AFT educators built the free Action Civics lessons in this community to help teachers cover American history, government, and civics. The resources are organized into six topic sets: Civic Action, Voting Rights, Amendments, Climate Justice, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and the A More United America Series. Most lessons target grades 9-12, with elementary options available, and every resource is free to download and ready for the classroom.
What Action Civics Means
Action Civics asks students to identify a real issue they care about, research it, and take informed action. Students learn the political process by working through it rather than reading about it secondhand. These experiences build knowledge and practical skills, and they grow students' motivation to stay engaged in their communities well after a unit ends.
Who Created These Civics Lessons
The Albert Shanker Institute launched the Educating for Democratic Citizenship program in partnership with the American Federation of Teachers, Share My Lesson, and the AFT Innovation Fund. Experienced AFT educators wrote the lessons to work across disciplines and adapt to different schedules, including classrooms with little dedicated time for civics. Teachers can use them in social studies, U.S. history, and government courses, or fold shorter activities into advisory periods.
What You'll Find in this Community
- Civic Action lessons on lobbying, local government, and community organizing.
- Voting Rights units tracing suffrage from the 15th Amendment to present-day debates.
- Amendments lessons on the First and Sixth Amendments, free press, and student speech.
- Climate Justice resources connecting environmental issues to civic action.
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion lessons on identity, intersectionality, and civil rights history.
- A More United America Series on the Constitution and countering book bans.
Browse the full set in the Resources tab above. To go deeper, pair these with the Foundations of Democracy collection, Understanding Threats to Democracy, and Civics Lesson Plans for Elementary Students.
Join and Contribute
Members can ask questions, share their own lesson plans, and trade classroom strategies in the Discussions tab. Follow the community to see new civics resources as educators add them.
