TOP PICKS | 27 TOOLS
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.
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
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.
Grades: 6–12
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
American Social History Project
Deep, research-backed resources highlight America's rich diversity
Bottom line: Worth the time investment, because these valuable, socially progressive materials will add depth to the study of American history.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid The resources are mostly free; however, there are some costs associated with acquiring books and for some teaching and PD materials.
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
Your Commonwealth
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.
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.
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.