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CIVIC PARTICIPATION

From civics education to civic engagement

Foster a sense of civic responsibility that extends beyond the classroom, empowering students with the background knowledge to actively participate in their communities.

WHAT'S INSIDE

Build background knowledge beyond the ballot box

Bring civics topics to life with engaging, expert-vetted content aligned to your standards. Help students understand the importance of civic participation and explore the mechanisms (and history) of the electoral process through interactive lessons and activities.

Tim and Moby introduce you to the three branches of the United States government and explain how checks and balances help limit any one branch's power.
Branches of Government

Tim and Moby introduce you to the three branches of the United States government and explain how checks and balances help limit any one branch's power.

Tim and Moby introduce you to the history of democracy, how a democratic government functions, and the three ideas that democracy rests upon.
Democracy

Tim and Moby introduce you to the history of democracy, how a democratic government functions, and the three ideas that democracy rests upon.

Tim and Moby explain the definition of citizenship, how it applies to citizens of the United States, and the responsibilities that come with those rights.
Citizenship

Tim and Moby explain the definition of citizenship, how it applies to citizens of the United States, and the responsibilities that come with those rights.

View our full list of topics as part of our U.S. Government unit.

TOPIC SPOTLIGHT

Voting

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Civic engagement across the curriculum

Integrating civic participation across the curriculum creates engaging and relevant learning experiences for students—helping them connect classroom learning with real-world applications.

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Discover content-rich ways to teach civic participation while enriching your core curriculum and meeting your state's social studies standard requirements.

    • Explore government structures, historical civic movements, and citizens' rights and responsibilities.
       

    • Organize mock elections, debates, and community service projects for hands-on learning.

    • Investigate local environmental concerns and propose solutions, connecting science to sustainability and responsible citizenship.
       

    • Learn about civically responsible development projects like city planning decisions from an engineering perspective.

    • Have students write letters to officials, create persuasive essays, and discuss current events.
       

    • Analyze political speeches to understand persuasive techniques and rhetoric.

    • Analyze data like voting patterns or public health data. 
       

    • Budget for a community project or use math to understand and address societal trends.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Civic participation is about participating in the established systems and processes and individuals' actions to be involved in their communities and the political process.

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    In school, this includes teaching the basics of being an informed citizen, including participating in your community and government, voting, and the mechanisms of electoral processes.

  • ​BrainPOP (3-8) has interactive lessons and activities that make it easy to teach about the mechanics of elections, the importance of civic participation, and the impact of voting on our society, with topics that include:

    • Branches of Government

    • Citizenship

    • Debate

    • Democracy

    • Local and State Governments

    • President

    • Presidential Power

    • Primaries and Caucuses

    • Rights and Responsibilities

    • Voting

  • You can teach civics throughout the year by incorporating discussions about current events, community projects, and key concepts like rights and responsibilities into your lessons. Use activities that promote critical thinking and engage students in real-world scenarios, like classroom elections, debates, and role-playing as decision-makers.

     

    These activities build positive classroom and school culture and allow students of all ages to apply what they’ve learned in real-world scenarios. Integrating civics into subjects beyond social studies keeps civics relevant all year and helps students see its everyday impact.

  • Civic education encourages students to analyze complex issues, evaluate multiple perspectives, and make informed decisions—skills crucial for learning to approach problems thoughtfully and consider the cause and effect of decisions in their communities.

RESEARCH-BASED, EVIDENCE-BACKED

Rooted in research about how kids learn best

BrainPOP is widely recognized as a research-based and proven effective solution in classrooms across the world.

Contact us about bringing BrainPOP to your school

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“[BrainPOP does a] good job of laying out the facts…so kids can see perspectives and think about how they feel about an issue or historical event. I can give students a reliable resource that addresses the different perspectives needed to understand the complexity and history of what happened.”

A. Mills, Teacher

Bridgewater Public Schools, CT

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