Civics

Voters wait in line up under an overhang of a building on a college campus. In the foreground, a sign says "vote."
Voters wait in line at a polling place at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in Austin, Texas, on election night Nov. 8, 2022. The U.S. Department of Education says colleges and K-12 schools can do more to support young voters to build voting habits.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP
Social Studies Help Students Register to Vote, Education Department Urges Schools
Schools and universities can help get students registered to vote and help adolescents develop regular voting habits.
Evie Blad, February 27, 2024
2 min read
Image of a parent and child at a voting booth.
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Social Studies How Schools Can Prepare Students to Vote for the First Time
Students want more practical information about voting to prepare them for the polls.
Evie Blad, January 31, 2024
3 min read
Two teen boys sit behind a long table with a sign on the front that says "voter registration" in bold black letters.
High school students Sawyer Brockman, left, and Jack Skilling volunteer at the voter registration table for the presidential primary election at Windham High School, on Jan. 23, 2024, in Windham, N.H. Encouraging students to volunteer in elections can help them understand the process before their first time voting, experts said.
Michael Dwyer/AP
Social Studies Should Students Vote for School Boards? The Case for Lower Voting Ages in Local Elections
Doing so can give students more time to build lifelong voting habits, some advocates say.
Evie Blad, January 30, 2024
5 min read
Image of people at voting booths.
LPETTET/E+
Social Studies What the Research Says Civics Is About Skills, Not Just Facts. How Do Schools Measure Students' Readiness?
Most state assessments aren't testing how students civically engage in their communities, a new report finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 19, 2023
4 min read
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor listens as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg pays tribute to O'Connor's advocacy work on behalf of civic education, impact on female judges and justice for women and girls worldwide at the Seneca Women Global Leadership Forum at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, on April 15, 2015 in Washington.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor listens to a tribute to her advocacy work on behalf of civics education and women's role in the legal profession at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, on April 15, 2015, in Washington.
Kevin Wolf/Invision for Seneca Women via AP Images
Law & Courts What Sandra Day O'Connor Did to Shape School Law and Civics Education
O'Connor wrote influential opinions on affirmative action, Title IX, and other education issues. Then she tirelessly worked on civics.
Mark Walsh, December 1, 2023
10 min read
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LAUDISENO/iStock/Getty and EdWeek
International What the Research Says It's Not Just U.S. Students. Civics Scores Have Dropped Around the World
Eighth graders are less engaged and knowledgeable about government than they were before the pandemic, a global study finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 28, 2023
5 min read
Tired man driving city traffic jam at evening. After work day, sleepy driver in car on road.
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Social Studies Opinion There's a Major Conflict at the Heart of Our Democracy. Civics Education Should Embrace It
A civics expert explains how rubbernecking and traffic jams can help students understand some of our thorniest issues.
Michael J. Feuer, November 21, 2023
4 min read
Image of a parent and child at a voting booth.
LPETTET/E+
School Climate & Safety What the Research Says Students Suspended in School May Vote Less as Adults
Exclusionary discipline can have long-term consequences for civic engagement, a new study finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 2, 2023
3 min read
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Social Studies Opinion Why Public Schools Must Bolster Civics Instruction
Our students are among the youngest voters in the country. Are they being targeted as pawns in an illicit political game?
Raymond Sanchez, September 28, 2023
6 min read
Photo of boy in classroom with U.S. flag.
E+ / Getty
Social Studies This Popular High School Civics Requirement Doesn’t Boost Voting Habits
More than a dozen states require students to take the U.S. Citizenship exam, but it doesn't seem to boost turnout.
Sarah Schwartz, September 20, 2023
5 min read
Image of a parent and child at a voting booth.
LPETTET/E+
Social Studies Children's Voting Habits Could Influence Their Parents' Political Participation
A new study finds a two-way relationship between parents' and teens' civic engagement.
Sarah Schwartz, September 12, 2023
4 min read
This image shows an 1876 engraving titled "Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776" made available by the Library of Congress. On that day, the Continental Congress formally endorsed the Declaration of Independence. Celebrations began within days: parades and public readings, bonfires and candles and the firing of 13 musket rounds, one for each of the original states. Nearly a century passed before the country officially named its founding a holiday.
The 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence depicted in this engraving set in motion the long process of compromises and negotiations that led to the signing of the Constitution 11 years later.
J. Trumbull, W.L. Ormsby via AP
Social Studies A Digital Game Offers a Lesson on Compromise, the 18th Century Way
A civics group and historical site teamed up teach about the compromises made to create the U.S. Constitution.
Caitlyn Meisner, August 30, 2023
5 min read
Illustration of cutout figures and U.S. flags.
DigitalVision Vectors / Getty
Social Studies Opinion Civics Education: Can We Teach Patriotism Without the Conformity?
New civics education requirements are good—if we learn from past mistakes.
Anil Hurkadli, August 24, 2023
5 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
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Social Studies Opinion Mock Trials? Debates? Here's a Better Way to Approach Supreme Court Decisions in Class
Steer clear of any instructional method that opens the door to questioning the humanity of your students, says a social studies teacher.
Larry Ferlazzo, July 7, 2023
7 min read