Grade 8   United States and Massachusetts Government and Civic Life

 Topic: History of the Constitution

• iCivics game Race to Ratify and Extension Pack lessons and other resources, play a role in the debate over ratification of the Constitution

• Democratic Knowledge Project - Portrait of a Tyrant, a six-episode online adventure game (in pilot version) co-developed by the Democratic Knowledge Project and Amplify, Inc. for students to learn about the Declaration of Independence, its historical context, and contemporary relevance. Provide feedback. More information.

Topic: Federalism

• Library of Congress Worksheets:

  • What is the definition of federalism?

  • Why is federalism an important civic concept to understand?

  • To what extent has the definition of federalism changed throughout history?

• Khan Academy Video

• Crash Course Government & Politics Video

Topic: Bill of Rights / Amendments to the Constitution

• iCivics game Do I Have a Right? and Extension Pack lessons, on the Bill of Rights and other amendments; includes Spanish version and supports for English Language Learners

• Reimagining Migration - Wong Kim Ark a Chinese American, who was detained after returning to the US from a trip to China, used the 14th amendment to win the right of birthright citizenship.

Topic: Elections

• iCivics game Win the White House and Extension Pack lessons; run your own presidential campaign; includes Spanish version and supports for English Language Learners

• iCivics game Cast Your Vote, and Extension Pack lessons, on local elections; includes Spanish version and supports for English Language Learners

• Generation Citizen -  Election Resources This curated set of election-related lesson plans and resources helps educators and caregivers learn and teach about the history of our democracy, voting rights, election fundamentals, political representation, voter registration, poll workers, and debates.

• Democratic Knowledge Project  Election 2020 Provides lessons and other resources to teach concepts about elections beyond 2020.

Topic: Branches of Government / Checks and Balances

• iCivics game Branches of Power and Extension Pack lessons, to learn about all three branches of government; includes Spanish version and supports for English Language Learners

• iCivics game Executive Command and Extension Pack lessons; take on the role of President

• iCivics WebQuest Three Branches: Laws in Action, follow a law from start to finish; students conduct their own research using the questions, pre-vetted websites and guiding tools provided.

• iCivics WebQuest Three Branches: Checks and Balances; students conduct their own research using the questions, pre-vetted websites and guiding tools provided.

• iCivics WebQuest Being President, the role and responsibilities of the President; students conduct their own research using the questions, pre-vetted websites and guiding tools provided.

Topic: Global Citizenship 

• Model UN for Remote Learning UNAGB MUN Modules - current global issues (2-4 week program, daily lessons)

Topic: News and Media Literacy

• News Literacy Project - provides tools to address misinformation about the current health crisis as well as free access to Checkology, an online platform to help students develop media literacy skills

• iCivics game NewsFeed Defenders and Extension Pack lessons and other resources; take on the role of curating a social media site to learn media literacy

• YouthLearn Media Literacy Toolbox offers an array of activities, handouts, and curricular resources to support media literacy education. These include a media literacy activity, photo zoom and media mashup hands-on activities, news literacy prompts, and a media gallery of student work for inspiration. Most of these can be easily adapted for remote learning.

• Facing History and Ourselves -“Where Do We Get Our News and Why Does It Matter?”, “How to Read the News Like a Fact Checker”, and News Literacy in a Digital Age include lessons with a number of videos and other materials 

• New England First Amendment Coalition Experts and journalists available for classroom presentations.

Topic: Current Events

• Facing History and Ourselves - Teaching with Current Events provides resources and teaching ideas for a wide range of current events topics, including Coronavirus. This lesson on the common good includes slides.

• Newsela - provides current and differentiated content in multiple subject areas. Currently offering free access to all of their resources to individual teachers.

• CNN 10 (formerly CNN Student News) - news of the day in 10 minutes

• Educators 4SC - compilations of resources, including lesson plans, on teaching major current events and topics

• Generation Citizen - Talking About Cens-US: Learn how to engage students in the 2020 Census in a culturally responsive way

Topic: Massachusetts State and Local Government / Civic Participation

• iCivics game Cast Your Vote and Extension Pack lessons, on local elections; includes Spanish version and supports for English Language Learners

• iCivics game Responsibility Launcher and Extension Pack lessons, on civic duties and responsibilities

• iCivics WebQuest Civic Heroism, on civic duties and acts of civic courage; students conduct their own research using questions, pre-vetted websites and guiding tools provided.

• iCivics WebQuest Who Represents Me?, investigate who represents you at the local, state and federal level; students conduct their own research using the questions, pre-vetted websites and guiding tools provided.

• iCivics lesson plan on Comparing Constitutions

• iCivics lesson plan on Local Government in Massachusetts 

Topic: Civics Projects / Action Civics

• Democratic Knowledge Project - Digital Civics Action Student Workbook What can you do to make change during #COVID19 outbreak?

• Democratic Knowledge Project - “Persuasive Writing at Home” packet adapted from Unit 5 that may be printed or shared electronically.

• Democratic Knowledge Project - Read Changemaker biographies from history and write your own biography, as studied in Unit 1 that students can complete at home. 

• Facing History and Ourselves  - From Reflection to Action: A Choosing to Participate Toolkit, readings and activities designed to support student-led civic action projects at middle and high school levels

• Generation Citizen - Democracy Doesn’t Pause, lesson plans and family activities to create change in the community

• Generation Citizen -Take Action: Lobby a Legislator: If you're leading a virtual classroom, we have developed a lesson you can teach to connect this moment to civic action for your students. As your students engage in their reflections about everything happening around them through this lesson, please encourage them to post their thoughts and experiences using the hashtags in the plan, and be sure to @generationcitizen on Instagram and @gencitizen on Twitter, in order to connect with other young people sharing their voice across the country.

• Generation Citizen - Family Activity: Encourage families and students to post their experience and reflections on Instagram and Twitter!

• Generation Citizen - Beyond the Ballot: Provides strategies for teachers and parents to take civic action in the community. A 2-lesson curriculum draws students’ attention to their local governments, systems and services, students will gain appreciation for the potential power of their actions at the local level. Students work together to choose an issue in their community they feel needs to be solved, and then seek out a local elected official to address it.

• Generation Citizen - Kick Start Action Civics Bring the classroom to life for your students by learning how to teach Action Civics through this online course.

• CIRCLE Data Tool offers a unique way to explore the relationships between voting and other forms of civic participation, and some of the conditions that shape such engagement. It features more than 40 unique indicators and includes data at the national, state, congressional district, and county levels. The classroom companion illustrates examples for teachers from many disciplines to use the data in inquiries and other projects.

• Constitutional Rights Foundation - Civic Action Projects Student Discussions. Students can discuss issues with other student leaders from across the U.S. 

• iCivics Resources for the Six Stages of Civics Projects Resources for the Six Stages of Civics Projects

• Students 4SC: online writing course and internship hybrid on current events

• Reimagining Migration - Somos Mas Americanos: Music and Civic Action This lesson explores the music of Los Tigres del Notre to explore how music can shape the way we think about ourselves, our civic identities, our histories.

• Reimagining Migration - Quinceaneras at the Capitol is a lesson exploring the strategic civic choices made by 15, 15 year olds who sought to bring attention to what they saw as  anti-immigrant legislation in Texas. 

• Reimagining Migration - When does poetry become civic action? This mini unit exploring Emma Lazarus's The New Colossus ends with a call to action for young people to write their own civic poetry.

Multiple Topics/Instructional Strategies

• Education Development Center’s Zoom In! -a research-based online tool, offers 18 free US History units that build students’ literacy skills by helping them develop arguments on important social questions. Students delve into compelling human conflicts throughout history, and argue with evidence about what the past means and why it matters.

• We the People / Project Citizen - middle school lesson plans 

• Emerging America’s Accessible Lessons incorporate Disability History into 8th Grade Civics. 

• Reimagining Migration -  Thinking Routines promote Civic Action in a World on the Move. These routines are designed to help young people reflect on a repertoire of civic engagement tools to take informed and compassionate action to create more welcoming, inclusive, and sustainable communities. 

• Reimagining Migration - Re-Imagining Migration Student Civic Inquiries These easy to implement inquiries lessons and resources can be used to promote civic knowledge, understanding, and dispositions. 

• Reimagining Migration - Joe Maddon and the Hazelton Integration Project How a white baseball manager built support for immigrants in a community that had seemingly forgotten its immigrant roots.