TOP PICKS | 29 TOOLS
Best Government and Civics Websites and Games
Top Picks
RELATED
Print list
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.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
Beyond the Bubble
Top-quality assessments challenge students to think like historians
Bottom line: A ready-to-go, pedagogically sound route for refocusing formative assessment on critical thinking and literacy rather than memorization.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Newseum
Media museum's site mixes history and civics, teaches about journalism
Bottom line: An effective summary and introduction to the media; more exercises and tools to help budding young journalists would make the site even more noteworthy.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
Kialo
A troll-free zone for student discussion and debate
Bottom line: This is a valuable platform for students to learn about social and political issues while practicing digital citizenship and argumentation.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free While the site itself is free, some of the resources hosted outside of it may not be.
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.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
Stanford History Education Group
High-quality, document-based lessons spark stellar historical inquiry
Bottom line: A gold mine of CCSS-aligned lessons for U.S. and world history teachers; encourages reading, analysis, and collaboration.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
Government and Civics Games
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.
Grades: 5–9
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free to try, Paid
iCivics
Exceptionally well-designed games, lesson plans demystify government
Bottom line: This excellent addition to a civics classroom simplifies complex topics.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: $19.99
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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: $59.99
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.
Grades: 8–12
Price: $14.99
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.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Paid $24.99 for individuals; educational licenses range from $99.95 for 40 students to $900 for 1,000 students.