Civics in a Year
Build civic knowledge one essential question at a time through concise, engaging podcast episodes about American democracy, history, institutions, rights, and civic participation.
What is Civics in a Year?
Civics in a Year is a fast-paced podcast series designed to build civic knowledge one essential question at a time. In concise, approximately 10-minute episodes, the series explores 250 foundational questions about American democracy in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary.
From founding documents and constitutional structure to civil liberties, elections, political institutions, and civic participation, each episode provides clear historical context and thoughtful analysis.
The series is grounded in the Civic Literacy Curriculum developed by the Center for American Civics at Arizona State University and supported by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership.
Designed for students, educators, and curious citizens, Civics in a Year invites listeners to deepen their constitutional understanding and engage more thoughtfully in civic life.
Use Civics in a Year in Your Classroom
Episodes are short enough to fit into a class period, a homework assignment, or a brief introduction to a larger historical or civic question.
Build Background Knowledge
Assign an episode before students encounter a primary source, court case, historical event, or constitutional debate.
Launch Discussion
Use an episode’s essential question to begin a class conversation, structured academic controversy, seminar, or written reflection.
Practice Analysis
Ask students to identify claims, evaluate evidence, compare perspectives, make historical connections, and develop evidence-based arguments.
Standards and AP Alignment Guides
These guides connect Civics in a Year episodes with state standards, AP course units, disciplinary practices, and classroom applications.
Arizona History and Social Science Standards
Find podcast episodes connected to Arizona’s History and Social Science Standards and use them to support civic knowledge, historical inquiry, and classroom discussion.
View the Arizona Standards GuideAP U.S. History
Explore episodes organized by APUSH unit, historical thinking skill, key course themes, and possible classroom applications.
View the AP U.S. History GuideAP U.S. Government and Politics
Connect episodes with AP Government units, course concepts, disciplinary practices, required documents, and classroom activities.
View the AP Government GuideAdditional AP Classroom Connections
Civics in a Year can also serve as a supplemental classroom resource across several AP courses.
Teachers can select episodes that reinforce course content, introduce an American case study, provide a point of comparison, or help students practice AP disciplinary skills.
- Introduce a historical or political question
- Provide context before a primary-source reading
- Support comparison, causation, and contextualization
- Practice source analysis and argumentation
- Launch discussion, writing, or research
- AP World History: Modern
- AP African American Studies
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
- AP Human Geography
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP Seminar
- AP European History
Arizona Seal of Civic Literacy: Civic Learning Requirement
Students can explore civic ideas by listening to three or four Civics in a Year episodes and completing a reflection about what they learned, how the episodes connect to civic responsibilities, and how the experience shaped their understanding of civic life.
This activity supports the civic learning requirement for the Arizona Seal of Civic Literacy.
Start Listening Today
Whether you are teaching a course, preparing students for civic participation, or strengthening your own civic knowledge, Civics in a Year offers an accessible way to explore American democracy one question at a time.
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