Collection

This modular collection prepares students in grades 6-12 for informed and ethical civic participation in democracy.

Part of a full-year program

• Civics & Citizenship
• Social Studies

6–12

English — US

Nov 6, 2025

About This Collection

A healthy democracy starts in your classroom. Students need opportunities to study the world around them. This collection is designed to help young people learn about multiple perspectives, develop skills to challenge misinformation, discuss and navigate complex issues, and consider how they can make a positive difference in their communities.

Our** Civic Education Curriculum Collection** offers a dynamic approach for middle and high school educators. We use history as a powerful lens to transform your classroom into a space where students can explore, learn, and participate, ultimately developing ethical and informed civic responsibility.

With this collection, students will:

• Build Historical Analysis and Media-Literacy Skills: Develop strong analysis skills to understand pivotal history, navigate the media landscape to identify misinformation, and connect the past with our world today.
• Engage in Civil Discourse: Practice listening to those who hold different beliefs and expressing their opinions while treating each other with dignity and respect.
• Develop a Foundation for Civic Participation: Build a deep, historical understanding of democratic principles, how small choices and ambitious acts matter, and ways to participate in their communities.

This collection of C3-aligned units, inquiries, and lesson plans is ready-to-use and flexible enough to fit your needs, whether you’re teaching a full civics course or supplementing a broader social studies or history class.

Civic Education Curriculum Collection Implementation Guide

Date of Publication: November 2025

Use our implementation guide to get familiar with the collection resources and professional learning opportunities.

A collection roadmap shows you how to combine elements of the collection into a customized civic learning journey for your unique context.

Log in or sign up for a free Facing History account to download this guide to implementing the collection.

93% of educators said using Facing History civics materials helped them implement high-quality learning opportunities in their class.

Civic Learning Journey: Explore, Learn, Participate

We designed the Civic Learning Journey with a clear Explore, Learn, Participate sequence to maximize student impact. Students move from self-reflection to knowledge-building to civic engagement, ensuring their participation is informed, ethical, and sustained.

This framework helps them develop strong civic dispositions and an empowering sense that their contributions to democracy matter. This progression connects personal voices (Explore) to essential knowledge (Learn), channeling understanding into real-world application (Participate). Use resources from each phase to guide this complete journey.

Explore: Civic Agency & Civic Reflection

We put students’ voices and experiences at the center of their learning. As students explore how their own choices can shape their classroom, school, and communities, they start to develop a deep sense of civic agency and responsibility. Use these resources to help them connect their experiences to history and civic education, and consider what they can do in collaboration with others to shape a better future.

These back-to-school activities and teacher resources will help you lay a foundation for a reflective and caring community at the start of the school year.

This four-lesson unit introduces students to the concept of civic identity by prompting them to reflect on who they are and how they engage in their communities.

One big takeaway is that my students do feel like every student has a voice that deserves to be heard… I think there’s nothing more important than that.

— Pilot Educator

Learn: Civic Inquiry, Historical Analysis, & Civic Discussion

We ensure students build civic knowledge and understanding by engaging them in inquiry and analysis. As students analyze the complexities of history, current events, and civic participation, they develop a deeper understanding of societal issues and learn from how others have responded to shared problems. Use these resources to help students apply historical lessons to challenges we face today and discuss complex issues with care and respect.

This unit examines attempts to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957. It explores the impact of the choices of the Little Rock Nine as well as those of leaders, the media, and community members.

This 7–9 day C3-aligned inquiry explores the compelling question, “What can we learn from Boston’s past about what it takes to make progress toward educational justice today?”

This C3-aligned inquiry explores the compelling question: "What can the history of the Delano grape strike and boycott teach us about what it takes to build solidarity in a movement for change?"

Use this unit to teach students about the foundations of a healthy democracy, including free and fair elections, the rule of law, engaged citizens, and more.

This unit introduces students to fundamental concepts and skills related to media literacy.

85% of educators using Facing History civics materials said their students learned a lot from the materials.

Participate: Civic Voice & Civic Engagement

We empower students to develop their voices and contribute to their school and community in informed and ethical ways. As students share their perspectives and identify issues relevant to their lives, they develop a sense of civic agency. Use these resources to help students engage in civic participation projects designed to deepen students’ ethical reflection, collective problem solving skills, and civic responsibility.

This guide contains a flexible collection of activities, readings, lessons, and strategies designed to help you develop a meaningful civic education experience in your classroom.

Additional Resources for Educators

Throughout your use of the collection, cultivate students’ civic voices by helping them consider how they can engage with others in civil discourse. Use these resources to help you hold meaningful and productive conversations with students about challenging topics.

The tools and strategies in this guide will help you prepare students to engage in difficult conversations on topics that matter to them, to their communities, and to our world.

This toolkit provides flexible and adaptable tools and strategies for integrating current events into your teaching.

Use these resources on voting, media literacy, polarization, and bias to talk about US elections with your high school and middle school students.

This collection of 20-minute activities is designed to help students understand political polarization, reflect on its causes and consequences, and imagine potential solutions.

This Explainer defines the term political polarization and provides information on how it impacts US politics and society.

In a randomized controlled trial, Facing History students were significantly more likely to be civically engaged than non-Facing History students.

— Barr, 2015

Professional Learning for Civic Education

Register for upcoming live webinars, courses, and workshops that support your implementation of the collection. Learn in community with other civically-minded educators and access support for integrating the principles of civic education into your school or classroom.

Jan 20, 2026 | 4 - 6pm PST

Virtual

Join Facing History and KQED to explore ways students can identify, research, and communicate about civic issues they care about.

Feb 10, 2026 | 7 - 8pm EST

Virtual

Join a scholar, curriculum developer, and teacher exploring media literacy, the online well-being of youth, and the implications for our democracy.

On-Demand

Virtual

This special conversation with Dr. Diana Hess details how educators can navigate the challenges of discussing polarizing civic topics in their classrooms.

Explore Professional Learning Opportunities