The Civic Literacy Curriculum presents The Civics Bee
The Civic Literacy Curriculum is a comprehensive set of free resources for educators and learners designed to prepare the next generation of leaders for American political and civil society.
The Center for Political Thought and Leadership (CPTL) is working in conjunction with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to launch an annual Civics Bee! Details, links, ways to participate and donate are in the links below.
Civics Bee Curriculum
The Civic Literacy Curriculum is a resource for teaching and learning American civics. Organized around but going beyond the U.S. Citizenship Test, it is available as both a full curriculum and abridged study guides.
The full Civic Literacy Curriculum offers over 100 lessons including historical background, edited primary texts, exercises, worksheets, discussion prompts, and other tools to incorporate into your class— whether in school or home learning.
These materials are completely free. ASU aims to make it easier for educators to access the tools they need to effectively teach the next generation of leaders. Click the buttons below to access sections 1-3.
Even more Civic Literacy Tools
If you asked the Founding Fathers, they would say the primary mission of our schools is to prepare citizens for the awesome responsibilities they bear in a democracy. The United States has lost sight of that objective, posting declines in various measures of civic awareness and participation across the generations. “We have a crisis on our hands when it comes to civics education,” retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said in 2011. Today it is more important than ever to ensure Americans have the knowledge and skills to participate in civic life. Informed and active citizens make for a stronger country, a stronger economy, and a stronger workforce. This is essential for our continued prosperity. With the Civics Forward series, the U.S. Chamber Foundation is examining the future of civic education, civic engagement, and civil discourse in America. We bring together leaders in business, education, and government to discuss how we can prepare the next generation for the awesome responsibilities they bear in a democracy.
Browse the Civic Literacy Curriculum
Section 1: Principles of the American Republic
Section 2: Systems of Government
Section 3: Rights and Responsibilities
Full CurriculumStudy Guide
Additional Resources
The Civic Literacy Curriculum also includes more than 200 videos, flashcards and an actual test for learners.
The Civic Literacy Curriculum video archive contains more than 200 short videos for educators and learners to help build their knowledge around American civics and politics. Use the playlist browser below, visit our YouTube channel or check out the archive for the complete list of videos.
And be sure to check out the flash cards and Civic Literacy Curriculum Test itself!
About the curriculum
The Civic Literacy Curriculum is a comprehensive civics curriculum developed and reviewed by educators and university scholars. The study guides, curriculum content for teachers, videos and flash cards are all based on the United States Customs and Immigration Naturalization Test required by the federal government for those looking to become naturalized American citizens. The curriculum also goes above the federal Naturalization test, offering more opportunities for learning about the systems of government, American history, and more. Arizona State University faculty plan to continue to develop additional learning sections to supplement the Civic Literacy Curriculum
The Civic Literacy Curriculum was developed by Arizona State University's Center for the Political Thought and Leadership. The CPTL aims to further research in American political thought and support civic education at all levels inside and out of the classroom. We support scholars, teachers, and students in their efforts to understand and improve American political society. We are nonpartisan and inter-ideological, focused on the pursuit of knowledge and the practice of truth as common goods for American politics and culture.
The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership
The CPTL is a research center in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. Established in 2017, the school combines a classical liberal arts curriculum with intensive learning experiences that include study abroad programs, professional internships, and leadership opportunities. Students graduate ready for careers in government, law, business and civil society.