ICivics

WHAT IS IT 

iCivics features a series of interactive games based on real court cases and government issues. Students can choose which side to argue, evaluate how opinions align with their values, and make choices with potential outcomes. Students can step into various roles in government: lawyer, judge, President, community activities, and others. These hands-on real-life-based games allow students to analyze and synthesize the facts from their textbooks. iCivics is explicitly non-partisan and allows students to make their own decisions. 

WHY WE LIKE IT 

EMPOWERMENT—iCivics drives connection among educators through online communities, such as the iCivics Educator Network. 

FLEXIBILITY—iCivics allows educators to search for resources according to state and common core standards, easily finding tools that fit their curricular goals. 

CURIOSITY—In additional lesson and unit plans, iCivics offers several interactive, engaging games to support reinforcement of key civics topics. 

UTILITY—Lesson and unit plans are powered by Kami, a digital classroom tool that integrates with Google Classroom, Canvas, and Schoology Learning Management Systems. This allows educators to readily create, send, and grade assignments while using district-mandated LMS. 

TIPS 

iCivics works particularly well with Google Classroom.

Check out iCivics's free remote learning toolkit, which contains enrichment activities for students to complete at home.

The activities can be challenging for students, so be sure to pay close attention to how long each game should take and offer scaffolding as needed.