Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Standards
Connecticut adopted its first K-12 social studies standards in October 2023. Developed by teachers with public input and state legislative direction, these standards provide guidance for social studies instruction.

Connecticut Model Curriculum for Social Studies
The Connecticut Model Curriculum for Social Studies is available through GoOpen and provides curriculum leaders and teachers with ideas for curriculum design aligned to Connecticut’s K-12 Standards.

Red, White & Blue Schools
The Red, White & Blue Schools program recognizes K-12 public and private schools that are going above and beyond in their delivery of civic education. By participating in this program, schools are promoting being active and engaged members of their communities. Red, White & Blue Schools is a partnership program between the Connecticut Secretary of the State, the Connecticut State Department of Education, and the Connecticut Democracy Center in residence at Connecticut’s Old State House. Learn how your school can apply to be a Red, White & Blue School!

Social Studies and Civics Resources
The State Department of Education has compiled resources for teaching civics, history, and other social studies disciplines.

Connecticut Council for the Social Studies
The Connecticut Council for the Social Studies advocates and builds capacity for high-quality social studies by providing leadership, services, and support to educators.

The Power of Civics
The Power of Civics from Connecticut’s Office of the Secretary of the State provides information on how people can be informed and involved in their communities.

Civic Engagement Initiatives and Resources (all ages)
The Office of the Secretary of the State offers free civic engagement and education resources for students and adults of all ages.

Social Studies and Civics Resources (all grades)
The State Department of Education has compiled resources for teaching civics, history, and other social studies disciplines.

Civic Learning Week – Connecticut Resources (all grades)
Civic Learning Week is an annual, national effort to further energize the movement for civic education. The Connecticut Democracy Center is a proud partner and supporter of Civic Learning Week and offered a variety of virtual and in-person civics programs and exhibits for all audiences from March 11-16, 2024.

Connecticut Network (CT-N) (all ages)
CT-N is Connecticut’s source for complete and balanced television and webcast coverage of state government and public policy. Your students can see their state government in action by watching live and recorded legislative sessions, committee meetings, public hearings, press briefings, Supreme Court oral arguments, and more.

Videos about state government (all ages)
The Connecticut Democracy Center and its Connecticut’s Kid Governor® program offer free videos from state officials explaining their roles within state government.

Teach It CT (grades K-12)
A project of CT Humanities, Teach It helps Connecticut teachers bring Connecticut history into the classroom through inquiry-based activities. The following civics resources were created by the Connecticut Democracy Center in partnership with Connecticut teachers:

Empowering Students’ “Civic Voices” in Local and State Government (Elementary)

Empowering Students’ “Civic Voices” in Local and State Government (Middle/High)

Government is People: Creating a Symposium of Local Government Speakers (Elementary)

Government is People: Creating a Symposium of Local Government Speakers (Middle/High)

Capitol Information & Tours/League of Women Voters Resources  (grades 3-12)
Explore free activities and classroom tools about how a bill becomes a law, contacting state legislators, the three branches of state government, voting rights, and more.

Civic Literacy Resources (all ages)
The State Library’s Division of Library Development supports Civic/Social Literacy so that Connecticut citizens will have the knowledge and skills they need to improve their lives, participate and contribute effectively in their communities, and connect with one another through dialogue.

iCivics (all grades)
iCivics was founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2009 to ensure that all Americans have the knowledge and will to participate in our unique experiment in self-government. Since then, iCivics has become the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider of high-quality, non-partisan, engaging, and free resources to more than 9 million students annually, in all 50 states. iCivics’ first-of-its-kind digital civic library includes more than 260 curricular resources, digital literacy tools, professional learning materials, and educational video games.

Local Civic Health: A Guide to Building Community and Bridging Divides
This document, produced by New Hampshire Listens and designed by Laurel Lloyd at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire, is intended to help you create a plan of action for collecting civic health information, and can be a guiding charter to refer back to. Some of the categories below require deeper conversation, and when they do we have marked this with some tools to help you have those conversations.

Braver Angels
Braver Angels is leading the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the partisan divide.

What Is a Community? – Lesson for Kids
“Communities can be as small as a single family or as big as everyone on the planet. Discover how they are made up of people with things in common, as well as differences, who work together.”

Civicly
Civicly (for iPhones/iPads) was created by a Civics teacher and provides free, engaging, high-quality civic education. The Blog is available on any platform.

C3 Teachers
C3 Teachers provides K-12 inquiry-based lessons on a variety of social studies topics, with many inquiries based on civics.

Generation Citizen
Generation Citizen strives to empower middle and high school students through project-based civics. They provide resources and toolkits to be used throughout the year and for Civics Day.

Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves provides resources that provide opportunities where students explore, learn, and participate and, ultimately, develop informed civic responsibility.

The Civics Collection
The Civics Collection on PBS LearningMedia is designed to help teach middle and high school students about American citizenship, our constitutional democracy, and the complexities of our government and empower them as young citizens with a robust set of media-rich educational resources.

From the Classroom to the Capital City: Place-Based Civic Learning in Hartford
Watch this March 2024 panel discussion to learn about the unique place-based experiences for students and the public at Connecticut’s Old State House, the State Capitol, the Supreme Court, the State Library, and the Museum of Connecticut History.

School Programs at Connecticut’s Old State House (grades K-12)
Located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut’s Old State House served as one of Connecticut’s state capitols from 1796 to 1878 and Hartford City Hall from 1878-1915. Beautifully restored and preserved, this museum and civic space was declared one of the first National Historic Landmarks in 1960. Immerse your students in civics and history with a school program at Connecticut’s Old State House! To book a school program, OSHschools@cga.ct.gov.

We offer three admission and bus discount programs for Connecticut students through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education supporting the Civics Education for Connecticut Students collaboration between five museums, and from the Scripps Family Fund.

Tours of the State Capitol (all ages)
Visit the Connecticut State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark and one of the most beautiful capitols in the country. Capitol Information and Tours offers free one-hour tours for children in grades four and above. This is the perfect enrichment activity in conjunction with studies of government, architecture, and history. To book a tour, email Capitol.Tours@cga.ct.gov.

Visit the Museum of Connecticut History at the State Library (all ages)
A visit to the Museum of Connecticut History lets students discover the events, personalities and objects that have helped shape our state, local and national history. A museum staff member, if available, will greet your group in the museum and provide a brief orientation for your group.

Tour the Connecticut Supreme Court (all ages)
The External Affairs Division of the Connecticut Judicial Branch provides tours of the Supreme Court courtroom from Monday through Friday during regular business hours. To request a tour, email external.affairs@jud.ct.gov.

Civics Education for Connecticut Students project (grades K-5)
Five different institutions are proud to offer free and discounted programs for K-5 students that introduce civics, community, and government to young learners through engaging and accessible experiences. As sites and keepers of history, these museums draw on our collective past to engage students with the past, present, and future. Our educators will help your students get excited about the potential and possibilities of civic life in the museum and in the classroom. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Participating museums: Connecticut Democracy Center in residence at Connecticut’s Old State House (Hartford), Connecticut Museum of Culture and History (Hartford), Fairfield Museum and History Center (Fairfield), Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic), The Mark Twain House & Museum (Hartford).

To learn about field trip opportunities at these museums, read the Civics Education for Connecticut Students booklet.

Court Aide Program (grades 9-12)
High schoolers can: learn about the Judicial Branch and the services it provides; complete school-mandated requirements for graduation; contribute to the community; gain valuable experience and references; further explore career interests and vocational skills.

Job Shadow Program (grades 9-12)
The Job Shadow Program is designed to provide an opportunity for high school students to explore career interests and vocational skills by “shadowing” a Judicial Branch employee during a workday. Students are matched with a mentor at a location as near as possible to their school.

Connecticut’s Kid Governor® (grade 5)
The Connecticut Democracy Center’s award-winning civics program for 5th graders, Kid Governor® offers free civics lesson plans, videos, a traveling exhibit, and other resources for learning about state government, elections, and civic participation. Many resources can be adapted for other grades! Email info@CT.KidGovernor.org for access to additional resources including Bitmoji classrooms.

We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution (grades 6-12)
We The People promotes civic knowledge and engagement among upper elementary and secondary students. Utilizing innovative materials developed by the Center for Civic Education, an entire class works in cooperative teams to prepare and present statements on six units before a panel of judges acting as a congressional committee at a state-level competition. The Connecticut Democracy Center is the state affiliate of the We The People program.

Connecticut Democracy Center Debate Tournament (grades 6-12)
Debate Tournament hosts competitive interscholastic team policy debate tournaments for middle and high school students focused on a Connecticut topic. Participants use their research to develop both negative and affirmative arguments, learn to cross-examine their opposition, and listen attentively in order to rebut their opponent’s arguments. Participation improves public speaking skills, ability to analyze issues and resources, and expertise in using evidence to support arguments.

CT History Day (grades 6-12)
An affiliate program of National History Day, CT History engages thousands of middle- and high-school students in historical research, interpretation, and creative expression through project-based learning. Access free student and educator resources!

Civics Academy (grades 4-6)
The Civics Academy is a group of judges and attorneys who have been specially trained to deliver civics education to elementary-aged students. The Academy visits elementary school classes from grades 4 to 6 to present a 50-minute lesson plan that has been developed to help young students understand their role in our society.

Judicial Branch Speakers Bureau (all ages)
The Speakers Bureau maintains a panel of Judges and other court officials interested in speaking to community audiences on a wide range of court-related topics.

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut: Model United Nations (grades 9-12)

Our world is increasingly globalized. Through the Model UN, direct access to the world’s leaders and experts, and leadership development, we are equipping over 1200 Connecticut students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to thrive. The World Affairs Council of Connecticut (CTWAC) Model United Nations (MUN) engages high school students in international affairs and develops students’ critical thinking, leadership, confidence and problem-solving skills, leading to success in their future school and careers. Through participating in Model UN, students emerge as leaders, having been exposed to critical global issues and international perspectives and incorporating their own creative and innovative ways of looking at the world. They develop skills in communication, problem-solving, and leadership, while learning to cooperatively discuss and resolve broad issues.

Civic Life Project
The Civic Life Project teaches digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking as a tool for civic education, helping students creatively examine how laws, policies, and systems impact their daily lives.

Generation Citizen (grades 8-12)
Through hands-on civic education, legislative advocacy and coalition building, and youth leadership development, Generation Citizen teaches young people how to have a voice and become active citizens in their communities.

Democracy in Action
A collaboration between the National Council for the Social Studies and Civic Life Project, Democracy in Action empowers students to create short documentaries on issues they care about, showcase their films to their communities, and ignite dialogue and civic action!

iCivics (all grades)
iCivics was founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2009 to ensure that all Americans have the knowledge and will to participate in our unique experiment in self-government. Since then, iCivics has become the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider of high-quality, non-partisan, engaging, and free resources to more than 9 million students annually, in all 50 states. iCivics’ first-of-its-kind digital civic library includes more than 260 curricular resources, digital literacy tools, professional learning materials, and educational video games.

Civics Book Kits
Schools can check out a Kid Governor® Civics Book Kit from the Connecticut State Library to supplement instruction.  Each kit comes with a selection of books that relate to the theme, as well as a discussion guide with questions specific to select titles and general discussion questions for the topic. Books in these kits are appropriate for elementary school-aged children.

Kid Governor® Library (grade 5)
The Kid Governor® Library is a curated list of civics books that enable you to link reading and civics. The books are organized into three topic areas: Government, Elections & Voting – Leadership – Civic Engagement. We also have a bonus section with books by and about Kid Governors. The books have been recommended by Kid Governor® staff and participating teachers.

Civics for Kids (all grades)
The Children’s Trust offers tools – including recommended books – for parents, teachers and caregivers to help children gain the civic knowledge to become effective advocates.

Educate, Empower, Engage: A Conversation on the Lasting Impact of Civic Education
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker, and Connecticut’s first-ever Kid Governor Elena Tipton (2016) explore civic education and engagement in Connecticut and share their own civic journeys.

Connecting with Connecticut’s Leaders – the Three Branches of State Government
State Treasurer Erick Russell, State Representative Hilda Santiago, and Judge Dennis Eveleigh answer student questions about their jobs and how Connecticut’s three branches of state government work together.

Great Citizenship: Building a Better Connecticut)
A Town Hall Meeting at Connecticut’s Old State House featuring nationally-renowned speaker and author Eric Liu. ‘Great Citizenship’ reviews the insights of state residents’ social behavior toward their neighbors, communities, and government, which were revealed in Connecticut’s Civic Health Index Report.

Citizen Nation: Civic Skills
Citizen Nation is a collection of video clips from the PBS that empowers secondary students to participate confidently in civic life.

Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities
Conversation is the key to building empathy and understanding. It’s one of the most important tools in a teacher’s toolbox when it comes to helping students understand difficult subjects. It can also be one of the trickiest tools for educators to use. Joe Schmidt is a leader in social studies education. In his latest book, “Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities,” he and co-author Nichelle Pinkney share their expertise and guidance to help educators facilitate difficult conversations in the classroom with courage and empathy.

Let’s Talk
Let’s Talk, a guide from Learning for Justice, offers classroom-ready strategies teachers can use to plan discussions and to facilitate these conversations with students.

Constitutional Conversations and Civil Dialogue Toolkit
The National Constitution Center’s Constitutional Conversations and Civil Dialogue Toolkit provides educators with suggestions on preparing students to engage in multi-sided conversations.

Fostering Civil Discourse
Facing History & Ourselves’ Fostering Civil Discourse guide is designed to help teachers hold meaningful and productive conversations with their students about public policies, controversial issues, and current events.

Civil Discourse Toolkit
The Center for Civic Education’s Civil Discourse Toolkit is designed for adult learners but can be adapted for use in the secondary classroom.

Elections & Voting resources (adults)
The Office of the Secretary of the State offers elections and voting resources for adults.

Parents’ Role in Citizenship
Can a parent really make a difference in the community? A town hall-style meeting at the Old State House will explore why the answer is a resounding “yes” and how parents–and any concerned person–can get involved. Graduates of the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), a civics-training program of the Commission on Children, will tell how they learned the skills needed to be leaders on local school boards, town councils, philanthropic boards and even the state legislature.

Ben’s Guide to the US Government
Ben’s Guide to the US Government, a program of the Government Publishing Office, has fun learning activities for all ages.

60-Second Civics
The Center for Civic Education’s 60-Second Civics daily podcast provides a quick and convenient way for listeners to learn about our nation’s government, the Constitution, and our history. The podcast explores themes related to civics and government, the constitutional issues behind the headlines, and the people and ideas that formed our nation’s history and government.

Compact Civics
PBS’ Compact Civics is a 20-part series of non-partisan shorts that help citizens gain a better understanding of how government works. Host Cory McCants explains broad civics concepts in a fun and entertaining way.

Resources about Connecticut Elections, Mock Elections, and Voting
These resources can help you teach elections and voting in your classroom! Unless noted, Red, White & Blue Schools and its partners are not affiliated with these resources and schools/teachers should vet them for appropriateness before implementing them in their classrooms.