Social Studies & Civics Resources

The Teaching the Skills That Matter in Adult Education project (TSTM) trains teachers to integrate the skills that matter to adult students using approaches that work across critical topics. This page houses resources specifically related to Civics Education, including an overall Issue Brief, a case study, several lesson plans, an annotated resource and reference list, and a classroom video.

The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) offers free education resources for teachers along with other materials to encourage students to participate in the political process. Teachers can download K-12 and adult leveled lessons on topics such as the political process, foundations of American government, the presidency, and political beliefs and behaviors. Teachers can sign-up for YLI’s E-Congress program that allows students to learn about Congress by writing original legislation. YLI’s online mock election activity uses electronic ballots tailored to each student’s home legislative district.

The goal of Citizens, Not Spectators is to demystify the voting process for students at all levels. It provides free downloadable elementary, middle, and high school level lesson plans and supporting materials that cover a wide range of topics, such as the history of voting rights in the United States, becoming an informed voter, and participating in an in-class simulated election. Especially useful for students is a printable leveled timeline regarding the election and voting process in the U.S.