iCivics
I Civics: Rule of Law
Students learn about the rule of law and how it protects individual rights and freedoms. By performing short, scripted skits that illustrate what life might be like without the rule of law, students identify six factors that make up the...
iCivics
I Civics: Anatomy of the Constitution
This lesson gives an article-by-article overview of the structure and function of the U.S. Constitution. Students learn about the duties and powers of the three branches, the amendment process, and the role of the Constitution as the...
iCivics
I Civics: Counties Work
Do you want to make your community a better place to live? In Counties Work, you decide about the programs and services that affect everyone! Your choices shape the community, and your citizens' satisfaction determines whether you'll get...
![I Civics: Our Courts: Constitution Day Lesson: Checks and Balances [Pdf] Lesson Plan](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "I Civics: Our Courts: Constitution Day Lesson: Checks and Balances [Pdf] Lesson Plan")
iCivics
I Civics: Our Courts: Constitution Day Lesson: Checks and Balances [Pdf]
Students learn the roles and responsibilities of each branch of government and where the checks and balances are located in this role-playing instructional activity. Requires Adobe Reader.
iCivics
I Civics: Games: Argument Wars
Games in which players act as lawyers arguing head to head before a judge about real Supreme Court cases.
iCivics
I Civics: International Affairs
Students learn about the complex interactions that exist in our globalized world. They examine the evolution of diplomacy and international interdependence by looking at recent and historical global events. It includes games and...
iCivics
I Civics: Three Branches: Laws in Action
Embark on his WebQuest to follow the path an idea takes to eventually become a law. Read a short description regarding the role of each branch of government and then answer a follow-up question using the link provided.
iCivics
I Civics: The Electoral Process
Take a peek into the electoral process from party primaries to the general election. Students will learn the distinctions between the popular vote and the Electoral College, and exercise their critical reasoning skills to analyze the...
iCivics
I Civics: Being President: Play by the Rulebook
A WebQuest on what the job as President of the United States involves. Each page has a question to answer, and a link to a site with information specific to that topic.
iCivics
I Civics: Columbus to the Colonies
From the time Columbus first set foot in the New World, Europeans were fascinated with this new land. In this lesson, young scholars learn about the Three Gs that drove them here- gold, God, and glory- and find out how these settlers...
iCivics
I Civics: News Feed Defenders
NewsFeed Defenders is a challenging game designed to sharpen students' news literacy skills. Students will join a fictional social media site focused on news and information. They will learn elements of high-quality journalism to be able...
iCivics
I Civics: County Solutions Civic Action Plan
County Solutions is a lesson-based civic action project. Students examine the broad context of their issues-including the role of county and other levels of government and focus on bringing about local change using strategies tailored to...
iCivics
I Civics: Thomas Jefferson Mini Lesson
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States, but he played many political roles throughout our nation's history. His political life influenced the country in many ways, from the founding documents to the shape of our...
iCivics
I Civics: John Locke Mini Lesson
Introduce students to the ideas and writings of John Locke that influenced the likes of Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers.
iCivics
I Civics: Benjamin Franklin Mini Lesson
"The First American", Benjamin Franklin, is the only Founding Father that signed all three major documents that founded the United States of America. Students explore the many roles he took during the founding of America.
iCivics
I Civics: William Blackstone: Mini Lesson
Discover how William Blackstone and his "Commentaries on the Laws of England" influenced America's founders, founding documents, and legal system.
iCivics
I Civics: Rousseau Mini Lesson
Explore the ideas of Enlightenment thinker, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His writings on natural and social freedom, the social contract, and democracy shaped the American system of government in a variety of ways.
iCivics
I Civics: Thomas Hobbes Mini Lesson
Thomas Hobbes was one of the first of his era to discuss the idea of the social contract. Explore his views on government and his famous book, Leviathan.
iCivics
I Civics: Machiavelli Mini Lesson
Look into the ideas and writings of the Italian thinker and politician, Niccolo Machiavelli (1429-1527).
iCivics
I Civics: Montesquieu Mini Lesson
Meet the Baron de Montesquieu, one of the great thinkers of the 18th century. He spent a lot of time thinking about how governments should be created and maintained. These ideas guided the Founding Fathers when they wrote the...
iCivics
I Civics: The Enlightenment Mini Lesson
The Enlightenment was a period of time, starting around 1715, when people developed new ideas about human existence, including people's basic rights and the purpose of government. When our Founding Fathers created a government for the...
iCivics
I Civics: Cradle of Democracy Mini Lesson
No one person invented the kind of government that we have in the U.S. Check out two early governments that inspired the system that we have today: Athenian democracy, and the Roman Republic.
iCivics
I Civics: Got Ballot?
Covering everything from referendums to recalls, this lesson takes students to the voting booth and explains what they might see on a typical ballot.
iCivics
I Civics: Popular v. President
Can the candidate who wins the majority of the popular votes miss out on being president? They can, and it's happened before.