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Learning for Justice: Teaching Tolerance

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Learning for Justice: Teaching Tolerance

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This is a free resource highlighting the beauty in human diversity. Learning for Justice has developed free, classroom-ready materials focused on anti-bias and diversity education.

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Common Sense Education: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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Common Sense Education: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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Common Sense Education has developed a collection of free lessons, videos, and tools to help students understand and value difference and inclusion across identities.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources for Classrooms | Common Sense Education

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources for Classrooms is a list of 36 apps, games, and websites curated by Common Sense Education editors.

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Edutopia: Social Emotional Learning Tools

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Edutopia: Social Emotional Learning Tools

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Edutopia is packed with teacher-facing articles and videos on differentiated instruction, social-emotional learning, and classroom culture that support student engagement and confidence.

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Find resources to help students manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions—creating the healthiest school culture possible.

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This is a direct link to every video and lesson plan that PBS wrote and filmed for The Global Oneness Project. Please have a look at the link above for more info about this amazing resource that teachers can use for free within their classrooms.

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Global Oneness Project | PBS LearningMedia

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The Global Oneness Project collection features films, photo essays, and accompanying lesson plans which explore cultural, social, and environmental issues with a humanistic lens. These multimedia stories explore the world through real life experiences and provide students with an authentic approach to global learning. The curriculum content makes personal and interdisciplinary connections and fosters the development of active, critical thinking.

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Story Corps is a collection of individual stories, recorded for teachers to use within their classrooms. Students will develop empathy and gain new cross-cultural understanding while listening to students who may be from different backgrounds and have other life experiences than the students who listen.

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This fantastic free resource contains videos, image libraries, lesson plans for educators, and stories to help students gain new understanding and to challenge their perspective on global issues, developing empathy for others around the world in the process.

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UNICEF developed a library of videos and lessons for teachers to use with their classrooms discussing global issues such as health, rights, and cultural diversity.

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National Geographic Kids: World Cultures

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National Geographic Kids: World Cultures

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National Geographic has built a whole library of interactive articles, photos, and videos about cultures, geography, and global traditions perfect for use in the classroom.

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According to Winston Churchill, "those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it". Facing History helps teachers facilitate valuable conversations about history so that students can recognize and stand up to racism, bigotry, and hatred.

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"I believe in the power of Facing History."

-Durias D., Facing History Alum

"I went to a Facing History workshop and it opened my eyes."

-Tareeq R., Educator

Facing History & Ourselves
uses lessons of history
to challenge teachers
and their students
to stand up to bigotry and hate.

Facing History & Ourselves is more than our name. It is an active and continuous process that calls on each of us to connect the choices of the past to those we face today. To build a more just and equitable future, we must face our history in all its complexity, Are you ready to face history with us?

Learn how you can experience Facing History

Facing History has thousands of research-based resources and professional learning events to support Social Studies and English Language Arts education.

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And hopefully, they will always remember what happened to us and make sure that it won't happen again.

Sonia Weitz, Holocaust survivor and poet

Sign up to download the PDF version of our textbook, Holocaust and Human Behavior.

Facing History students are 94% more likely than their peers to report that their class motivated them to learn.

92% of Facing History teachers agree that Facing History helps their students stand up for what they believe even when others disagree.

91% of elective teachers agree or strongly agree that their Facing History course promoted their students' abilities to ground reading, writing, and speaking in evidence from text.

Demand for our work is greater than ever. Make a 100% tax-deductible donation today and you'll help us reach even more teachers and students around the world, giving them the tools to stand up to bigotry and hate.

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Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate.

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NPR Code Switch is a podcast talking about the intricacies of race, identity, and culture. Teachers can browse this library to facilitate healthy dialogue within their middle school classrooms.

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The We Are Teachers website has built a database of vetted books, videos, and activities that support diversity lessons for the classroom, particularly at a middle school comprehension level.

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Jeanne Croteau, M.S., Psychology, Master TEFL Certified

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Find resources related to on We Are Teachers - Page 1 of 12

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Wayground is a fantastic resource for teachers looking for adaptive learning experiences to use in their classrooms. The gamified element levels up the engagement for students, so everyone has fun while learning and reviewing content.

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This website offers many resources for Project-Based Learning (PBL) assignments, engaging activities and projects that support cross-curricular, student-centered learning experiences.

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This resource combines important social-emotional learning needs with digital and technology challenges that students face. There are interactive videos and lesson plans to help students develop interpersonal and self-management skills when interacting with technology.

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Media and technology are central to how young people learn, socialize, and participate in the world. This makes it all the more important to consider how our student's digital lives can impact their social and emotional well-being. We've prepared this guide to help you navigate this world where digital citizenship and social and emotional learning are deeply intertwined.

Read on to find answers to teachers' most commonly asked questions about social and emotional learning (SEL) as well as information on how it connects to the digital lives of your students. To see our full collection of K-12 SEL activities visit our SEL in Digital Life Resource Center.
Use these links to jump to any section below: What is social and emotional learning?
Why is social and emotional learning important?
How can I teach SEL and digital citizenship to my students?
Are there learning standards for SEL?
How does technology impact social and emotional learning?
What are the connections between digital citizenship and SEL?
What are examples of SEL skills and dispositions that are unique to digital life?
What are some best practices for teaching SEL?
How can I teach SEL in an equity-oriented way?
How can my school align its digital citizenship and SEL strategies?
What is social and emotional learning?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process that all individuals go through as they develop the intrapersonal and inter personal skills that will help them thrive -- in their own lives, as members of their communities, and in the world at large.

Why is social and emotional learning important?

Very simply, students need social and emotional learning skills to succeed in school and in life. Research has shown that school-wide implementations of SEL can lead to improved academic performance, decreased conflict between students, and can help students feel more invested in their school communities.

How can I teach SEL and digital citizenship to my students?

Our SEL in Digital Life Resource Center has everything you'll need to get started with social and emotional learning in the digital world. In the resource center, you'll find CASEL-aligned short activities, teaching guides, professional development resources, and family engagement materials.

Because engaging families and caregivers is such an essential piece of successful SEL implementation, we've included a set of conversation starters you can send to your students' grown-ups so that they can practice what they learned in school at home.

Are there learning standards for SEL?

The SEL framework developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is widely used by educators as a resource to help bring SEL to their classrooms and schools. Some states, such as Wisconsin, have drafted a statewide framework and guidance for teaching SEL. Unfortunately, as of yet, most states and the federal government haven't developed this kind of detailed guidance. Because of this, the implementation of social-emotional learning can vary widely across school sites.

All of the resources created by Common Sense Education, including our SEL in Digital Life activities, are aligned to the CASEL framework and five core competencies for social and emotional learning:

Self-Awareness

Self-Management

Responsible Decision-Making

Relationship Skills

Social Awareness

How does technology impact social and emotional learning?

Whether for learning or socializing, young people will undoubtedly face social and emotional challenges that are unique to using technology in their daily lives. For example, we can relate to how media use -- and often too much of it -- can have a direct impact on our emotional well-being. But the social and emotional challenges that students face when they use technology go beyond the individual.

For instance, communicating on digital platforms can make it more likely for people to be mean. And in a recent survey from Common Sense, the frequency with which young people reported encountering hateful content online was substantially higher today than it was in 2018. Unfortunately, the research also found that the young people most likely to encounter this kind of content are also those who are most likely to be the targets of online hate.

These unique types of challenges highlight the importance of teaching digital citizenship and SEL in an integrated way.

What are the connections between digital citizenship and SEL?

It might be common for teachers and schools to teach only SEL or only digital citizenship, or to teach them both, but separately. But it's important to know that SEL and digital citizenship can be very impactful when taught together. While the two content areas aren't interchangeable, they can definitely complement one another other.

It's best to think of digital citizenship as a specific context where social and emotional learning can take place. Digital citizenship calls attention to the unique challenges that students encounter when navigating the digital world. At the same time, it highlights the unique sets of skills and dispositions that students can use to navigate these challenges in a safe and responsible way. And when students put digital citizenship into practice, they're effectively using social and emotional strategies to address the uniqueness of their digital lives.

Digital citizenship helps SEL be more effective by making SEL more responsive to the demands and opportunities that technology brings into student's lives.

What are examples of SEL skills and dispositions that are unique to digital life?

Technology's impact on students' social and emotional well-being can vary across age and levels of development. It's important to help your students learn the skills that are most important to them, whether it's understanding how devices affect their feelings or how social media impacts their friendships, just to name a few.

The table below outlines the K-12 SEL skills and dispositions covered in the Common Sense SEL in Digital Life activities. You can also click to open the table in a Google Doc.

What are some best practices for teaching SEL?

The best way to teach SEL is to implement a formal curriculum that also includes opportunities for family engagement. Unfortunately, many schools and districts across the country don't have a clear program for teaching SEL. This type of uneven implementation can have unintended consequences and exacerbate educational disparities, especially among students of color.

If there isn't a formal SEL curriculum or strategy at your school, you can still teach SEL! As you start, it's important to implement SEL strategies that follow a culturally responsive pedagogy. Our SEL in Digital Life activities are a great way to get started, but also keep the following tips in mind:

Be sure to define what an equity-centered approach to SEL looks like in your classroom or school community.

Collaborate with your colleagues to develop a joint understanding of how you're addressing students' social and emotional learning. This is particularly important when aligning on strategies for sensitive issues like conflict resolution and student discipline.

Establish a positive classroom culture early on by engaging students in conversations about how they want to feel when they're learning, playing, and working together.

Check in with students periodically to reflect on how well your classroom and community are working together toward achieving a positive classroom culture.

How can I teach SEL in an equity-oriented way?

When teaching SEL it is important that your focus goes beyond classroom management and student discipline. Dena Simmons, a scholar and practitioner who specializes in SEL and equity, explains that social emotional learning interventions that focus squarely on these two areas can end up reinforcing "failure narratives". When unchecked, these negative narratives can feed educators' implicit biases and lead them to believe that some students, often students of color, need more SEL skills to regulate their behavior and emotions as compared to their peers. The impact of this cycle of negative narratives and implicit biases can be harmful and result in unequal disciplinary outcomes, or in students of color internalizing a negative self-image.

To learn more about how to make your approach to SEL more equity-centered, you can read more of Dr. Simmons's work on this topic. Our team has also curated a helpful list of the best social- and cultural-literacy resources from around the web, which could be useful as you develop an SEL implementation strategy.

How can my school align its digital citizenship and SEL strategies?

A set of policy recommendations drafted by the Committee for Children suggests it is important to align digital citizenship to ongoing SEL initiatives and to make clear how SEL strategies are foundational to how digital citizenship is taught to students.

How you align digital citizenship to SEL might look different depending on whether you are a teacher or an administrator:

If you're a teacher interested in addressing digital citizenship and SEL in your classroom, you can get started by using the resources in our SEL in Digital Life Resource Center. For a more in-depth implementation, you can use our free Digital Citizenship Curriculum where every K-12 lesson is aligned to CASEL's SEL framework.

If you're an administrator or curriculum specialist looking to develop an initiative that clearly connects SEL and digital citizenship, one of the most useful resources you'll find is the Online Safety & Social and Emotional Learning page maintained by Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction. Their team developed a useful infographic, as well as a curriculum crosswalk that outlines the connection between SEL and the state's information and technology literacy standards.

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Teachers' Essential Guide to Social and Emotional Learning in Digital Life | Common Sense Education

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Media and technology are central to how young people learn, socialize, and participate in the world. This makes it all the more important to consider how our student's digital lives can impact their social and emotional well-being. We've prepared this guide to help you navigate this world where digital citizenship and social and emotional learning are deeply intertwined.

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The California Teachers Association created a library of content for teachers as they work to develop inclusive, adaptive classrooms that serve a variety of student needs and diversified learning experiences.

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Classroom resources for educators from educators at the California Teachers Association.

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iCivics Education: Inspiring Civic Engagement

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iCivics Education: Inspiring Civic Engagement

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iCivics is a one-stop shop for interactive activities and lessons that support student understanding of civic action, rights, and community involvement.

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Resource Collection - Civic Engagement - iCivics

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Home > Resource Collection > Civic Engagment Inspiring Civic Engagement Collection This full week of resources contains everything middle school students need to understand their roles as local and global citizens. Each lesson builds essential skills—like critical thinking and reading comprehension—by exploring what it means to be an active and engaged citizen. Download the Teacher’s […]

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SRVCE: Civic Identity & Civic Action Curriculum

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SRVCE: Civic Identity & Civic Action Curriculum

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This is a set of free curriculum available to teachers guiding students in exploring civic identity, community issues, and planning civic action projects.

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Facilitate civic inquiry and action with students by using any of the SRVCE Curriculum modules independently or all of the modules in sequence. Find a wide array of supports and resources in the SRVCE Teacher Toolkit. All SRVCE materials are free. SRVCE Curriculum View the SRVCE Curriculum and Teacher Toolkit by clicking the button for each module below.…

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This website has resources and activities that help students understand democratic principles and ways to participate in civic life.

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This resource has outh-friendly, non-partisan project ideas and toolkits to support real-world civic engagement and community action. Teachers can use this to help bring social awareness to their students.

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Empower the next generation of leaders with DoSomething.org's action-driven programming, tools, and resources. Whether you're working with young people in a high school or college, a club leader, or running out-of-school-time programs, DoSomething provides a range of service programs that help you and those you serve take meaningful action on the issues they care about.

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Tools for Educators and Facilitators | DoSomething.org

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Utilize DoSomething at your school, organization or institution! Our resources will help you start your service learning or volunteerism program.

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CA Dept of Education: Civic Engagment Projects

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CA Dept of Education: Civic Engagment Projects

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The CA Department of Education developed a hub of lesson plans and civic action project ideas designed with classroom implementation in mind. All resources are open-access for educators.

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The CDE is curating resources to support local implementation of the SSCE through the California Educators Together SSCE Group (logon required) . Create a free account to join and gain access to several collections of resources aimed at developing local SSCE programming and supporting civic learning and engagement for kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) students.

Civics Education Initiative Background

In 2013, Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye and then-State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson joined together to establish the California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning. The task force sought to define the skills, knowledge, and dispositions that students need to be informed and involved citizens and community members, as well as made recommendations for how we can achieve these outcomes for all students in California.

In 2013, 2017, and 2022, the task force hosted civic learning summits to examine successes and barriers to increasing civic literacy in California. The 2013 summit featured special guest former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and launched the Chief Justice's "Your Constitution: The Power of Democracy" campaign. A video archive (Video; 3:07:46) of the 2013 summit is also available. A 2017 follow-up summit, featuring former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, provided updates on the campaign's progress and established a path for moving forward. The 2022 summit featured an opening address froom Secretary of State Shirley Weber, along with a celebration of Civic Learning Award and Champion of Civics honorees.

Civic Learning Awards

The SSPI and California Chief Justice also co-sponsor the Civic Learning Award for California Public Schools. The awards celebrate successful efforts to engage students in civic learning and to identify successful models that can be replicated in other schools. An expert panel reviews applications based on the depth and breadth of their civic learning classes, clubs, and programs. The Civic Learning Awards program has three levels: Awards of Excellence, Distinction, and Merit.

Senate Bill 955

Senate Bill 955 (Statutes of 2022) amended Education Code (EC) Section 48205 , which lists reasons for which student absences are excused, including illness, quarantine, and medical appointments, among others. SB 955 includes as another type of required excused absence for middle or high school students: a one-day absence for the purpose of participating in a civic or political event, provided the student notifies the school ahead of the absence. Administrators may choose to permit additional excused absences, at their discretion. EC Section 48205 defines a civic or political event as including, but not limited to, voting, poll working, strikes, public commenting, candidate speeches, political or civic forums, and town halls.

Foundational Documents for Civic Engagement

The following documents provide research, case studies, and policy recommendations for improving student civic engagement.

Research and Reports

This 2022 report from Leveraging Equity & Access in Democratic Education (LEADE) highlights the efforts of early adopters across California and provides themes and recommendations for educators interested in rolling out the SSCE in their own districts and schools.

This 2025 report from the Public Policy Institute of California summarizes how the public thinks about civic issues, focusing on how Californias view civics and its role in K-12 education. Findings include public opinion on the relative and absolute importance of civic education, as well as perceptions of how public schools approach civic education. Recommendations for moving forward are also provided.

This research brief from LEADE examines the extent to which California has made progress in supporting the democratic purpose of its public schools since 2020. Their research is based on an examination of Local Control and Accountability Plans, district mission statements, district staffing, and the roll out of the SSCE.

Published in 2003 as part of a partnership between the Carnegie Corporation, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, this document represented an effort to gather scholars and practitioners to determine the most effective, feasible civic education programs possible. The report serves as the foundation for several other documents in this collection, and marks the beginning of the current national push to improve civic education.

The result of a three-year state-led collaborative effort, the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards was developed for states to upgrade their social studies standards, and for local school districts, schools, teachers, and curriculum writers to strengthen their social studies programs. Its objectives are to: (a) enhance the rigor of the social studies disciplines; (b) build critical thinking, problem solving, and participatory skills to become engaged citizens; and (c) align academic programs to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in history-social science (HSS).

Published in 2021, this publication offers guidance and an inquiry framework that states, local school districts, and educators can use to integrate history and civics to meet the needs of diverse 21st century K-12 students. The Roadmap includes suggested educational strategies for every grade level, a website of curated examples, and implementation recommendations that each state and district can use to fit the needs of their own communities. It details benchmarks for state-level accountability to support continuous improvement, as well as recommendations for investment in developing a corps of history and civics educators.

This 2020 report was published in the Journal of Social Studies Research to discuss the role of emotion in citizenship and presents an argument for critical affective literacy in civic education classrooms. The report also offers instructional strategies for handling the political emotions of students.

This article outlines the importance of schools promoting equity, social justice, and civic engagement in schools. It also provides an explanation of how the SSCE, the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) process, Multi-Tiered System of Supports and related efforts to incorporate civic engagement standards into the California School Dashboard can help equitable civic empowerment for all students.

This report, published by Educational Testing Service in the lead up to the 2012 presidential election, analyzes how gaps in educational attainment and income indicate fault lines in our democracy by predicting voting and civic engagement rates. The report includes specific data on young adults' civic engagement compared to their income and education, and makes recommendations for schools, colleges, and adult education.

This publication provides several key strategies for advancing civic education system wide based on experiences promoting civic learning and engagement in Chicago, Illinois and Riverside, California.

This 2011 report builds and expands on the findings of the 2003 Civic Mission of Schools. The report updates research on the benefits of civic learning, outlines the Six Proven Practices for Effective Civic Learning, and makes policy recommendations for improving civic outcomes.

This article focuses on the idea of "lived civics" as a frame for more effective civic learning by explicitly addressing the interests and experiences of young people through the context of best practices in teaching civics. The article offers ideas on reframing civics content and instruction, and includes a review of contemporary civics literature, principles of lived civics, and reflections for educators to consider.

This 2020 study of civic learning in California school districts from LEADE draws upon LCAPs and district mission statements to assess the degree to which districts are focused on and devoting resources to civic priorities. It provides several key findings based upon the data, and makes recommendations for supporting the SSCE and moving forward with a systemic commitment to, and investment in, civic learning.

This report, published in 2017, adds several complementary streams of research and practice to the Six Proven Practices for Effective Civic Learning. Ideas for enhancing civic education with news media literacy education, action civics, social and emotional learning, and school climate reform are included, as well as two case studies of states improving their civic learning plans.

Published in 2014 by the Education Commission of States, this guidebook is a resource for teachers, administrators, policymakers, and others who want to put the Six Proven Practices in place but are not sure where to begin. The document highlights research and provides practical suggestions for implementing each practice.

Produced by the Council of State Governments and the Education Commission of the States, this toolkit is intended to help stakeholders from all three branches of government, as well as other members of the civic education community, in their mission to improve state civic education. The toolkit includes strategies for engaging students, civic competencies for students, advice for stakeholders, and policy recommendations.

Council is a sharing method, focused on empathy and active listening. It can be effective especially when working on topics such as personal development and strengthening of group dynamics.

This 2013 conference, funded by the Bechtel Foundation, brought together several experts on youth civic development and citizenship education in order to promote civic development and participation for youth from all backgrounds. The report outlines recommendations regarding improving citizenship education nationwide.

General, Comprehensive Resources

These organizations offer a variety of programs to support civic learning at all levels and for a variety of audiences.

Webinars, podcasts, and curriculum to support civic engagement from a global perspective.

Series of civics programs, community partnership opportunities, lesson resources, and other publications.

Wide variety of resources for educators , school leaders, students and families that address racism, anti-Semitism, and prejudice throughout history. Key resources include curriculum, strategies, webinars, Teaching with Current Events , the Choosing to Participate Toolkit , and Fostering Civil Discourse: How do We Talk about Issues that Matter .

Comprehensive K-12 curriculum, professional learning, and student programs geared at making constitutional education relevant and engaging, including current events, virtual student exchanges, and interactive primary sources.

Extensive array of lesson resources including  Bill of Rights in Action,  Civics On Call, civic scenarios and simulations, and more

Classroom activities and lessons, voter registration information, teacher training and resources, school and district resources, and research on civic education.

Works with communities to support globally competent instruction and empower students as changemakers by making classrooms inclusive, relevant, and engaging for all students. They offer resources to support project-based learning, case studies, workshops, and educator coaching.

Program geared towards helping civics educators implement comprehensive civics education programs. Includes lesson plans, an E-Congress, mock elections, research, current events discussion support, and teacher training.

Searchable Resource Databases

These sites include searchable resource databases that provide information for educators, administrators, families, and students.

This consortium of nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations committed to strengthening civic life provides a searchable database of thousands of high-quality, no-cost learning materials.

Database of resources focused on career and technical education lessons. Includes primary sources, lesson plans, strategies, and resources to support Project Based Learning.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provides this resource that contains lesson plans, curricula, and full teacher's guides for grades K-12. Search by topic and grade level. Resources are history-social science-focused, but also include literature, language arts, arts and culture.

Searchable database of resources dedicated to civic engagement. Search by content or by standard, or play games, check out curriculum units, or plan a civics scope and sequence. They also offer resources to support distance learning.

Database of a variety of resources, including film kits, short texts, strategies, lessons, and customized learning plans. The site also contains Social Justice Standards , anchor standards, and learning outcomes divided into the domains of identity, diversity, justice, and action.

Database focused on lessons for civics, government, and law-related education for K-12 students. Includes simulations, discussions, mock trials, case studies, and other research-based materials. Filter lessons by grade level, lesson topic, strategy, or standard.

Resources Targeted by Grade Level or Function

Below are recommended resources organized by grade level (kindergarten through grade eight [K-8], and grades nine through twelve [9-12]). Please keep in mind that many resources can span multiple grade levels based on individual student needs, and educators should review and adapt all resources before implementing them.

Resources for Kindergarten through Grade Eight

Even the youngest students can become civically engaged! The following resources can help K-8 students get excited about civics.

Apprentice-level learning adventures geared at teaching kids ages four through eight about the U.S. government.

Elementary schools are encouraged to apply for Civic Learning Awards and participate in the Judges in the Classroom Program. Lesson resources are also available for elementary students on the Digital Chalkboard.

A wide range of short articles on various topics in world history, American history, and government. Also includes a series of biographies on dozens of influential individuals.

In-person and virtual field trips designed for kindergarten through grade 5 students focusing on fundamental principles of democracy.

Students can choose from a variety of games ranging in length from 0-30+ minutes on topics such as voting, arguing Supreme Court cases, and international diplomacy.

Lesson plans focused on teaching the skills of civil discourse when discussing social justice issues, designed for a kindergarten through grade two audience.

Resources for Grades Nine through Twelve

These resources are appropriate for students primarily in high school, although many can be adapted for grades six through eight.

Information about SOS initiatives to educate and engage young Californian's in the democratic process, including programs to pre-register to vote at age 16, High School Voter Education Weeks, California Student Mock Elections, and guidance for school administrators and teachers.

An online resource for studying democracy, designed for use by teachers, professors, and college and secondary students. Includes information on essential principles of democracy, a study guide for democracy, and comparative information on the study of freedom internationally.

Curriculum for high school teachers, including an action project, research and blogging, democracy in action, and infographics.

The Institute for Local Government's PYLG units focus on roles, responsibilities, and processes of local government.

LACOE's Center for History-Social Science (HSS) Education recently developed accelerated learning guides for grades K-12, including a guide for grade 12 government. Supporting materials include an informational webinar and an HSS analysis skills Likert scale.

Funded by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Action Civics initiative worked to civic awareness and engagement in 14 middle and high schools in the Sacramento region. This site includes resources to support professional development provided through the program and other tools to support civic learning. The initiative also developed resources for middle school students.

Free resource library, textbooks, and other resources to support rule of law education and curriculum.

Collection of documents that focus on specific issues in American civic history. Each collection has an introduction that provides necessary context and three sets of study questions. Each of the documents is annotated with footnotes that provide biographical information on document authors and identify obscure words, events, or individuals.

Distance Learning

Many of the resources listed on this web page can be adapted for distance learning, and some programs are already providing resources designed for a virtual environment. The links below contain several resources specifically designed to teach civics through distance learning and in hybrid learning environments.

The CHSSP provides History-Social Science (HSS) resources to support teachers engaged in distance learning and parents helping children learn at home, including a parent's guide to HSS.

The Office of the Governor California Volunteers Program has special opportunities to get involved with volunteer events.

This page aggregates guidance documents, webinars, and content-specific links to support distance learning in a variety of subjects.

This article, published in the Journal of Public Affairs in April 2019, details one professor's development and implementation of a civics project in an online American government course.

Self-paced online curriculum for student leaders and parents to learn about and get involved in California's education system. Available in English and Spanish, including discussion guides to help support dialogue.

These free resources from iCivics include games and toolkits designed for educators and families to use for distance learning.

Supporting the Six Proven Practices for Effective Civic Learning

This page contains some of the strongest resources for incorporating each of the Six Proven Practices of Effective Civic Learning.

Instruction in Government, History, Law, Democracy

Schools can offer courses on civics, government, history, and law, in an effort to encourage better-informed citizens. The below resources include vetted, easy-to-implement curricula to support these courses.

Current Events and Controversial Issues

Effective classroom discussions of current events and controversial issues can increase student interest in government. The below resources provide a variety of options for facilitating these types of engaging discussions.

Service-Learning

Service-learning opportunities provide ways for students and the community to come together to develop habits of community engagement. These resources can help educators facilitate projects, while also tying them back to the classroom.

Extracurricular Activities

Student-led volunteer projects that occur outside of the classroom can also teach skills in collaboration and civic participation. The below organizations provide resources and ongoing support for students, teachers, administrators, and families.

Student Participation in School Governance

Giving students a voice can also help increase understanding and appreciation of the intricacies of the democratic process as it also teaches key behaviors of citizenship. These organizations provide guidance and support for schools implementing a structure for student voice in school governance.

Simulations

Simulations allow students to simulate adult civic roles and offer a unique, deep civic learning experience. Some of these programs use role-playing games to simulate government, helping students participate in processes such as national elections.

Resources for Students

The below resources are especially helpful for students looking to become more civically engaged.

Student Institutes and Conferences

While not officially part of the Six Proven Practices, participation in institutes and conferences offer additional chances for students to engage first-hand in a way that supports overall civic engagement.

Programs to Support Student Engagement

The below organizations can help support students who seek to enhance civic learning and engagement on school campuses. In light of COVID-19, many of these organizations are providing resources to support civic engagement virtually.

Miscellaneous Tips, Skills, and Ideas

These resources can help students as they carry out their civic engagement projects. Resources include advice on writing professional emails, ideas for community service projects, and helpful checklists to guide projects from start to finish.

This list will grow over time. Have you come across any other helpful guides or tools directed specifically towards helping students carry out the day-to-day work of civic engagement projects? Please share them with the CDE at ssce@cde.ca.gov.

Reminders, guidelines, and samples to help students write a variety of professional emails.

Professional Learning Opportunities for Educators

The 2016 History-Social Science (HSS) Framework incorporates critical shifts for educators. These shifts include a focus on inquiry-based instruction through innovative teaching and learning practices. The HSS Framework guides educators as they design, implement, and maintain a coherent course of study to teach content; develop inquiry-based critical thinking skills; improve reading comprehension and expository writing ability; and promote an engaged and knowledgeable citizenry in history and the related social sciences.

The Budget Act of 2017 included an allocation of funds for high-quality professional learning and resources for HSS educators and administrators to implement the new framework. Through funding from the CDE, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) developed a system of statewide and regional communities of practice to provide meaningful and targeted support in HSS for classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, and site administrators. Representing the four instructional shifts described in the HSS Framework, the Content, Literacy, Inquiry, and Citizenship (CLIC) Project developed and facilitated the many elements integral for successful implementation of the HSS Framework. As part of their work, the CLIC Project hosted a YouTube channel that contains videos to support educators and administrators as they implement the HSS Framework, including videos on fostering student advocacy and classroom approaches to civic learning .

The CLIC Project ended on June 30, 2021. As the project contractor, the SCOE built the CLIC website, which connects to numerous external resources that are useful to HSS educators, including resources created through the CLIC Project. Now that the project has ended, SCOE continues to maintain and update the website independently.

Below is a list of additional professional learning institutes, courses, and other opportunities to support educators as they implement civic learning programs.

California History-Social Science Project Sites

Each of the below California History-Social Science Project (CHSSP) sites has a variety of resources to support professional learning in civics.

Institutes

Coaching, Seminars, Training Videos, Toolkits

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Civic engagement resources for classroom use.

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Diversity can be addressed within the classroom by comparing and contrasting an event in history and how that event might have happened differently in today's modern culture, with all of the technological advances and current racial social climate. Teachers can facilitate conversations that emphasize respect and understanding for the past and for current scenarios. Teachers can lead their students through a conversation about bias, perspective-taking, and build inclusive communication skills in a safe and structured environment.

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Lesson IDEA for Global and Cultural Awareness

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Lesson IDEA for Global and Cultural Awareness

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Global and cultural awareness can be implemented by viewing a documentary filmed by PBS for The Global Oneness project. Teachers can guide their students through a discussion about how people from different cultures express their identity, traditions, and values and how those may be similar or different from their own experiences. Planning a lesson around global awareness helps to foster empathy, cultural curiosity, and critical thinking while allowing students to connect global experiences to their own lives. Teachers could have students complete the unit by building a Google Presentation displaying similarities and differences between the documentary and the students' own lives.

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Lesson IDEA for Supportive Learning Environments

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Lesson IDEA for Supportive Learning Environments

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The Leader in Me curriculum is a practical and positive option for educators looking to teach social and emotional wellness within their classroom . The curriculum can be implemented in as little as 10 minutes a week, with topics that cover self-care, taking action to complete tasks, student ownership , being a leader, and self-regulation strategies. The curriculum can be implemented as part of the morning routine, with object lessons and scenarios, asking students what they would do in a certain circumstance. The curriculum encourages empathy, inclusion, and support for fellow students and is an excellent resource.

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Civic engagement can be incorporated through project-based learning that connects classroom content to real-world community issues. Teachers could have students create a Google Form, polling their fellow students and teachers for ideas on how they can make a difference locally. Students can analyze the results to see if there are any ideas that they are capable of accomplishing, such as a canned food drive for the local pantry or a service project for a local residential care facility. Teachers can use the project to teach empathy, student care for their community, how to be active citizens, and encourage responsible participation, problem-solving, and respectful dialogue. Students have the opportunity to experience a field trip that also cares for their local community.

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This is a dynamic list of websites that offer innovative ways to differentiate instruction for educators.

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(Image credit: Getty Images/Drazen Zigic)

Teachers have always known their students aren't all working at the same level. Yet for teachers to adjust lesson plans manually for each child seems a daunting task, given that there are only 24 hours in a day. Here's where education technology tools really shine. Using online digital platforms that combine formative assessment, lesson plans, quizzes, progress tracking, and artificial intelligence, educators can easily adjust instruction for an entire classroom of kids at once.

The following websites for differentiated instruction offer a wide variety of methods to differentiate teaching and learning for any budget.

Top Free Sites for Differentiated Instruction

An award-winning platform that provides free literacy resources for learners of any age. But "resources" does not do justice to ReadWork's breadth of research-based, standards-aligned literacy content, which is buttressed by robust guidance for teachers. Create your free account and then explore features including lesson differentiation, assignments, assessment and progress monitoring. Integrates with Google classroom.

A free-for-educators game-based platform teaching math and English, SplashLearn offers thousands of preK-5 curriculum-aligned English and math games, as well as differentiated practice goals, lesson plans and comprehensive progress reports. The website features a well-designed interface, allowing users to easily search for content by grade and topic. Compatible with most devices.

For the Teachers: Differentiated Reading Lessons
A step-by-step guide to creating differentiated reading lessons for students in grades 3-10 based on a selection of articles written at three levels of literacy. Detailed PDF lesson plans, ideas, and charts provide strong direction for implementation in the classroom. Suggestion: Ignore the balky heading links at the top of the article in favor of simply scrolling down the page.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Examples
After a brief discussion of differentiated instruction strategies, this article from HMH examines in detail 20 diverse ways teachers can differentiate instruction. With methods ranging from choice boards to tiered assignments to flipped classrooms, there's something for every style of teaching.

Top Freemeum Sites for Differentiated Instruction

The not-for-profit Quill is dedicated to providing free tools to help students improve their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Start with the diagnostic tests to assess your students' learning. A strong set of tutorials will guide teachers and students in making the most of Quill.

This easy-to-use, innovative platform acts as a digital hand-raising device, making it easy for kids to ask for help and for teachers to provide it in a timely fashion.

A Google Slides add-on that allows educators to create quizzes, slides, and presentations with their own content or using templates. Students respond via their mobile devices; teachers can then assess student understanding in real time.

Educators can make any reading material their own by adding questions and annotation. The "Extra Help" features supports differentiated learning by offering explanatory text when needed. Integrates with Google Classroom and Canvas.

Top Premium Sites for Differentiated Instruction

A blended interactive learning tool for creating shareable presentations or digital stories, Buncee includes an extensive multimedia library to enrich your slideshows. Teachers can also flip a classroom by assigning quizzes, plus track and monitor students. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.

A one-to-one learning management solution and mobile learning environment through which educators can differentiate instruction based on detailed real-time analytics.

A standards-aligned, game-based learning system dedicated to differentiated learning that automatically adjusts content to student needs.

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Top Sites for Differentiated Instruction

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These online platforms offer a wide variety of tools to help teachers differentiate instruction in their classrooms