Product Description
These Civics and Civic Engagement Lessons work best for grades 8-12. They’re great for civics, government, and social studies classes.
Looking for civics resources for teaching younger learners? Check out our Civics Activities & Printables for grades 6-8.
Civics and Civic Engagement Lessons
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
The Strategic Use of Power explores what it means to use power strategically in the context of disability rights. It includes printable handouts. It can work with a 12-minute section of the film or the full film. This lesson connects with Crip Camp Lesson 2 about Power and Disability Justice; educators who wish teach both lessons together can find Lesson 2 in the full Crip Camp Curriculum Guide.
Accessibility options: The Crip Camp trailer is available with audio description. The full Crip Camp film is available with closed captioning, open captions, audio description, and subtitles, in multiple languages.
Film rating: R for brief nudity, brief language and some sexual references. CommonSense Media Rating: 15+. Learn more about teaching with Crip Camp and where to watch it.
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Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down
Civic Engagement explores the driving question: How can civics and public service inform one’s sense of belonging in a community?
This lesson features a glossary of useful terms, personal reflection questions (these can be used for journaling or short essays), discussion questions and extension activities, including resources for writing a letter to the editor. A timeline of Gabby Giffords life is also included. A timeline of Gabby Giffords life is also available to download. All of these resources are available in English and Spanish.
Film rating: PG-13. CommonSense Media Rating: 13+. Learn more about teaching with Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down and where to watch it.
Preview Civics Lesson Preview Civic Lesson-Spanish
Preview Giffords Timeline Preview Giffords Timeline Spanish
He Named Me Malala
Working for Change explores the agency of changemakers, in the context of promoting women’s education around the world.
This lesson features a student research project about organizations around the world working on improving access to education for girls and women. It promotes critical thinking and equips students to critically evaluate organizations working for change.
This resource includes a printable handout students can use to organize their research, extension activities, and an assessment rubric for the research project.
Film rating: PG-13. CommonSense Media Rating: 12+. Learn more about teaching with He Named Me Malala and where to watch it.
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Navalny
Civic Engagement: Political Corruption, Nationalism, and Leadership explores the driving questions: What are the civic engagement responsibilities of global citizens? What are the most effective methods to amplify voices and increase visibility?
Power: What is Power? Who has Power? explores the driving questions: What does it mean to have power? Who and what regulates who has power and who doesn’t? How does the distribution of power impact individuals and societies?
These resources include useful terms, personal reflection questions (these can be used for journaling or short essays), discussion questions and extension activities. A biographical page about Alexei Navalny is also available to download as well.
Film rating: R for language. CommonSense Media Rating: 14+. Learn more about teaching with Navalny and where to watch it.
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The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman
The Power of Us explores the social contract; the electoral process of the Embera, a semi-nomadic Indigenous nation in Panama; representative government in the U.S.; and global leadership styles.
This lesson also includes additional resources for further reading and study.
This resource is designed to use wit The Story of Us Episode 5: The Power of Us.
Media rating: TV14. CommonSense Media Rating: 14+. Learn more about teaching with The Story of Us and where to watch it.
Civics & Civic Engagement Discussion Guides
The Neighborhood Storyteller Discussion Guide – The Grassroots Work, Life Skills, and Future Vision section introduces students to grassroots work and invites them to become changemakers in their communities.
Film rating: Not rated. This film is appropriate for Grades 5 and up. Learn more about teaching with The Neighborhood Storyteller and where to watch it.
Youth v Gov Discussion Guide – The What Can You Do? Community Action and Engagement section explores community service in the context of climate justice, and asks students to consider what actions they find inspirational and what they find effective.
Film Rating: TV-14. Learn more about teaching with Youth v Gov and where to watch it.
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Related Resources
- Facilitation Guidelines: Great for the classroom or any context to help you lead conversations on difficult or sensitive subjects in a safe, productive way. These tips can be particularly helpful with passionate discussions in a civics context. [Preview button(s)]
- Learn more about our service learning lesson plans for specific social impact issues like affordable housing, the environment, gender equity and more: Get Students Excited about Service Learning with Film.
- Discover how service learning provides a way for students to grow their social-emotional learning skills while helping their community: Developing SEL Skills With Service Learning by Amy Meuers, CEO of the National Youth Leadership Council, at Edutopia.
- Complement these lessons with films that show civic engagement in action. We recommend Rebel Hearts about social activist nuns who make waves inside the Catholic church.
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Sustainable Development Goals
Journeys in Film supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more about teaching with UN SDGs. This curriculum guide connects to the following SDGs.
