The United States of America’s 250th anniversary (America250) is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deepen civic learning, no matter where in the world you teach. If you’re a language arts or social studies teacher, or a homeschool parent or guardian, you have an important role to play in helping students understand justice, lawmaking, various forms of government, and what it means to engage in global civic participation.
Short on time? We curated this list of classroom resources that cover these themes and leverage them to build students’ writing and communication skills.
Teaching Justice for America’s 250th shares insights on how to explore challenging concepts like justice in the classroom. This resource is great for establishing meaningful civil discourse norms and practices!
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The “Writing About Justice” lesson plan guides students through defining, comparing, and personally contextualizing the concept of justice before crafting an original creative writing piece for a national competition. It blends discussion, global analysis, reflective activities, and rapid‑fire writing to help students in grades 6–12 explore how justice operates in their lives and across different governmental systems.
The Supreme Court Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to preserving and collecting the history of the United States Supreme Court, increasing public awareness of the Court's contribution to the constitutional heritage of the United States, and acquiring knowledge covering the history of the entire Judicial Branch.
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Join Write the World and the Supreme Court Historical Society on Monday, August 17 at 5 pm EST for a free professional development webinar where you'll engage in collaborative lesson planning to integrate the upcoming writing competition into your curricula! This workshop is free for educators; learn more and register today to reserve your spot!
Democracy Class is a free, nonpartisan curriculum that educates high school students about the importance and history of voting. This resource requires educators to sign up to receive the curriculum and training materials.
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Edutopia interviewed several high school history, government, and civics teachers and coordinators to share 9 dynamic, hands-on activities that immerse students in civics. Real‑world civics experiences, including internships, community service, meeting with representatives, or helping shape school policies, make classroom learning more concrete and impactful. When students engage directly with civic processes, they see how their studies connect to real issues and communities.
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Write the World’s 2020 Civics in Action program brought together a global cohort of teens (ages 15–18) for ten months of synchronous writing, civic inquiry, and journalism practice, resulting in more than 100 original pieces across genres—from op-eds and reportage to speeches, letters, and cultural critique. In partnership with Facing History & Ourselves, Parentology, and the National Children’s Campaign, the program invited students to explore issues such as racial equity, global citizenship, democracy, activism, and healthcare. Read the curated edition of Write the World Review.
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Are you now prepared to design your own 250th‑anniversary civics unit? Feel free to mix and adapt these resources to fit your classroom! Consider collaborating with colleagues across ELA, History, Government, and Civics to deepen the experience, provide interdisciplinary connections and increase classroom time dedicated to literacy.
We also pulled together some culminating project ideas:
As the US approaches its 250th year, strengthening civic literacy remains essential. We invite you to share your own civics activities and reflections with us at educators@writetheworld.org!