.

Written by Brittany Marrs

Brittany Marrs is a National Board Certification candidate and veteran social studies educator with over a decade of experience teaching Government, AP Macroeconomics, and Dual Credit courses at Magnolia High School in Texas. A passionate advocate for civic education, she serves as an Ambassador for the iCivics Educator Network, a member of the National Constitution Center’s Teacher Advisory Council, Association of Texas Professional Educators, and Texas Community College Teachers. She also served on the Social Studies TEKS Streamlining Committee for Government and Economics. At Magnolia High School, Brittany serves as the Senior Class Faculty Sponsor. She is also a College Board AP Macroeconomics Reader and an active member of several community organizations, committed to equipping students with the knowledge and tools to become informed and engaged citizens.

Through the iCivics Educator Network, the perspectives of teachers across the country contribute to the public conversation about civic education in the United States. Each contributor represents their own opinion. We welcome this plurality of perspectives.

Student Choice, Real Decisions: Why I Use Brief the Chief

Posted on July 29, 2025September 3, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

There’s something powerful about putting students in the driver’s seat of history. When students play iCivics’ Brief the Chief, they get to help real presidents make real decisions that shaped our nation.

In this game, students take on the role of presidential advisors, guiding Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Lyndon Johnson through high-stakes moments in American history. Unlike a worksheet, choosing the right “answer” isn’t the point here. This learning game focuses on asking good questions, thinking critically, and making tough calls under pressure.

For example, if a student chooses Abraham Lincoln, they might need to decide whether or not to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. They can interview his Secretary of State, a military leader, or other advisors to figure out the risks and rewards. With Jefferson, students might dig into trade policy with Haiti or the importance of securing the Port of New Orleans. And if they pick LBJ, they’ll confront civil rights issues or help him decide whether to run for re-election.

What I love most is how into it the students get. The game helps them take notes, but I like to encourage students to keep their own notebook to organize their thoughts and lock in the learning. I love when students share their experiences and their decision-making strategies with their classmates. Sometimes they’ll debate what was the best move in each scenario. Even the quiet kids come alive and explain their learning as I wander the classroom and get down on their level to check in.

And because students get so much choice, the game is different each time they play. Students choose which president to advise, which challenge to tackle, and how they spend their time. The gaming is fun and the learning is rich. They’re doing history, but also practicing evidence-based reasoning, decision making, and critical thinking.

For teachers considering Brief the Chief, give your students some background knowledge before they play. It helps slow them down and take the reading seriously. Encourage note-taking and make sure they interview everyone. Definitely use the Extension Pack which includes lesson plans, slides, and handouts. (What a time-saver!) And don’t skip the post-game reflection! That’s where some of the best connections happen.

If you’re looking for a way to bring energy and real-world thinking into your civics or history class, Brief the Chief is a win. It’s interactive, meaningful, and gives students a chance to lead. And honestly, students deserve a chance to shape history as they’re learning it!

Written by Christian Wrabley

Christian Wrabley is an award-winning civics and American history educator with over a decade of classroom experience. He is a member of the iCivics Educator Network and contributed to some fun work with the Design Squad. As a National Constitution Center Constitutional Fellow and a PBS Digital Innovator All-Star, he blends innovative teaching with real-world civic engagement. Christian has created national resources for PBS, WQED, and Junior Scholastic, and is a founding member of Pennsylvania’s Democracy Bowl. His work inspires students to lead, think critically, and participate in democracy long before they’re old enough to vote. Christian lives in Johnstown, PA, with his wife and three kids.

Through the iCivics Educator Network, the perspectives of teachers across the country contribute to the public conversation about civic education in the United States. Each contributor represents their own opinion. We welcome this plurality of perspectives.

Incorporating iCivics in Back-to-School Prep

Posted on July 24, 2025September 3, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

It’s that time of the year again, and no matter what help you need prepping for the school year, iCivics is here to help.

Are you an experienced teacher who has used iCivics for years? Or maybe a veteran teacher who is teaching civics for the first time? Or even a brand new teacher with no idea where to start? No matter where you’re at, iCivics has your back.

First things first, figure out what it is you need.

If you don’t know how you want to progress throughout your course (either because you have no starting point or want to change things up), check out the Scope and Sequence for your grade band. It can be overwhelming at first glance, so if you’re just getting started, avoid getting bogged down with all the topics in the units until you’ve built up a good frame. You can go back and place the topics, lessons, and games they have listed into whichever units you think they fit best with.

If you’ve already got a solid course outline and just want to tweak how you present a unit or add new related topics, check out the curriculum units. iCivics constantly adds new materials to these units. These materials come out so quickly that sometimes there is a delay between when they are released and when they are listed on the scope and sequence documents.

If you’re looking to simplify how you track student work and access iCivics resources, play around with their integration tools and set up your classes to find the most efficient ways to bring and manage iCivics to your classroom. It definitely beats repeatedly explaining to students how to take a screenshot of their game progress screens or dealing with a frustrated student who lost all their game progress because they weren’t signed in. You can still keep a nice blend of paper and digital assignments with these integrations, and they’re incredibly helpful for supporting absent students, multi-language learners, and facilitating a variety of accommodations and modifications to assignments.

If your focus is providing greater support for different groups of students or providing more variety in the instructional approaches you’re using, search the materials by resource type and pedagogical tags to find a variety of materials and supports to increase student engagement and differentiation. I know I’m going to be digging into their simulations and document-based questions this year as I’m looking to increase student engagement and primary source analysis skills.

If you’re looking for how to incorporate media literacy skills into your curriculum that hasn’t had the chance to catch up with rapidly changing technology, check out iCivics’ Media and Influence unit that can be applied across disciplines and is great for the start of the year to prepare students for more reflective analysis throughout the school year.

Lastly, if you’re looking for ways to make civic learning more accessible for other teachers and students’ families, check out iCivics’ information pages that provide detailed resources on how they can support teacher professional growth throughout the school year and help keep families connected and informed about what civics looks like and why it matters that their students engage deeply and meaningfully in their learning.

I hope that no matter where you’re starting, you know iCivics has your back with high-quality, nonpartisan resources to bring civics alive for your students this school year!

Written by Shae Parks

Shae Parks is starting her seventh year teaching 10th-grade U.S. Government & Economics and A.P. U.S. Government and Politics at her alma mater, Milford High School in Milford, Delaware. She is an iCivics Educator Network member, the 2023 James Madison Fellow for Delaware, recipient of the 2025 Delaware Civics Educator Award, and will be presenting at the 2025 National Social Studies Conference on her passion: bringing democracy to our kids in the classroom, school building, and beyond.

How I Plan My Year with iCivics

Posted on July 14, 2025July 15, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

As a teacher, one of the most important things I do at the start of each school year is map out my curriculum—and iCivics makes that process not only manageable but genuinely exciting.

On the iCivics website, in the Educational Resources section, teachers can browse materials by grade level or resource type. But my go-to move? I scan all the way to the right and click on the unassuming “Scope and Sequence.” (Personally, I think there should be arrows and sparkles surrounding this hyperlink because this is where the magic begins.)

Each year, I download the Scope and Sequence document directly to my desktop so I always have it on hand. iCivics offers versions for elementary, middle, and high school, and they’ve even included Spanish-language resources for middle and high school. These Spanish-language documents are incredibly user-friendly—every lesson plan, game, and infographic is hyperlinked, making it easy for teachers to access exactly what they need with just a click.

Since I teach high school, I use the High School Scope and Sequence. It’s organized into clearly defined units, each with a suggested sequence that helps me see the big picture. Every resource is labeled by type—WebQuest, DBQuest, lesson plan, video, mini-lesson, or infographic—so I can quickly identify what will work best for my students. I never worry about missing a resource—even if it fits into multiple categories, iCivics has it linked everywhere it’s relevant.

When I first made the move from elementary to middle school civics, I would browse resources by grade or type. Usually, I would start with the curriculum units. These were a lifesaver! They were laid out in a logical, chronological order and came with detailed lesson plans and student activities that helped me build confidence and structure in my classroom.

Now, as a more (ahem) experienced teacher, I’ve grown more comfortable adapting the materials. Now, using the Scope and Sequence as my foundation, I pick and choose the resources that best fit the needs, interests, and learning styles of my students. Whether I’m diving into a DBQuest to build document analysis skills or using a mini-lesson to introduce a new concept, iCivics gives me the flexibility to teach civics in a way that’s both rigorous and engaging.

Planning my year with iCivics isn’t just about staying organized—it’s about empowering my students to become informed, active citizens. And with tools this thoughtfully designed, that goal feels more achievable every day.

Written by Anne Walker

Anne Walker brings a wide perspective to iCivics, having taught Kindergarten through Dual Enrollment American History and Government over her 20+ years in education. A proud Madison Fellow, she holds master’s degrees in both Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, as well as American History and Government. A member of iCivics’ Steering Committee, she is also proud to have a seat on the National Constitution Center Teacher Advisory Council and RetroReport Teacher Ambassadors. She currently serves on the National Council of Social Studies Board of Directors.

Through the iCivics Educator Network, the perspectives of teachers across the country contribute to the public conversation about civic education in the United States. Each contributor represents their own opinion. We welcome this diversity of perspectives.

How to Ask for Professional Learning (Plus a Ready-to-Use Template!)

Posted on May 19, 2025May 19, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

We all know the feeling: that spark of inspiration from a new teaching strategy, the desire to deepen our understanding of a subject, or the need to implement a new curriculum effectively. Professional learning opportunities and collaboration with fellow educators, like the Collaborative Learning Pathway offered by iCivics, can be the fuel that keeps our passion for education burning bright and directly impacts the learning experiences we provide for our students.

But often, the cost of high-quality professional learning can feel like a personal hurdle. While funding from your district or school for the entire staff may be limited. That is why advocating for your own professional learning and development can be a game-changer for your growth and, ultimately, your students’ success.

But what does it look like to advocate for yourself, and how should you get started?

Before you submit your request, take a moment to reflect on why your district should invest in this specific professional learning opportunity for you. Consider these points:

Improved student outcomes: How will this learning directly translate to a better learning experience and improved outcomes for your students? Be specific! Will it help you implement more engaging strategies? Address learning gaps? Enhance critical thinking skills?
Alignment with district initiatives: Does the professional learning opportunity align with current district-wide goals or initiatives? For example, if your district is focusing on inquiry-based learning, highlighting an offering on that topic strengthens your case.
Enhanced teaching practice: How will this learning enhance your instructional skills, classroom management, or assessment strategies?
Leadership potential and collaboration: Will this learning equip you to be a better resource for your colleagues or take on leadership roles within the school?
Staying current and innovative: Education is constantly evolving. Professional learning ensures you stay up-to-date on best practices and innovative approaches.

Your Advocacy Toolkit

Do your research: Identify specific professional learning opportunities that align with your needs and school goals. Be prepared to provide details about the content, duration, cost, and potential impact.
Connect to the curriculum: Clearly articulate how the professional learning will enhance your ability to deliver the curriculum effectively and meet learning standards.
Highlight the benefits for students: Always bring it back to the students. Explain how your enhanced skills and knowledge will directly benefit their learning journey.
Be specific and concise: Clearly state the professional learning opportunity you’re interested in and why you believe it’s a valuable investment.
Offer to share: Suggest sharing your learnings with colleagues through a write-up for the school or district newsletter or blog, a presentation, or informal discussions, demonstrating a return on the district’s investment beyond your own classroom.
Be professional and respectful: Approach your administration with a well-thought-out and respectful request.
Follow school and district procedures: Understand the proper channels for submitting professional development requests.

Ready-to-Use Letter Template

To help you get started, we’ve created a customizable letter template you can adapt and send to your administrator. This template provides a solid framework for articulating your request effectively. We recommend updating the letter and benefits to fit the needs of your classroom and district.

How to Integrate iCivics into the End-of-Year

Posted on May 15, 2025May 15, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

As a high school teacher, the end of the school year is a pivotal time—especially for the seniors in my classroom. Between AP exams, final projects, and wrapping up the last quarter, it’s easy for both students and teachers to feel overwhelmed.

Adding to the pressure, assessments today go beyond rote memorization. Increasingly, end-of-year tests focus on higher-order thinking, requiring students to analyze, argue, and write in more sophisticated ways. On top of that, we educators want to ensure students leave our classrooms equipped with the skills they’ll need in college or next year’s courses.

It’s a lot to juggle. But iCivics offers a simple, effective solution—one that supports students’ learning while easing some of the pressure on teachers.

Gamify Review Sessions

While end-of-year study time is important, it can quickly become monotonous. One of my favorite ways to energize review days is by incorporating iCivics games. In my classroom, I often use Argument Wars, Branches of Power, and Constitutional Compromise to help students revisit key content like court cases, foundational principles, and the structure of government.

These games keep students actively engaged—and they’re more than just fun. Each one provides teachers with real-time data on student comprehension. That data can guide review sessions, helping us target the concepts students need to strengthen before final assessments.

Data-Informed Re-Teaching

Sometimes, the data from review sessions reveals topics that need to be revisited. That’s where the iCivics resource library becomes invaluable. With just a few clicks, you can find full lessons, videos, and activities covering everything from the Constitution to westward expansion to the civil rights movement.

My students especially love the civil rights unit. The engaging videos and interactive lessons help bring the material to life—and they’re a lifesaver when I need to quickly pull together a targeted review lesson based on student performance from the previous day.

Ending the Year with Meaning

The final days of the school year should be more than just a countdown—they should be a chance to reflect, reconnect, and celebrate all that students have accomplished. With iCivics, educators can spend less time scrambling to prepare and more time creating meaningful moments with their students.

Whether you’re reviewing content, identifying areas for reteaching, or planning engaging activities, iCivics provides high-quality resources that meet the moment. At a time when we’re all feeling the pressure, it’s a partner that helps us—and our students—finish strong.

Written by Jessica Mahoney

Jessica Mahoney is a third-year social studies educator who teaches Virginia and U.S. History at Norview High School in Norfolk, Virginia. She is a member of the iCivics Educator Network, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture’s Teacher Advisory Council, and a teacher ambassador for Retro Report. Jessica also serves as an at-large board member of the Maryland Civic Education Coalition, the Legislative and Advocacy Liaison for the Virginia Council for the Social Studies, and an educator consultant for the Center for Civic Education. She is passionate about engaging students in history and civic life through hands-on, inquiry-based learning and advocates for elevating teachers’ and students’ voices in education policy at both the local and national levels.

To Our Incredible Teachers: We Appreciate You

Posted on April 30, 2025May 1, 2025 by Sian Park

I have a confession to make: I didn’t want to write this post. What can I possibly say to express the magnitude of my appreciation for you without acknowledging the current moment and thereby wading into the political—something I’m neither supposed to do, nor want to?

But that’s been true for everything I’ve written or recorded for you this year. Every single message has been so hard to compose. I’ve obsessed over every word.

This is not my norm. I rarely struggle to find my words, especially when talking to teachers. You are my people, and I’ve always found it easy and natural to communicate with you. This year is different, not because of you, but because of the extraordinary circumstances in which you find yourself trying to teach for the maintenance of our constitutional democracy.

But here we go…

I appreciate you. All of iCivics appreciates you: our staff, our board (including Justice Sotomayor!), and our donors appreciate you.

And even though she is no longer with us, and I wouldn’t dare to put words in her mouth, I’m certain Justice O’Connor is smiling down upon you with awe and appreciation. We are all so grateful.

As the Chief Education Officer at a nonprofit organization, I necessarily wear a lot of hats. I know you get it. You do too.

You’re not just history or civics teachers. You’re counselors, coaches, club advisors, hallway monitors, test proctors, lunchroom attendants, and sometimes traffic directors. Every day when I drop my daughter off at school, I’m filled with both gratitude and cognitive dissonance when I see teachers with graduate degrees wearing professional clothing while blowing whistles and managing car lines in the south Georgia humidity.

That is insane. No other profession asks so much in the form of “other duties as assigned.”

My job description encapsulates many different things—important things, like academic integrity, impact research, youth engagement, and more. But my number one priority right now is supporting you in any way I can—not because you need my help, but because you need a friggin’ break.

So this is both a letter of appreciation and an invitation to HIT.ME.UP. Not to go to the club, although drinks are on me if we find ourselves in the same city. No, hit me up for what you need. How can I help? How can the team at iCivics make your job easier?

Because appreciation without action is like a terrible hug: hollow, unsatisfying, and oftentimes awkward.

We’re not here for that. We’re here for genuine, authentic appreciation—the kind that feels like a hug from your best friend after months or years apart.

Here’s what we’re doing at iCivics to put our appreciation into action:

We are LISTENING. As much as I want to delete all of my accounts, I continue to stay engaged on as many social media sites as possible to understand your daily struggles. The same is true for our marketing, product, and professional Learning teams. We’re also on a listening tour, scheduling 1:1 virtual meetings with educators.
We are CREATING. Every day, the award-winning product team at iCivics is researching, writing, revising, and uploading so that you have access to accurate, objective, engaging, and impactful resources.
We are ADVOCATING. Our Policy team is tracking bills, calling legislators, convening state-based commissions, and doing everything else in its power to ensure that states propose and pass bills that support civic education and civic educators.
We are PLANNING. We have our eyes on Constitution Day in September, NCSS in December, Civic Learning Week in March, and America250 from June 2025 to July 2026. We’re hard at work to make these special occasions and opportunities as meaningful as possible.

With that, I send you my biggest virtual hug—one that feels like a hug from veteran educator and iCivics Educator Network member Shannon Salter from Pennsylvania. Shannon gives the best hugs. They are whole-body, perfectly forceful, and just long enough for you to feel her affection without bystanders starting to wonder if something else is going on or if they should intervene. That’s the kind of hug I’m sending you.

With all of my gratitude,
Emma

P.S. We want to hear from you! Really, how can we help?
Here are some ideas that come to mind, but we are all ears for your specific suggestions:

Written by Emma Humphries

Dr. Emma Humphries, iCivics’ Chief Education Officer, brings extensive classroom experience teaching government, history, and economics, where she discovered the impact of engaging learning tools. With a deep commitment to empowering educators, she continues to champion innovative civic education resources and strategies.

Engaging Multilingual Students with the Help of iCivics

Posted on April 29, 2025April 29, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

Seniors in my Government & Citizenship class engage with the class material in a variety of ways. Some days, they’re deeply analyzing political cartoons, revising bills based on party pressure and Congressional testimony, or organizing evidence to argue for and against impeachment during historic presidential scandals. Other days, they play games! For multilingual students, some of these activities can be especially challenging given the cultural components of understanding symbols in a political cartoon, for example. When there’s the opportunity for English language learners to deepen their learning without the roadblock of Google Translate, it makes such a big difference!

Recently, my students began the week by examining President Nixon’s resignation letter; it’s a single sentence, so every detail matters. I started to see the power that the brief document afforded multilingual students, since they could more easily access the material. Instead of spending a chunk of class time working to translate, they spent class time really addressing the purpose of the activity: WHY those words were there, rather than what the words were. While some of our classes are co-taught with an EL/ML instructor, we all know that there are never enough resources to go around, and unfortunately, our English Language Learners don’t have access to modified assignments that might better support them. If only there were more hours in the day to create these for my seniors!

The success of the Nixon primary source activity challenged me to search for additional ways to honor my English language learners. Thank goodness for iCivics! The iCivics site includes a “Pedagogy Tags” search option, including filters for EL/ML and Spanish lesson plans, games, infographics, and slideshows. The Convene the Council game and associated resources, created alongside the Council on Foreign Relations, enabled students to learn and demonstrate understanding in Spanish without the intermediary of a clunky translation tool. When I pointed out the “Jugar en Español” option, I saw the transformation in two of my Spanish-speaking students in one hour. Their body language changed, scooting their chairs towards their Chromebooks and bending over the screen to select the Spanish option. They built avatars that looked like them, and convened their National Security Council as iCivics shared fictional global crises to which they could respond and delegate.

I know that these students would have been successful if the game had only been offered in English, but the Spanish option increased their enthusiasm and participation level. In fact, one student finished so much more quickly than usual that he thought he’d done it wrong! As he saw students around him still playing, he assumed that he must have missed something; he was used to being one of the last students to complete an assignment, not because of a lack of understanding but because of translation challenges. When I explained that he’d done a great job and played the game just right, the pride in his face reinforced how powerfully he connected to the activity. The next day (I promise I’m not making this up!), at the end of class, he came up to me to say thank you, giving me a piece of his favorite Colombian candy. It was a powerful moment: getting to access a class activity in an authentic way was so important to this student that he was still thinking about it the next day and felt compelled to show his gratitude.

Convene the Council is just one of hundreds of iCivics options that support multilingual students. I plan to use the “6 Roles of the President” Infographic next, as we deepen understanding of presidential responsibilities beyond our initial foreign policy focus. I hope these resources will help my Spanish-speaking students feel like accessing activities in their native language is part of our class culture rather than something that necessitates a show of gratitude. And it was some great candy!

Written by Megan Thompson

Megan Thompson is in her 20th year teaching social studies. She has worked with iCivics Educator Network, National Constitution Center’s Teacher Advisory Board, and Eastern State Penitentiary’s Justice Education Collaboratory. With the support of a James Madison Fellowship, she earned a master’s in political science and co-created her school’s dual enrollment program. She teaches Crime & Justice, Government, Dual Enrollment Government, and Dual Enrollment World History just outside of Minneapolis, and she leads professional development on the Supreme Court, Foundations of the American Revolution, media literacy resources, and mindfulness in the classroom. Megan’s passion is in developing rigorous and relevant classroom materials that connect the past and the present, and supporting teachers in their implementation.

Using DBQuests for Test Preparation

Posted on April 9, 2025April 9, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

Teachers are teaching more than facts in high school history and government classes. If you ask them, most will agree the content is a platform for teaching life skills; cultural awareness, civic engagement, and communication come to mind. Above all, teachers want their students to leave their social science classes with strong critical thinking skills, the ability to analyze events, evaluate sources for reliability (and determine the validity of that source based on its biases), and understand multiple perspectives.

As the focus of our instruction has changed, so has the way we assess the learning of these skills. Teachers are moving away from straight multiple-choice tests (although there is something to be said about the ease of grading A, B, C or D) and focusing on students’ analytical skills demonstrated through essay or free-response prompts. Similar to the long division of old, teachers are looking for students to show what and how they are thinking and, while a “right” answer is appreciated, so is the process by which students arrive at that answer.

We all know practice makes “better” (nothing is perfect). Teachers can not hand students an essay question or send them off to take their AP test without practice answering these types of questions. It would be setting students up for failure. Speaking from experience, though, creating quality practice questions is time consuming, more so if you are not an expert in the topic. How can you find quality sources if your own understanding is rudimentary at best?

This is where iCivics DBQuests come in. DBQuests are a learning tool that uses document-based questions to guide students in primary source analysis. I have used the same ready-to-go DBQuests with middle and high school (Dual Enrollment no less), picking and choosing which supports from the teacher resources were needed for my English Language Learners and Gifted and Talented students as needed with great success thanks to the built-in support. DBQuests guide students through analyzing a primary or secondary source to identify its perspective and usefulness, identify the source type, and analyze it to answer a central question. The Teacher’s Guide includes supports like student printables and glossaries, perfect for your EL/ML students needing that reinforcement.

Students who are being introduced to DBQuests and essay writing will benefit from the guided mode. Guided mode prompts students to identify different parts of the source while thinking critically using that overarching question. More experienced students can be assigned the same activity without the support in freeform mode. This is more similar to what your AP students could expect to see in the FRQs. The true beauty? You can assign the different levels to students based on their individual needs simultaneously without anyone being aware of what level of support they are receiving using iCivics’ LMS. Set up different classes for students (all they would need is your class code) or assign Lesson A and Lesson B in the same class, specifying who does which version. It is up to the teacher.

As teachers, we understand how important it is to meet students where they are, rather than where we want them to be. By using these scaffolds I was able to meet the needs of all of my students (and no one knew they were doing different lessons), which encouraged each of them to stretch their skills. By the end of the year, I have seen significant growth in the reasoning and evaluative skills of all my students.

No prep. Personalized scaffolds. DBQ practice. What reason do you have NOT to use them?

Written by Anne Walker

Unlocking the Constitution for Multilingual Learners: The Power of Video

Posted on April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 by Sophie Gordon

As we celebrate National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month this April, it’s the perfect time to explore effective strategies for supporting these students, and our Constitution EXPLAINED, or Todo sobre la constitución (in Spanish), video series offers a powerful example of how to do just that.

Videos are a great resource for teaching English and multilingual learners (ELs/MLs) because they provide:

Multimodal Input: Videos don’t just present text; they combine audio and visual cues. This is crucial for ELs/MLs, who benefit from seeing concepts illustrated. For example, when explaining the “separation of powers,” visuals show the three branches of government in action. This helps ELs/MLs connect complex legal terms with concrete images, enhancing comprehension and retention. This is especially helpful with the complex vocabulary of social studies. Visuals can help explain the meaning of words like “legislative,” “ratification,” and “compromise.”

Authentic Language and Context: These videos use a conversational approach and were designed with students in mind. ELs/MLs see and hear about constitutional concepts in everyday language in a way that builds upon their background knowledge, exposing them to new concepts along with familiar language, thus providing valuable and relatable context.
Engaging and Motivating Learning: The short, digestible format of the Constitution EXPLAINED videos keeps MLs engaged. The clear, concise explanations, coupled with visuals, make learning about the Constitution less intimidating and more enjoyable. The call to action questions at the end of each video encourage the students to want to learn more.
Listening Comprehension and Language Support:
- Videos provide valuable listening practice, helping MLs develop their ability to understand spoken English within an academic context.
- Crucially, the availability of both English and Spanish versions, along with bilingual Teacher Guides, provides essential support. Spanish-speaking MLs can listen in their native language and then reinforce their understanding in English.
- Subtitles/closed captioning or transcripts can be used to support comprehension, allowing learners to connect spoken and written language.
Flexibility and Accessibility: The short video format (2-3 minutes in length) allows for flexible learning. Teachers can assign videos as needed, and MLs can review them at their own pace. This is particularly beneficial for students who need extra time to process information. They can watch the videos multiple times.
Extending Learning with Teacher Guides: Our bilingual (English/Spanish) guides are designed for maximum versatility, supporting diverse classroom needs and maximizing and extending learning. The English component benefits all multilingual learners, regardless of their native language, while the Spanish component specifically caters to dual-language programs and Spanish-speaking MLs, ensuring targeted support. The guides include:
- Content-specific vocabulary: Taken directly from the video scripts, these terms are presented in context, aiding comprehension.
- Guiding questions: These questions activate prior knowledge and encourage critical thinking, both before and after viewing.
- Video Viewing Strategies and Instruction Strategies: These provide teachers with tools to support MLs, such as: “Turn and Talk” activities for collaborative learning; Identifying cognates in Spanish and English to build connections; Sentence frames to guide writing and discussion, and more.

In conclusion, the Constitution EXPLAINED video series harnesses the power of video to make learning about the Constitution accessible and engaging for all students, particularly English and multilingual learners. The combination of multimodal input, language support, and flexible resources creates a rich learning experience that promotes both language acquisition and civic understanding.

Written by Kristen Chapron

Kristen Chapron is Senior Editor of Digital Learning and ELL at iCivics. She worked on the Todo sobre la constitución series and looks forward to creating even more materials for English and multilingual learners.

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Tag: Teaching with iCivics