AP Gov Students Join the Civic Star Challenge! #CivicEducation #TeachingResources @BillofRightsInstituteVideos

Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

How are you participating in the Civic Star Challenge?

This AP U.S. Government teacher shares how her students explored congressional representation using one of the Civic Star Challenge classroom lessons, The Nature of Representation in the U.S. Congress. From debating trustee vs. delegate roles to voting on term limits, her students connected civics to real-world decision-making and had fun doing it!

K–12 teachers across the country are celebrating America’s 250th with the Civic Star Challenge: flexible, ready-to-use lessons that bring founding principles and civic engagement to life.

Over 300 chances to win from $200K+ in prizes
Aligned to standards and fits any subject or grade
Designed to spark discussion and student voice

Become a Civic Star today: civicstarchallenge.org/submissions

AP Gov Students Join the Civic Star Challenge! #CivicEducation #TeachingResources

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$Civil War | Civics and U.S. History for Middle School In this middle school history lesson, step into the years surrounding Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 election to explore how the nation fractured over slavery and its expansion. Using Thomas Nast’s political cartoon The President’s Inaugural, students analyze how one powerful image captured the sharply divided perspectives of the North and South on the Civil War. Through the VIEW method, Voice, Intent, Environment, and Who, students uncover how differing interpretations of Lincoln’s leadership reflected deeper tensions about freedom, justice, and national unity. By examining historical context, symbolism, and audience, students develop historical thinking skills that guide them in crafting a thesis and supporting it with evidence for the unit’s Document-Based Question (DBQ) assessment. This video is part of BRI’s nine-unit U.S. history and civics curriculum, which empowers middle school students to explore how Americans have worked to create and sustain a self-governing, free society. Through DBQs, students analyze key events, people, and ideas while practicing historical thinking and civic reasoning. The curriculum emphasizes the Founding Principles and civic virtues that have guided the nation across time, helping students connect the past to their present and future roles as engaged citizens. 0:00 – 00:34 Introduction 0:35 – 01:55 Abraham Lincoln’s Election 1:56 – 03:20 Analyzing The President’s Inaugural with the VIEW Method 3:21 – 04:29 Connecting Perspectives to the Civil War DBQ 4:30 – 05:13 Reflection: Division, Understanding, and Civic Dialogue About the Bill of Rights Institute: Established in September 1999, the Bill of Rights Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that works to engage, educate, and empower individuals with a passion for the freedom and opportunity that exist in a free society. The Institute develops educational resources and programs for a network of more than 50,000 educators and 70,000 students nationwide. Official Site: http://billofrightsinstitute.org Facebook: / billofrightsinstitute Twitter: / brinstitute Instagram: / brinstitute BRI Educator Newsletter Sign Up Page: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/new...$

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