Master skills, explore new ideas, and build your teaching toolbox with free live, recorded, and on-demand training.
Learn about services designed to build educator capacity and cultivate dynamic educational experiences for students.
We’ve got answers. Visit our Support Desk to learn how to set-up and use your My iCivics Account.
Explore opportunities we’ve designed to create community and build your expertise.
Still stuck? Our Support team is standing by to help. Submit a request and we’ll be in touch.
For your convenience, we've assembled a library of our Media Moment Mini-Lessons. These mini-lessons combine civic content and news literacy skills. Designed for the high school…
The Northwest Ordinance established the role of territorial delegate to Congress in 1787. But the position and its role was undefined. Today there are six non-voting members of…
President Jefferson usually gets the credit for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the size of the young nation. But this ignores one important actor, the U.S. Congress.…
The 1830 Indian Removal Act authorized President Andrew Jackson to negotiate treaties with tribes in order to relocate them to land west of the Mississippi & open their lands…
In 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention decided that it was time for a change. A new plan for government was outlined in the Constitution, and it was George…
When Alexander Hamilton introduced the idea of a National Bank, it met with pushback from the likes of Madison and Jefferson. This battle was the nation's first constitutional…
What does the American Revolution’s rallying cry “taxation without representation” have to do with the District of Columbia? Looking at three different types of sources--…
Women have long served the U.S. military, serving first in support and civilian roles. Not until WWI could women enlist. This DBQuest looks at the changing roles of women in the…
Jump into the law making process of Congress.
Being the president is no easy task. Are you up to the challenge? Now available in Spanish!
Learn to control all three branches of the U.S. government!
Discover the different types of congressional committees and their responsibilities. What's more, teach students about bias and balanced reporting. In the closing activity,…
How are leaders in Congress elected and organized? In this short mini-lesson, students learn about Congress' leadership positions and the primary duties of each one. Students will…
Need to teach the legislative branch in a hurry? This lesson is designed to cover the basics in a single class period. Students learn what Congress is, what the Constitution says…
How do members of Congress decide whether to vote yea or nay on a bill? In this lesson, students learn what factors members of Congress consider when deciding whether to vote for a…
Members in the House and Senate decide who will take on important leadership roles. Teach students about how party leaders shape the congressional agenda.
How does a bill become a law? Follow this decision tree through the life and death of a bill in Congress.
Learn about the electoral advantage that favors incumbents and the benefits and drawbacks of reelecting members of Congress. Then, put students' news literacy skills to work as…
Knowing who represents you and what they represent are different things. In this lesson, students take a look at ways to examine their representatives. Students explore the various…
In this lesson, students learn to use reputable sources to investigate social media posts about the legislative branch.
Curriculum Unit
DBQuest
Game
Lesson Plan
