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iCivics Launches Animated Music Video Series with Nickelodeon

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

iCivics is thrilled to announce its partnership with Nickelodeon and ATTN: to bring children ages 2–11 a brand new animated music video series that helps them learn about how to be a part of a stronger democracy.

Well Versed hits all the right notes as it teaches civic concepts to the youngest generation in fun and imaginative ways through original pop songs. The 12-video series explores topics such as the functions of government, how laws are made, and how to be of service to the community. iCivics helped design the series and created viewing guides that support learning in the classroom or at home with short activities and conversation starters.

View the Series

Joining us to unveil the series on National Civics Day were First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden and Former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush. Speaking to a crowd of students in Philadelphia, Dr. Biden shared, “…learn everything you can about the things you love, the things that make you curious, but also take time to learn your rights as a citizen.”

First Lady Bush added via recorded video: “We believe that we need to inspire public trust, promote service, encourage civility, tolerance, and compassion among Americans. But it’s especially important that we teach our children how to be engaged citizens.”

Said Shari Redstone, Chair of Paramount Global, “Our goal is for these videos to be played in classrooms and homes across the nation in order to help address the enormous gaps in civic literacy today.” Check out these stories on NPR and CBS News to learn more.

Civic education, like reading or math, should start young, and these videos and learning materials can make government more relevant, interesting—and fun—for our youngest learners.

In addition to iCivics, the videos are also available across all Nickelodeon Platforms, Paramount+ and Noggin now.

Dive into Primary Sources & Inquiry-based Learning with Three New DBQuests

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Are you looking for ways to incorporate primary source analysis into your lessons without spending hours preparing? 

Unlock the power of inquiry-based learning with our three new DBQuests! Each DBQuest asks students a big question which acts as a guiding light for in-depth analysis of three multimedia primary resources. With step-by-step guidance from a virtual writing assistant, students will gather evidence, check sources, analyze what they mean, and write responses to important questions.

Explore Our Three Newest DBQuests

Non-Voting Delegates in Congress

Today there are six non-voting members of Congress representing American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In this DBQuest, students will explore the duties and limitations of non-voting members from the perspective of the members themselves.

Policy, Public Interest, and… Margarine?

This DBQuest invites students to take a closer look at how the public can inform and impact public policy over time. Students will review and analyze primary sources from 1900–1949 to discover how legislation can change and the role of public opinion in these changes. It’s a DBQuest with extra butter (or margarine) on top! 

Kids Making a Difference

Hear as kids from three different times in history share, in their own words, how they helped their communities and country tackle the issue of food insecurity in times of war and peace. In this DBQuest, students will use evidence from primary sources to support analysis, answer questions, and describe how young people have made a difference in their communities throughout U.S. history. 

iCivics has your back all year long

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Is the new school year truly upon us? How are you feeling about it?

We’re sure you have mixed feelings.

At iCivics, we are filled with anticipation and excitement. There are so many new resources debuting this fall—including a new game and video series—and we can’t wait to share them with you!

We recognize you might not be feeling that same energy, or maybe yours comes with a bit of trepidation. Teaching is a tough job, and you’re on the frontlines of some of the biggest challenges facing our country. But without fail, you continue to show up to support your students. And we are by your side. 

You can rely on iCivics to create engaging, trustworthy, and useful materials that are accessible and scalable. We remain committed to providing you with the highest quality, nonpartisan civic education resources and programs.

Here are a couple of places to start:

  • Scope & Sequence
    This document is a handy reference all year long as you plan lessons. It lists all of our non-partisan resources in one place so you can quickly find the perfect match for your learning objectives. Our comprehensive units can be used as-is or you can select individual items to supplement existing materials. 
Elementary
Middle School
High School
  • Free Webinar
    Join us for an information-packed webinar that will energize you for the year ahead. You’ll come away with great ideas for incorporating iCivics’ other resources into your lessons and have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues and the iCivics team.
Elementary Webinar
Middle School & High School Webinar

We admire you, we support you, and we’re cheering you on! We hope this year is filled with inspiration and growth.

DBQuests: Adventures in ELA

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

It is a universally known truth that teachers are some of the only people who live for the questions. Well, us and whoever hosts Jeopardy. But while living for the questions, we sometimes struggle with which questions to ask and about what we should be questioning. We worry about time for authentic student agency because research shows that students learn best when they are actively engaged in their learning, and practice shows that students are more engaged when the content is relevant or valuable to them.

A few years ago, as a classroom teacher, I happily spent Sunday afternoons fueled by coffee, researching and creating engaging lessons. In fact, my classroom was designed for engagement and activity. As an ELA (and former social sciences) teacher, it was extremely important to include materials that connected my students to the setting and context of the literature. ELA is designed to be inclusive in that way. Yet, by the time I found relevant resources, created the teaching materials, scaffolded the activities, and wrote the lesson plans, the coffee pot would be empty and the street lights would be on. Every Sunday, same routine. It is the weekend routine of many educators. Imagine the time and coffees saved had I known about DBQuests by iCivics.

ELA teachers rejoice! There is a place where historically relevant content exists in ready-to-use lessons. iCivics DBQuests are free online digital activities that teach history and civics by using primary source documents and evidence-based learning. Each lesson allows students to interact with several primary sources to answer guided questions and craft written responses. Students respond to questions about the text. They examine the text for supporting details and evidence BEFORE creating an analysis in response to a Big Question that links each of the primary sources together. At the end of the lesson, the students will have a written analysis. There is no wandering around a wide-open web visiting shady sites or getting lost en route to the lesson’s materials. With DBQuests, everything is in house and on the house.

The versatility had me giddy. With so much emphasis on improving student writing and increasing engagement, DBQuests are the perfect interactive digital writing tools to support educators in their quest for student mastery. Whether your class is 1:1 or you’re sharing tech, these innovative and intentional inquiries into history and civics are game changers. But that’s not all. Imagine using DBQuests in a cross-curricular collaboration with your fellow history or civics teacher. You’re getting ready to begin a unit teaching Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Beals. The memoir details Beals’ experiences as one of the “Little Rock Nine.” You want to adequately dig in and cover the topics and themes of the book, but time, right? Well, iCivics DBQuest Little Rock: Executive Order 10730 would be a perfect addition. It introduces students to the historical context of desegregation and why Executive Order 10730 was used by President Eisenhower. Teach middle school? Then try Clean Getaway by Nic Stone, one of my favorite new bildungsromans about Scoob, a young boy experiencing the inequalities and injustices of the past while road tripping through the South with his grandmother. Tie in the iCivics DBQuest, The Nashville Sit-Ins to provide students an opportunity to experience what life was like for Scoob’s grandparents. Then collaborate and synchronize with your fellow civics or history teachers for an impactful and memorable lesson. Imagine the possibilities! Talk about relevant and engaging! Excuse me while I go tell all my teacher friends about DBQuests by iCivics. But first, another coffee.

Written by Emeka Barclay

Emeka Barclay is a Curriculum Associate at iCivics where she helps create and cultivate curricular materials for educators and students. Prior to joining the iCivics team, Emeka taught secondary language arts and social sciences and worked as a technology and learning coach in Alabama. She then relocated to Florida where she was a dean of students. When not helping save the world, Emeka enjoys exploring the sites with her family and friends, searching for the perfect sip of coffee and nibble of cheese, and visiting public libraries.

Infographics + Infografías = Visual Literacy for All!

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

A picture says a thousand words, and our infographics have a lot to say! So what, exactly, is an infographic? Well, “info” = information and “graphic” = visual representation, so it’s using visuals and graphics to present content in an easy-to-understand way. Infographics can be used to help all learners practice their visual literacy skills. iCivics has 19, which can be found in the Infographic Library. And, in honor of April’s National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, we are excited to announce that we now have infografías (Spanish versions of all of them).

 

How do infographics help English and multilingual learners?

 

“The majority of my Spanish dominant students are English Language Learners full of fear, angst, and hope. When they enter school in the United States they are confronted with grade-level material in language unknown to them. The idea of having to look up every word in a dictionary to translate a grade-level article is overwhelming. Thankfully, iCivics now offers their Infographics in both English and Spanish. There is benefit to this for both English Language Learners and Dual Language Learners as they are able to make cross-linguistic connections between the two languages. This not only helps in comprehension, but in the acquisition of language.” Verónica E Schmidt-Gómez, MEd, GradCert Dual Language Ed, Dual Language Immersion Program DRT, Hillsborough County Public Schools. FL

“As Emerging Language Learners we always view our environment first through images. Viewing the illustrations helps us anchor the language context to the lesson we are mastering. Without the visuals, we don’t have a schema to build on.” Maria Sheldon, US History & Spanish Language Arts, Ortiz Middle School, NM

Infographics present language and content together in a comprehensible way which is great for ELs/MLs. The WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework provides a foundation for curriculum, instruction, and assessment for multilingual learners (grades K–12). The updated framework, which is centered on equity and student assets, now includes viewing and visually representing, and infographics are a great way to enhance visual literacy skills.

Each iCivics infographic has a Teacher’s Guide (available in English and Spanish) with all the information you need to use it in your classroom right away. We include an introduction to visual literacy skills, guiding questions, suggested activities, and relevant background knowledge and vocabulary. 

 

How can you deepen the learning?

 

Many of our infographics are thematically linked to iCivics video games or lesson plans so you can use them along with other materials in order to extend the lesson and dig deeper into learning. They are also a good springboard for inquiry-driving instruction. You can ask questions and have students use their visual literacy skills to respond. Here are some ideas:

In the U.S., multilingual learners (MLs) are one of the fastest growing student populations. These students bring cultural and linguistic diversity and we believe all learners should have the support and tools they need in order to participate in our democracy. In addition to our infographics, we also have built-in supports for all English learners in our games, extension packs, and more. Check out our collection of ELL resources for additional details: iCivics & ELL: Resources to Engage your Multiligual Classroom.

We are always adding new resources. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know about new resources, products, and opportunities!

Written by Kristen Chapron

Kristen Chapron is Senior Editor of Digital Learning and ELL at iCivics. She has worked on all 19 infografías and looks forward to creating even more materials for English and multilingual learners.

This work supported by the National Defense Education Program (NDEP)

Now accepting new members for the 2023 iCivics Educator Network!

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

You don’t have to navigate the challenges of teaching alone. At iCivics, we are committed to building a supportive community for educators across the country. The iCivics Educator Network is one of the key ways we do that.

More than just a professional development network, the iCivics Educator Network is an energetic group of civics, history, government, and social studies teachers from almost every state in the nation who serve as champions and ambassadors for high-quality equitable civic education.

“The iCivics Educator Network not only helped me develop best practices for teaching civics and government but has allowed me to collaborate with educators from across the country who have become great friends.”

~ Michael M., Social Studies Teacher and iCivics Educator Network member

Benefits of joining the iCivics Educator Network:

  • A monthly email newsletter packed full of learning opportunities and resources
  • Monthly virtual Educator Network meetings where you’ll connect with other members and discuss pedagogy and teaching ideas
  • First access to behind-the-scenes sneak peeks at new iCivics resources, special events, pilots, and other opportunities
  • The chance to share your teaching experiences with national and local media
  • Collaboration with other teachers as part of a vibrant and supportive community

 

Ana goes to the WIDA Conference!

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Last week, #FlatAna came to the WIDA conference in Louisville, Kentucky, with three members of the iCivics staff to learn more about the best ways we can continue to support ELs and MLs in our games and other resources. Ana has many roles in iCivics games. She is a campaign manager, guide, assistant, and all around helper. She’s bilingual in English and Spanish, and she believes in the iCivics mission of reaching all learners, especially multilingual and English learners. And if you follow our social media, you know that since June, #FlatAna has been doing a lot of exploring! 

The WIDA Annual Conference is for educators, administrators, and curriculum developers to share best practices and learn new classroom strategies.The opening keynote address featured Juliana Urtubey, 2021 National Teacher of the Year, who talked about the value of being multilingual: “If you speak another language, you are linguistically gifted…” Her message focused on building a “joyous and just education for all.” She said, “Celebrate your successes, compost your failures. Nobody loses when we are all empowered. It is possible when we build a world of wonder and justice around our students.” 

Game-based learning follows that idea. You get to empower your students by having them play the role of a presidential candidate, a lawyer, a county chair, a legislator, etc. In games, it’s ok to make mistakes, or fail. Like Juliana Utrubey says, you can “compost your failure” by playing again. At iCivics, we give students the opportunity to explore content through games which engages all learners and generates wonder in the classroom. What did Ana’s colleagues think?

Kristen Chapron, Senior Editor of Digital Learning and ELL: “The best part about the conference is learning new tips and strategies that we can apply to our games, activities, and lesson plans. In the session, Teaching Language Objectives Using Next Generation ESL Curriculum Resources, Dr. Jennifer Altavilla-Giordano broke down the components of creating language objectives. Participants were able to practice using and adapting the tools. Function and features are key. I also learned innovative ways to engage students with academic language from Nadra Shami, ELL Language and Literacy Trainer, in an interactive session called Developing Academic Language in the Content Areas. I also loved the energy and great ideas from other sessions, and I am excited to get back to curriculum writing, apply these practices, and share them with our team.”

Kristen Chapron with Dr. Jennifer Altavilla-Giordano, lecturer and program director for TESOL & Bilingual Education at BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.

 

Angela Clay, Curriculum Associate for EAD: “I had the privilege of learning about James Baldwin’s speech “A Talk to Teachers” from Dr. Carl Grant. Dr. Grant related Baldwin’s 1963 speech to the contemporary world. He articulated eloquently the significance of how a student’s self-image is mirrored in history and the classroom. When students recognize themselves in the lesson, they develop a sense of belonging in the classroom and in society. Dr. Grant was also able to illustrate the overlap between English learners and minority students. Both groups are resilient and, as Baldwin argued, they belong in today’s society. In order for all students to develop a good self-image, it is the responsibility of educators and curriculum leaders to guarantee that we educate our children and acknowledge the complex layers necessary to create a more inclusive learning environment for students to have a positive self-image. Dr. Grant charged us as educators to ensure we empower our students to build a more inclusive classroom and society.”

Angela Clay with Dr. Carl Grant,Hoefs-Bascom Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and former Chair of the Afro American Studies Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Amanda Setters, Curriculum Associate: “As a former Social Studies teacher, I really enjoyed exploring new classroom strategies. In my new role creating resources, I fall back on that knowledge to develop materials that are not only rigorous, but also include impactful scaffolds that save teachers time and effort. In my session on Scaffolding Strategies for High School EL Students, I did just that. High School English Teacher Noel Emilius gave an excellent presentation on strategies she implements to scaffold grade level content assignments to support all learners. In addition to taking us on a tour through one of her lessons, we also took some workshop time to discuss how we have used strategies in the field. Then we had time to apply the knowledge in our work. What is so powerful is that the time investment in creating these lessons can benefit a wide range of learners in today’s classroom so it is truly time well spent. It also highlights the need to network with other teachers to collaborate and share the workload. The exhibitor hall also had tons of resources that can help classrooms leverage technology to develop language skills so I really enjoyed seeing the variety of materials and tools that are available.”

Apply to become an iCivics Teacher Facilitator Fellow (TFF)

Posted on by Luke O'Connor
  • Do you teach 7–12th grade social studies or civics in Northern California?
  • Are you interested in being a teacher-leader and facilitating social studies and civics professional development for teachers in your district, county, and state?
  • Are you interested in being part of a community of practice learning together to transform social studies and civics teaching and learning across the state of California?
  • Do you want to earn $2,100?

If you answered yes to these questions, consider becoming an iCivics Teacher Facilitator Fellow!

What is the iCivics Teacher Facilitator Fellow Program?

iCivics is building a train-the-trainer model to cultivate a strong network of California educators with the knowledge, skills, and demonstrated abilities to provide the kind of high-quality civic education to each and every student in their state, that is essential to sustaining and strengthening our constitutional democracy. We know that we can only reach this goal with the leadership and support of skilled teachers! This fellowship program creates a cohort of Teacher Facilitator Fellows who will work collaboratively with iCivics, other content and pedagogical experts, and each other to strengthen civic education content, pedagogy, and facilitation skills. 

After completion of this fellowship, Teacher Facilitator Fellows will receive a stipend to provide professional development opportunities to other educators in their district, county, and state.

The fellowship will be limited to 20 educators from Northern California for its inaugural year (School Year 2022–23). We are excited to expand the program statewide during the 2023 and 2024 school years!

As part of the fellowship, you will:

  • Attend an in-person kick-off event in late fall where you will meet, connect, and collaborate with other TFFs in your cohort, examine best practices for civics teaching and learning, and hear from guest presenters;
  • Participate in monthly professional development through webinars and coursework from iCivics staff and guest presenters;
  • Be part of a statewide community of practice learning together and supporting high-quality civic instruction;
  • Attend a statewide convening during the summer;
  • Become a certified iCivics Teacher Facilitator and be awarded a digital badge; and
  • Be compensated $2,100, upon fulfillment of fellowship obligations, with potential opportunities to participate in other stipend work. 

How to apply: 

Complete the application.

Embracing National Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Growing up in Miami, Florida, I was surrounded by Hispanic culture, Hispanic leaders, and the Spanish language. Thanks to my parents, I grew up speaking both Spanish and English. I was exposed to my Guatemalan heritage and explored how that intertwined with growing up in the United States. Unfortunately, this did not include a lot of civic knowledge or skills. My parents had not been a part of the electoral process in their country of origin or in the United States. They also never attended school due to the violence and poverty that had struck their country throughout the 20th century. Thankfully, I was able to develop my passion and knowledge for civics from my school and was able to take a dedicated civics course—something solidified for all Florida middle schoolers with the passage of the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act in 2010.

It was not until I left Miami that I understood the importance of National Hispanic Heritage Month. This month of celebration and recognition allowed me to come together with other students at my university and recognize the importance of Hispanic contributions to the American story. As an educator, I had the opportunity to teach a World Cultures course every year, in which students got to explore different cultures through projects and research. It was always a special time when we got to the unit in Latin America, which I ensured landed during Hispanic Heritage Month. The majority of my students identified with this region because it was where their families were from. That is when I noticed how powerful Hispanic Heritage Month could be in the classroom. Acknowledging these stories and celebrations was one way of creating and celebrating community in the classroom.

These steps in my journey led me to iCivics. At a personal level, I understand how essential civic education is to those of the youngest generation who may not have a family that is civically engaged. Civic education serves as a way to overcome generational barriers to civic engagement. Luckily, my mom will have an opportunity to vote for the first time in her life on November 8.

I challenge educators and students to use this month’s significance and incorporate it into their school community however possible. One way is by studying leaders like U.S. Supreme Court Justice (and iCivics board member) Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina and first woman of color to serve on the land’s highest court. Another way is by using iCivics’ ELL resources to make civics accessible to your English and multilingual learners. As a Latino, I feel proud to be able to continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Written by Michael Reyes

Born in Miami, Florida, Michael has nearly three years of teaching experience in his hometown. At iCivics, Michael manages the Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship and the Youth As Civics Experts Network. He supports our Youth Fellows in finding and using their voices towards their civic passion, a similar experience he went through in high school.

CHCI R2L NextGen Program Creates Full-Circle Moment for iCivics Team Member

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Earlier this summer, iCivics’ Director of Curriculum and Content Taylor Davis and I held a workshop for R2L NextGen students from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) to help them learn more about their constitutional rights.

These high school students discussed the importance of our Constitution and the rights it protects for the people of the United States. They then proceeded to play our game, Do I Have A Right? While playing, students reflected on their experience of stepping into the role of a lawyer and learning to navigate their constitutional rights.

Here is what they had to say:

“I learned how critical our lawyers are in our government and how we depend on our amendments.”

– Linsi Perez, Florida

“I relearned which rights went with which amendments. I learned more in depth details about many amendments. I realized the applications of these amendments and how they help to solve issues that people have.”

– Nicolas R., Florida

“I am wondering whether or not most people are actually aware of these rights and I wonder how these games can continue to impact those who don’t.”

– Alexandra C., Florida

This session was a full-circle moment for me because I was part of the inaugural cohort of CHCI’s R2L NextGen program in the summer of 2011. This civic youth experience was pivotal to my life-long civic journey. R2L NextGen prepared me to get more involved in my hometown of Miami, Florida, and seek more civic opportunities. It taught me that civic participation was vital to your community and it empowered me to become part of my high school’s Student Government Association and later be involved in campus elections at the University of Florida.

Without the experience with CHCI’s R2L NextGen as a sophomore in high school, I would not have the motivation I have today to be civically engaged and connected to my community. I was very impressed with how engaged this group of students was during the game and all the wonderful questions they had! I hope they continue playing our games and making the most of their life-long civic journey.

Written by Michael Reyes

Born in Miami, Florida, Michael has nearly three years of teaching experience in his hometown. At iCivics, Michael manages the Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship and the Youth As Civics Experts Network. He supports our Youth Fellows in finding and using their voices towards their civic passion, a similar experience he went through in high school.