Resources

iCivics and the Digital Inquiry Group have partnered to create Civic Digital Literacy, a collection of non-partisan, evidence-based, classroom-ready materials for educators that will equip students to identify and discern credible information online. Launching in Fall 2024, Civic Digital Literacy will include 15 lesson plans, ten student-facing videos, and six videos for teachers covering a range of topics, from determining who’s behind cloaked websites to evaluating political claims shared on social media. A preview of these essential tools for teaching digital literacy is now available.

A new Civics Collection for PBS LearningMedia, companion to the U.S. History Collection, launches Fall 2024, with free, interactive, media-rich resources for Grades 6–12 teachers and students. The Civics Collection is produced by GBH Education and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The responsibilities that come with citizenship are learned, not inherited. We owe it to our children and to society to invest in civic education. Connecting Civic Education and a Healthy Democracy, a report published by Carnegie Corporation of New York, highlights the need for state-level policies that expand and improve K–12 civic learning. The report calls for greater investment in civics and features examples of how coalition building has helped advance more robust policies in a growing number of states. Equipping young people with the tools to think critically, to engage in constructive debate, and to discover their agency is critical to reducing polarization and strengthening American democracy. Visit Carnegie.org/CivicsPolicy to download the free report, to check out the state of civics in your state, and to hear how civics advocates are building momentum to expand access to quality civic education for all students.

Become a Civic Changemaker Intern! Join the Civic Changemakers team to build your skills, and your network while you make a difference in the lives of middle school students in Washington, DC! Spend your summer working with middle school students and help them create a meaningful project that has a positive impact on their community. Through the Civic Changemaker curriculum, students will learn more about their local government, their neighborhood, and school community and will learn how to make a change! Civic Changemakers Interns will have the opportunity to talk with and hear from speakers, participate in cultural events, and meet college students from across the country. Each intern will have a mentor for the duration of the program to work on professional development, networking and leadership.

Join National Archives educators in Washington, DC, for free Professional Development Opportunities during their Summer Institutes. Primary Sources and Project-Based Learning at the National Archives: A Summer Institute from Maryland Humanities and the National Archives welcomes K-12 educators for a research experience focused on exploring the National Archives. Teaching with Primary Sources and Portraiture examines how to teach a balanced, comprehensive, and complex history of the United States. Get ready for the school year with three days of collaborative learning and idea generation on teaching tough topics.

Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society is the only national organization for high school juniors and seniors that recognizes excellence in the field of Social Studies. Any accredited public or private high school can apply for a local chapter, through which individuals will be inducted into Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society. Explore starting a Rho Kappa chapter for your school today!