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Best Government and Civics Websites and Games
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Government and Civics Websites
Center for Civic Education
Good lesson plans, resources boost students' political awareness
Bottom line: There's some great content here amidst some so-so tie-ins to a textbook series; take a look and find a few nice tools to drop into your year.
Kids in the House
Detailed, age-appropriate intro to the U.S. Congress and its history
Bottom line: A great starting point for accessing the rich history and complex work of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Statistics in Schools
Interactive data, practical plans bring the Census to the classroom
Bottom line: Engaging and authentic material connects the U.S. Census to many subject areas.
Youth Leadership Initiative
Immersive simulations, in-class activities bring democracy to life
Bottom line: A gateway to some great activities for getting kids engaged in what it means to be a citizen in a democracy; defintely mine these riches for some activities for your classroom.
National Archives
Access U.S. history with treasure trove of docs, genealogy, and other resources
Bottom line: NARA's website wasn't designed for kids, but they can definitely use it to research and learn about history, genealogy, and the U.S. population and government.
Street Law
Excellent info, activities get kids engaged in SCOTUS's work, impact
Bottom line: An exceptional resource for learning about the law and justice system in the United States.
Annenberg Classroom
Civics website makes teaching the Constitution manageable, meaningful
Bottom line: Go for the videos, stay for the lessons: Annenberg Classroom saves teachers' prep time when teaching the Constitution, current events, or other civics lessons.
KQED Learn
Civic discussion site encourages media literacy and deep thinking
Bottom line: This platform features excellent videos students will enjoy discussing, but teachers will need to prep students to make quality contributions.
270 to Win
Follow dynamics of red and blue states through cool U.S. election maps
Bottom line: It's a solid resource for teaching about the election system, but a more kid-friendly interface would make it even better.
Project Vote Smart
Thorough, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials
Bottom line: Easy-to-use search tool is a must for any classroom that is learning about the United States government and our representatives.
Zinn Education Project
Resources, lessons help teach a more inclusive version of U.S. history
Bottom line: Free downloadable resources encourage critical thinking and active learning in search of a more accurate picture of American history.
Digital Civics Toolkit
Superb, timely civics lessons focus on social media and student voice
Bottom line: For teachers looking to make civics relevant to students, there's nothing else out there as extensive or relevant.
The Harry Potter Alliance
Fan site promotes real-world heroics with activism for social justice
Bottom line: A fun, empowering community for Potter fans who want to talk Hogwarts and make the world a better place while they're at it.
Kialo Edu
A terrific, troll-free zone for structuring student discussion and debate
Bottom line: A valuable platform for students to learn about social and political issues while practicing digital citizenship and argumentation.
YourCommonwealth
Engage with passionate international perspectives from youth
Bottom line: Offers a rich variety of news and opinion stories on global issues, and its young writers will get U.S. students hooked on civic engagement.
Data USA
Elegant treasure trove of data could fuel lessons and projects
Bottom line: An efficient research tool that makes it easier to incorporate stats into a host of lessons or projects focusing on the U.S.
Voices of Democracy
Vast collection of primary source documents a solid starting point
Bottom line: A great place to begin when you want to make history feel more real, but "begin" is the operative word; plan on creating your own scaffolding.
Constitute
Extensive, highly searchable collection of the world's constitutions
Bottom line: Quickly and easily access almost any country's constitution, locate an excerpt, or compare governments.
iSideWith
Easy-to-use political quiz provides instant results, provokes debate
Bottom line: A great tool to help students determine and compare political views; especially useful during the election cycle.
The Living New Deal | Still Working for America
Archival site is a treasure trove for New Deal researchers
Bottom line: While it doesn't offer much specifically for teachers or students, it's a must-use site for primary source material if you have a unit on the New Deal or Great Depression.
SCOTUSblog
Real-time updates and in-depth content on U.S. Supreme Court decisions
Bottom line: A comprehensive resource for any educator or student following the Supreme Court's work.
Stanford History Education Group
High-quality, document-based lessons spark stellar historical inquiry
Bottom line: A gold mine of cross-curricular literacy lessons that encourage sound, research-backed strategies for reading, analysis, and critical thinking.
Government and Civics Games
Cast Your Vote
Lively civics sim introduces the hows and whys of voting decisions
Bottom line: This game valuably shows students the importance of researching candidates and how to do it, and along the way gets students to define their political points of view.
Community in Crisis
Game shows real-world uses for literacy and decision-making skills
Bottom line: A clever, real-world, and civic-minded context to learn and practice ELA skills.
Fantasy Geopolitics
Impressive fantasy "sports" game engages students on current events
Bottom line: This game could be the hook that gets students engaged with international news.
Civics! An American Musical
Primary source-focused game has students create their own "Hamilton"
Bottom line: This is a quick and useful way to introduce middle schoolers to primary sources, or to kick off discussion on some key U.S. history topics.
iCivics
Exceptionally well-designed games, lesson plans demystify government
Bottom line: This excellent addition to a civics classroom simplifies complex topics.
SimCity
Exciting city simulator great for online play
Bottom line: SimCity does a great job teaching kids about cities by putting them in control of designing them, but this game needs a constant Internet connection.
That's Your Right
Card game gets students to wield the power of the Bill of Rights
Bottom line: This is a high-quality, surprisingly fun way to see how the Bill of Rights relates to everyday situations.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
Best entry in classic strategy series might not be best for classrooms
Bottom line: As with all games in this series, Civilization VI is a great learning experience with the right support, but older, cheaper versions may be more practical for classrooms.
Political Animals
Charming political campaign sim mixes data analysis and civics
Bottom line: It's a highly entertaining and surprisingly deep way to help students see the strategy -- as well as ethical choices -- involved in elections.
Democracy 3
Nuanced political sim about the balancing act of government
Bottom line: This is a grown-up civics sim, full of tough choices, compelling cause and effect relationships, and controversial issues that will work best for older government students.