Resources
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CIVICS EDUCATION GRANTS AND TEACHER AWARDS FOR THE CLASSROOM OR
THE SCHOOL (begins on this page)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIVICS EDUCATORS (pg. 5)
CIVICS EDUCATORS CLASSROOM RESOURCES (pg.6)
-----------------------------------------------CIVICS EDUCATION GRANTS AND TEACHER AWARDS
FOR THE CLASSROOM OR THE SCHOOL
Please check on current information by visiting these sites. The synopses that appear below are
taken from the materials furnished by the provider. The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute does
not endorse these but offers some as resources for civics educators.
National Council for the Social Studies: awards and grants information.
http://www.socialstudies.org/about
Illinois Council for the Social Studies: Awards and grants.
http://www.illinoiscss.org/home.php
Pay It Forward Mini-Grants. K-12 Students. Community Service up to $500 to fund onetime- only service-oriented projects identified by youth as activities they would like to
perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community.
http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/educators/mini-grant.html
NEA Foundation-Nickelodeon Big Help Grants Elementary School Teachers,
Middle School Teachers. The Big Help Grants program is dedicated to the development
and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches for addressing four key
concerns– environmental awareness, health and wellness, students’ right to a quality
public education, and active community involvement.
http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grantprograms/nea-foundation-greengrants/
Target Field Trip Grants. Up to $700 for field trips.
http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031880
American Historical Association: Beveridge Family Teaching Prize.
The American Historical Association Beveridge Family Teaching Prize recognizes
excellence and innovation in elementary, middle school, and secondary history teaching,
including career contributions and specific initiatives.
www.historians.org/teaching/Beveridge.htm
Illinois Ag in the Classroom
http://www.agintheclassroom.org/060605/Teachers/grants/grants.htm
$250 teacher grants .
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U.S. Department of Agriculture
Recognizes five exceptional teachers by presenting them with the Excellence in
Teaching about Agriculture Award. This competitive program recognizes a select group
of teachers for their successful efforts in teaching agricultural concepts in their
curriculum. Recipients of the distinguished award receive an honorarium of $500 and up
to $1,500 for travel related expenses to the National Agriculture in the Classroom
Conference
Oracle "Help Us Help" Foundation ThinkQuest Collaborative Learning.
http://www.thinkquest.org
Thinkfinity Education Foundation
Free professional development program and learning materials
http://www.thinkfinity.org
The Best Buy Children's Foundation
supports existing and emerging national programs that creatively use interactive
technology to make learning a fun and engaging experience for children.
http://tinyurl.com/ydckro5
Intel® Education enables 21st century teaching and learning through free professional
development, tools, and resources that help K–12 teachers engage students with
effective use of technology.
http://www.intel.com/about/corporateresponsibility/education/k12/index.htm
Teaching Tolerance.
Free K-12 classroom materials to promote diversity and equity.
www.tolerance.org/teaching-kits
Campbell's Labels for Education
School fundraising program, schools can earn free educational merchandise,
computers, software, library books. Public and private K-12 schools, etc.
http://www.labelsforeducation.com/
including
Social Studies Online Activity Packs. PBS Teachers offers online social studies activity packs
for K-12 teachers, a set of educational resources focused on global populations,
citizenship, the presidency, and democracy around the world, packaged in a widget format
that teachers can embed in their own class or social media web page. Each pack includes
links to PBS websites and a set of activities by grade level. Lessons on American identity,
indigenous cultures, China, citizenship, patriotism, religious diversity in America, genocide,
and other subject matter.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/activitypacks/socialstudies/
First Amendment School Affiliate Program. The FAS Network is accepting applications for its
Affiliate Program, which is the entryway into the work of becoming a First Amendment
School. There is no fee to join the FAS Network. Affiliates commit to the guiding principles
of the FAS Project, receive materials and resources on democratic freedom and whole
school reform, and are eligible for $500-1,000 grants to support best practices for
implementing First Amendment School principles. Affiliate School applications may be
submitted by the principal and two additional members of the school community.
http://www.firstamendmentschools.org/involve/affiliate.aspx
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Instructify Free Online History Resources
Created by LEARN NC, Instructify lists the most innovative and successful practices in K12 education and makes them available to teachers and students everywhere. The site
lists free resources for history teachers to stock their toolboxes with classroom ideas and
methods of instruction. Teachers can also find useful, free technology to utilize in the
classroom. http://instructify.com/category/history
DonorsChoose: Funding for supplies, programs, and field trips for K-12 public school teachers.
www.DonorsChoose.org
Wells Fargo
Supports educational programs that promote academic achievement for low to
moderate income preK-12 students in literacy, and history of the American West. Eligible
applicants include educational institutions and nonprofits located in Illinois. Grants are
also considered for professional development programs and programs that encourage
school partnerships with parents, the business community, or the community in which
the school is located.
https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/charitable/index.jhtml
Active Learning Grant Program
Samsung Digital Presenters will award 50 SAMCAM 860 digital presenters to schools that
can best utilize a document camera to encourage active learning. The grant will be offered
to any K-12 school in the United States or its territories. The application must be
completed by a teacher who has taught at the K-12 level in 2011 and intends to teach at
the K-12 level in 2012. http://samsunggrants.com/
Robert H. Michel Special Project Grants
Dirksen Congressional Center
$2,500-5,000 for social studies and history teachers who propose creative ways to teach
their students about Congress
http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_grants_specialprojects.htm
State Farm and Youth Service America
Grants up to $1,000 for the promotion of service-learning projects in K-12 public schools to
engage participating youth in service-learning, a teaching and learning
strategy that
helps to promote student learning, academic achievement, workplace readiness, and
stronger communities. The State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants
encourage semester-long projects. Up to one hundred and twenty-five grants will be
awarded; at least ten to fifteen grants will support projects addressing teen driver safety
issues.
http://www.ysa.org/goodneighbor/
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. Link to private and public grants for service learning
projects and classes.
http://www.learnandserve.gov/for_organizations/funding/index.asp
Allstate Foundation. Offers grants for Safe and Vital Communities, Economic Empowerment
and Tolerance, Inclusion and Diversity. A majority of our funding is dedicated to
addressing two issues: Teen Safe Driving and Domestic Violence.
http://www.allstatefoundation.org/funding-guidelines
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
FOR CIVICS EDUCATORS
Please check on current information by visiting these sites. The synopses that appear below are
taken from the materials furnished by the provider. The Paul Simon Institute does not endorse
these but offers some as resources for civics educators.
Illinois Council for the Social Studies http://www.illinoiscss.org/home.php
Links to conferences, grants, awards, lesson plans, including annual fall conference.
Missouri Council for Social Studies. http://www.mosocialstudies.com
Statewide conference and regional workshop in St. Louis. Sessions will include lessons
you can take back to the classroom and use immediately in: non-fiction readings, using
historical documents at all grade levels, incorporating economics and geography skills,
technology, and classroom organization.
Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago http://crfc.org/programs/lreconf.php
annual conference and summer institutes.
Horace Mann https://www.horacemann.com/teacher-lounge/fellowship-program.aspx
50 educators from around the country are selected to participate in the Horace Mann Abraham Lincoln Fellowship program. Fellows spend a week of their summer touring
various historic sites in Illinois, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and
Museum and hear from experts on Lincoln’s life and the Civil War era.
Dirksen Institute. http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_dcc_history.htm
Congress in the Classroom® Online is a self-paced online course is organized around the
twin responsibilities of Congress members: representation and lawmaking.
The Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/teachers/tps/about/#
LOC collaborates with school districts and others to help teachers use the Library's vast
collection of digitized primary sources to enrich their classroom instruction, including online
courses and in person summer courses.
National Archives http://www.archives.gov/education/primarily-teaching
A Summer Workshop for Educators on Using Historical Documents in the Classroom, free,
located at various locations, including Midwest locations.
C-Span http://www.c-spanclassroom.org/Teacher-Opportunities.aspx
Annual Educator’s Conference and Teacher Fellowship program.
National Council for the Social Studies http://www.socialstudies.org/about
Links to numerous resources for teacher professional development.
Annenberg Learner http://www.learner.org/index.html
Online and Distance learning in many subjects, including social studies.
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Center for Civic Education http://new.civiced.org/community/teachers/professional-dev
The Center provides free professional-development opportunities for elementary, middle,
high school educators.
Educational Seminars: http://www.americancouncils.org/educationalSeminars.php
The Educational Seminars Program offers Department of State funded grants for U.S.
school teachers and administrators. Exchanges are short term, taking place during
the summer, and focus on sharing of best practices and professional development.
Current programs are administered with Argentina, Brazil, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico,
Thailand and Uruguay.
Fulbright-Hayes Seminar Abroad Program http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpssap.
The Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program is open to educators and administrators
with responsibilities for program or curriculum development in fields related to humanities,
languages, and area studies. Topics and host countries of the seminars vary from year to
year. All seminars are in non-western European countries. Seminars are designed to
provide a broad and introductory cultural orientation to a particular country (ies). The
program is geared towards those educators with little or no experience in the host country
(ies) who demonstrate the need to develop and enhance their curriculum through shortterm study and travel abroad.
Online Programs http://www.primarysource.org/onlinecourses
Primary Source now offers online courses and webinars – a fantastic way to learn about
world history and culture on your own schedule, connect with educators from across the
country, and explore resources for your classroom on a variety of topics.
Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (TGC)
http://www.irex.org/project/teachers-global-classrooms-program-tcg
The Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) Program provides a professional development
opportunity for middle and high school teachers from the United States to participate in a
program aimed at globalizing US classrooms.
The Eisenhower Academy
http://www.nps.gov/eise/forteachers/eisenhower-academy.htm
A summer institute for teachers at Gettysburg College and Eisenhower National Historic
Site. Sponsored by the National Park Service, Gettysburg College, and Mount St. Mary's
University, the Academy presents an in-depth perspective of Dwight D. Eisenhower as
president and world leader. Fees involved.
High School Teachers of Sociology Conference
http://www.asanet.org/teaching/HighSchool.cfm
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CIVICS EDUCATORS CLASSROOM RESOURCES
Please check on current information by visiting these sites. The synopses that appear below are
taken from the materials furnished by the provider. The Paul Simon Institute does not endorse
these but offers some as resources for civics educators.
http://crfc.org/
Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago: lesson plans, mock trials,
multimedia court experience, lots of links to other resources.
http://www.isba.org/teachers
Illinois State Bar Association website with information on lawyers in the classroom,
lesson plans, background on the law for the youth, and mock trial scripts. Lots of links to other
resources.
http://www.state.il.us/court/
Illinois Courts webpage, judges in the classroom. Background information on Illinois
courts.
http://www.state.il.us/HPA/illinoishistoryfair.htm
Illinois Student Historian Program, including dramatic performance, media
presentation, and exhibits.
http://www.illinoishistory.gov/prairiepages.htm
Illinois Historic Preservation resources for the classroom.
http://www.alplm.org/education/teachers.html
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum resources for the classroom.
https://www.horacemann.com/teacher-lounge
Horace Mann
Easy-to follow teaching kit materials on insurance and credit, including DVD.
http://www.ilymcayg.org/about/
Illinois YMCA Youth & Government is a mock government program for high school
sophomores, juniors and seniors in the State of Illinois. Students become legislators or
lawyers and engage in simulations.
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/
National Geographic: Various resources in geography, including map making.
The following items appear on the Annenberg Classroom website for civics educators:
American Bar Association
For teachers and students, the American Bar Association offers a resource guide on how to
organize a Civics and Law Academy, which engages middle and high school students in learning
about law and society. The ABA accepts submissions for lessons and practices from local, state,
and national law-related and civic education programs for its free resource guide. Most material is
free. Level: Middle and high school
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Bill of Rights Institute
The Bill of Rights Institute provides a trove of online educational resources for teachers and
students as well as constitutional seminars around the country for teachers and the Constitutional
Academy, a summer program for high school students. Students can play interactive games,
watch videos or get help writing a paper. Resources for teachers include free lesson plans in enewsletters and webinars. Materials on the website are free. The Bill of Rights Institute also has
an online bookstore with many resources for purchase. Level: High school, middle school and
elementary school. Highlights include: interactive Founding Documents; Constitutional Resources;
Bill of Rights in the News; Americapedia.
Companion websites include: Article II -- Presidents and the Constitution
This website explores the powers and responsibilities of the president through short
videos, explanation of key terms and extension activities.
Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
The goal of this coalition of 40 organizations is to improve civics education in schools.
Among its many resources, Civic Learning Online provides free, public materials for
educators. Lesson plans and practices for all grade levels, professional development and
related resources, and whole school or district models are available online at the website.
The Civic Learning Database may searched by grade, state and civic learning approach
(i.e., Instruction in History, Government, Law or Democracy, Guided Discussions of Issues
and Current Events).
Center for Civic Education
The Center for Civic Education is an independent, nonprofit organization based in
California. A network of program coordinators throughout the United States and more than
70 other countries administers a range of curricular, teacher-training and communitybased programs. Some materials free; other material available for purchase. Level:
Elementary, middle and high school. Highlights include:
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution: An instructional program on the history
and principles of American constitutional democracy for all grade levels. The program is
based on curricular materials developed by the Center for Civic Education. A simulated
congressional hearing is the culminating activity.
We the People: Project Citizen: This program for middle, secondary, and post-secondary
students, youth organizations, and adult groups is designed to develop interest in public
policy as well as the ability to participate in state and local government.
Resource Center: For high school students: links to biographies, historical documents,
images and firsthand accounts of historical events. For teachers: free professional
development opportunities, free lesson plans, classroom activities.
Podcasts: Users can subscribe to four different podcasts, 60-Second Civics and quiz,
Talking Civics, Conversations on Civics and Education for Democracy. Also a series of
podcasts supplement text of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution.
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Center on Congress at Indiana University
Directed by former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, the center and its site cover all aspects of the
legislative branch and civic involvement. Interactive learning activities are aimed at the general
public as well as schools. The online material is free; books available for purchase. LEVEL:
Middle and high school. Highlights include:
Interactive Learning Modules: These activities teach students about topics such as How a
Member Decides to Vote, The Impact of Congress, The Importance of Civic Participation, The
Dynamic Legislative Process, The Many Roles of a Member of Congress, and Federal Budget
Allocation.
Virtual Congress: This is a fully functional online replica of Congress in which students
become lawmakers and propose ideas for legislation, discussing them in-world with other
students, and working in realistic 3-D locations that include the House and Senate
chambers.
Facts of Congress: For middle school students, 60-second videos all about Congress and
how students can participate.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The CRF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit community-based organization that focuses on law and
government and civic participation by young people. Its site pulls together resources for
curriculum and professional development. Its outreach programs include a Mock Trial competition
and other academic competitions and Courtroom to Classroom outreach. Free lesson plans are
available on U.S. history, world history and government. Some materials are free; others available
for purchase. Level: Primarily for middle and high school, but also some material for younger
students
Companion websites include:
Educating About Immigration: An information clearinghouse on topics of U.S. immigration,
its history and current controversies.
Civic Action Project: A practicum for high school students in civics and government in
which they integrate the content of a government class with hands-on learning about
public policy in the real world.
Judges, Courts and the Law: Activities, games and stories instruct students on the courts’
role in our government.
CFR Blog: This site features discussion and information for all social studies educators.
CRF Forum: A site for young people who want to voice their opinion on current events.
Courts in the Classroom
Created by the State of California’s judicial branch and the Constitutional Rights Foundation, this
site uses animated story videos and quizzes to teach students about Big Ideas, such as due
process, free expression and checks and balances; the Third Branch, what courts and judges do;
Landmark Cases related to the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. A teacher’s guide is
provided. The site is free. Level: Middle and high school
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C-SPAN Classroom
The cable channel’s site features a wealth of audio and video clips, both current and historical,
related to government, history, other civics topics, and news abroad. Teacher registration is
required to access free forums, lesson plans and Constitution Clips. Links to other C-SPAN
resources for educators include: American History TV, American Presidents, Politics, Economic
Stimulus, Presidential Libraries, Radio Specials, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the White House
and U.S. Economy. Each of these sites features extensive resources on the topic. Tutorials
explain how teachers can use C-SPAN resources. Congressional Chronicle follows lawmakers
and bills on a daily basis. A daily compilation of news about education is featured as well. All
resources are free. The site also contains TV and radio programs that feature, among other
resources, recordings of past presidents and oral history interviews with presidents; Supreme
Court oral arguments in landmark cases and videos of justices; and interactive Supreme Court
timeline. The resources are free. Level: Middle and high school
Dirksen Congressional Center
Named for Everett Dirksen, who served in the U.S. House and Senate, the site promotes civics
engagement by providing a better understanding of Congress and its members. Extensive
information covers modern and historical information, the legislative process, the current
Congress’ activities, and lawmakers’ duties. The site has comprehensive coverage via Congress
Link, which provides up-to-date information about the current Congress; About Government,
which lists links to more than 50 sites about Congress as well as other branches of government.
Congress for Kids helps elementary school students understand government, the Constitution and
voting, and includes an online learning module Democracy Kids. The site provides an extensive
number of lesson plans, an interactive Congressional Timeline; webquests; online textbooks; an
online civics/government course called Congress in the Classroom; and interactive activities for
younger students. Level: Elementary, middle and high school
First Amendment Center
A Vanderbilt University site funded by the Freedom Forum, the First Amendment Center provides
current news and information about First Amendment issues in the court and Congress,
summaries of court cases and expert commentary and analyses of events. Lesson plans, videos,
RSS feeds, podcasts and an interactive glossary are provided. The content is free. Level:
Primarily for middle and high school, but also some resources for younger students.
iCivics
An initiative of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, this site features online
lessons covering the three branches of government and interactive games that cover citizenship
and participation, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, separation of powers, budgeting, and the
executive, judicial and legislative branches. Online discussion forums allow teachers and students
to give feedback on various topics. Teacher resources include curricula that complement the
games, webquests, lessons and activities. Resources are free. Level: Middle and high school
Library of Congress
“America’s Library” provides classroom materials from a vast array of primary sources –
documents, photos, objects – about events and significant figures in U.S. history. Two sections
are particularly relevant for educators: America’s Story from America’s Library and for Teachers.
The resources are free online, and some material is downloadable. Lesson plans on American
history are supplemented with primary sources from the Library of Congress collection. Class
starters include Today in History and American Memory Timeline. Interactive learning activities
are available for younger children. Several professional development programs for teachers are
offered. The content is free. Level: Elementary, middle and high school.
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National Archives
The National Archives and the Center for Civic Education partnered to create Docs Teach, a
series of lesson plans that use primary sources to teach about different periods of U.S. history
and the Constitution. It also provides numerous links to state and regional primary sources and
presidential libraries as well as professional development for teachers. The material is free. Level:
Middle and high school.
National Center for State Courts
The National Center for State Courts is an independent, nonprofit court improvement organization
founded at the recommendation Chief Justice Warren E. Burger. The center has created a series
of graphic novels has been developed to educate the public and students about how the courts
work and their role in a democratic society. The three novels created address Internet piracy,
stolen identify and jury duty. The novels are downloadable online or available for purchase with
accompanying lesson plans. Level: Middle and high school
National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center site addresses topics related to the Constitution as well as civic
participation and responsibility, and the executive branch. Printed materials include lesson plans.
Online resources are interactive games, videos, webcasts, primary and secondary sources,
Constitution Fast Facts, biographies of Constitutional Convention delegates, and an interactive
Constitution guide. The Exchange is a public forum for high school students to discuss important
current events issues. For teachers, it offers professional development programs. Resources are
free. Level: Elementary, middle and high school
New York Times Learning Network
The New York Times’ content, current and historical, is the basis for teacher and student
resources on this site. The Teaching Topics page is a living index page of links to resources on
frequently taught subjects. For each topic, collected resources include lesson plans, related
articles, multimedia, themed crosswords and archival material. Lesson plans cover numerous
topics, including social studies, current events, civics and American history. The site also provides
a daily news quiz, Word of the Day, Student Crossword, Today in History, and more. An online
forum invites students to post their opinions on issues in the news. Resources are free. Level:
Middle and high school
Online Newshour Extra: For Students and Teachers
This PBS site uses current events as the basis for educational content revolving around news
categories such as health, science, U.S. and history. Lesson plans based on current events
contain videos, audio and photo essays; a forum for students to post essays, articles or
comments on issues in the news. The material is free. Level: High school
PBS Teachers
The Public Broadcasting Systems’ site for teachers covers all subject areas, including civics
participation, community, the three branches of government, politics, economics, current events,
the courts and history. Lesson plans are free, with some material downloadable. Videos and audio
recordings supplement lesson plans; interactive activities for younger children are available in the
Democracy Project. Teachers have access to discussion forums, online professional
developments courses, and an archive of webinars. Most of the content is free; teacher courses
available for purchase. Level: Preschool, elementary, middle and
high school.
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Street Law
Street Law and the Supreme Court Historical Society partnered to create Landmark Cases of the
U.S. Supreme Court, which explores 17 key cases. In-depth information about each case, related
activities that involve interactive teaching strategies and external resources are provided. The
material is free. Level: Middle and high school
Sunnylands Classroom
A project of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, this website hosts a multimedia
curriculum on the Constitution containing award-winning documentaries, videos with Supreme
Court justices, interactive games and downloadable books. Many of the materials have been
close-captioned in 14 languages. The material is free. Level: Middle and high school
U.S. Courts
This government site focuses on Court Literacy, featuring free, downloadable in-depth resources
to help students understand how the courts work, key amendments to the Constitution, federal
court basics and fast facts, legal concepts, legal landmarks and Supreme Court cases.
Classrooms to Courtrooms provides real-life teen-related scenarios to stage in-class or in-court
simulations of trials with accompanying scripts. You Be the Supreme Court features
comprehensive material for a class to simulate Supreme Court deliberations. Sections on the
First, Fourth and Sixth Amendment gives teacher a variety of formats to present to a class,
including Oxford-style debate or a Supreme Court case conference. Homework Help is a set of
links to related websites. Videos and podcasts are also provided. Material is free. Level: Middle
and high school
U.S. Government Printing Office
This comprehensive site, called Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids, features information
about all aspects of government, citizenship, elections and voting. It also provides links to kids’
sites for most government agencies. Activities include print games, interactive games and
activities; information pages; links to other government agencies’ curriculum; and a glossary.
Content is free. Level: Elementary, middle and high school
Youth Leadership Initiative
The University of Virginia Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative has created three
interactive simulations. E-Congress, a free, interactive, national online simulation lets students
play the part of a member of the House. They research issues, write legislation, debate bills in
committee and work to move their bill to the House floor. Students use innovative technology to
interact with their legislators and to connect with their peers around the country. Mock Election is
conducted each fall by the Youth Leadership Initiative for students around the nation using
electronic ballots designed for each student’s home district. A More Perfect Union simulates an
actual campaign for Senate. The site also provides teacher-developed lesson plans and a
service-learning program called Democracy Corps. Level: Middle and high school
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