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Teaching Government to Kids
Many teachers avoid teaching about government because it can feel like a complex and politically charged subject. You may worry that diving into the subject will devolve into discussions about controversial topics and lead to discomfort in the classroom. You may also dislike the subject as it was often taught to us using dry material that was difficult to relate to our everyday lives.
Fortunately, there is a better way to teach about government. Government and civics education is critical for raising informed, active citizens who understand their rights, responsibilities, and how the political system functions. In this ultimate guide, you will get to explore our curated list of resources that will offer your students the opportunity to critically engage with important societal issues and develop essential twenty-first century skills, like critical thinking, discussion and debate, and civic participation.
While government can be a complex topic, it also provides a platform for students to learn how their voices and actions can influence change and how policies impact their lives. For many teachers, this process is rewarding as it empowers students to become engaged and informed members of society.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand how to teach topics that are appropriate for elementary school students and how to remain neutral while still providing accurate, balanced information that will help students navigate today’s complicated political landscape.
Click on any of the links below to explore a specific area of this Government Guide for Kids.
- Government Overview
- Government Pacing Guide
- Government Skills
- How to Make Government Relevant to Kids
- Free Government Lesson Plan
- Government Videos
- Government Games
- Comprehensive Government Unit
Teaching Government to Kids Overview
Government Pacing Guide
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 |
| What is Government? | Rules and Laws | Purpose of Government | Forms of Government | Levels of Government |
| Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 |
| Government Leaders | Branches of Government | Elections | Rights and Responsibilities | Human Rights |
This is the same pacing guide as the one found in our Government Unit.
This skill-based unit is perfect for teachers who want to help their students build twenty-first century skills and prepare them to participate as citizens in their communities.
Included in this unit are ten lessons with step-by-step lesson plans, engaging activities, slideshows, discussions, and assessments to measure your students’ progress.
Government Skills
Teaching government to kids is not just about checking certain topics of the list. Learning government also means practicing a set of skills that will help students throughout their lives.
In a comprehensive government unit, students will learn skills like:
- Respectful discussion and active listening, where students practice active listening skills and learn how to respectfully disagree and build upon the ideas of their peers during a discussion.
- Analytical skills, where students practice the ability to read and analyze ideas about how government should work and how it should help its citizens.
- Critical thinking, where students review and address a variety of twenty-first century challenges like what an effective government does, how governments respond to the needs of citizens, and what powers the government has.
- Research skills, where students can independently research a government topic, find relevant and quality sources, and evaluate their findings.
- Information literacy, where students can identify high-quality versus low-quality information, fact-check information they find, and evaluate evidence.
How to Make Government Relevant to Kids
- Relate Government to Their Lives: Connect government decisions to issues kids care about, like school policies, community services, or environmental protection.
- Interactive Learning: Use simulations, mock elections, or model governments to help kids actively engage with the process and understand how decisions are made.
- Civic Role Models: Introduce kids to inspiring figures in politics, such as local leaders, activists, or historical figures, to show them how individuals can make a difference.
- Hands-On Projects: Encourage kids to create campaigns, write letters to local officials, or research current events.
- Use Technology: Leverage apps, websites, and games that explain government processes in an interactive and engaging way.
- Discuss Issues That Matter to Them: Engage in conversations about topics that affect young people directly, like school funding, voting rights, or social justice.
- Field Trips: Take students to local government offices, city council meetings, or historical landmarks to experience government in action.
- Encourage Critical Thinking: Foster discussions that allow kids to analyze different viewpoints, helping them understand how decisions are made and how they can participate in debates about policies.
Free Government Lesson Plan
Are you looking for a way to introduce government to your students? Your students likely know something about politics, but they may know little to nothing about government – and there is a difference between the two! In this free What is Government lesson plan, students will
- define government and explain how and why governments formed
- analyze quotes about government from past leaders and thinkers
- identify examples of what is and isn’t government
Government Videos for Kids
A great way to engage students when teaching about world geography is through videos. Videos can be a great way to explain challenging concepts, especially for something like latitude and longitude where a visual explanation is important. Videos can also help students remember information through catchy songs and beats.
Explore some of our favorite channels for teaching about world geography.
Teacher Tip: Use safeshare.tv to share videos without ads or distractions!
Government Games
Games are a great way to engage students when teaching about government. Use games to help kids actively engage with the process and understand how decisions are made.
iCivics provides educational online games to promote civics education and encourage students to become active citizens through role play and simulations. In this Neighborhood Good game, students identify a problem in the community and work to find a solution. In this Uncovering Loyalties game, students will explore the perspectives of different people during the American Revolutionary War.
Comprehensive Government Unit
If you want to skip the work that goes into developing your own government unit, explore our comprehensive Government Unit for upper-elementary students.
This unit will help you feel prepared and excited when teaching about government by providing you with 10 detailed lessons with more than 200 pages of activities, reading passages, slideshows, and projects.
This unit will save you dozens of hours of time! Instead of patching together resources, this unit will provide you with consistent lessons that students will love. Keep reading to learn more about what’s included in our 200-page unit.
Comprehensive Government Unit for Upper Elementary Students
Dive into government with this highly-engaging Government Unit for kids. This unit includes everything you need to help you save time and skyrocket engagement during social studies.
This bundle includes 10 lessons and over 200 pages of activities, projects, government worksheets, games, and slideshows to learn about government.
Add to Cart Buy on TPTUnit Details:
✦ A 2-week-long comprehensive elementary government unit
✦ 200 pages of lessons, reading passages, teaching slides, government worksheets, and more!
✦ 1 ZIP file organized into 10 lessons by topic
You’ll Receive:
- 10 Step-by-Step Lesson Plans
- 8 Slideshows with Discussion Questions in the Slide Notes
- 9 Engaging Reading Passages
- Learning Objectives, Inquiry Questions, and Materials Lists
- 9 Writing Activities with Rubrics (Narrative, Opinion, and Informative)
- 25 Engaging Government Worksheets & Activities
- 9 Easy-to-Grade Quizzes, plus a Unit Assessment
- Answer Keys and Student Samples
- Exclusive Unit Bonuses: Scope & Sequence, Unit Overview and Standards Alignment, and Unit Assessment
Geography Lessons Included:
- Lesson 1: What is Government
- Lesson 2: Rules vs. Laws
- Lesson 3: Purpose of Government
- Lesson 4: Forms of Government
- Lesson 5: Levels of Government (Federal, State, Local)
- Lesson 6: Government Leaders
- Lesson 7: Three Branches of Government
- Lesson 8: Presidential Elections
- Lesson 9: Rights & Responsibilities
- Lesson 10: Human Rights
- Unit Bonus: Government Unit Assessment
