Building Knowledge

The essential concepts of government and the civic behavior of citizens can be observed through a variety of lenses. Interdisciplinary instruction in civics combines literacy and numeracy skills with concepts from across political sciences to create a broad knowledge base from which students can draw as they approach civic challenges.

• Center for Civic Education
  The Center for Civic Education provides a detailed rationale for the importance of civic education.
• Guidebook: Six Proven Practices for Effective Civic Learning
  This Guidebook was created by the Education Commission of the States in partnership with the National Center for Learning and Civic Engagement.

Applying Knowledge

The pedagogy of civics is varied and crosses content area boundaries. Civics is an area of action-oriented instruction in which project-based learning drives proficiency. 

• Civics in the Elementary Classroom
  This Edutopia article shares ideas for integrating civics into elementary school.

Professional Learning 

The Maine DOE and a number of educational and civic organizations provide professional learning to K-12 teachers.

• Celebrating Rural Maine
  Celebrating Rural Maine is a program that provides resources and exemplars that focus on inquiry and community partnerships.

Resources

This section provides information and links to professional and partner organizations, to teacher tools, and to classroom resources for teachers and students.

Professional and Partner Organizations

• The National Council for the Social Studies provides resources for social studies education, including civics, that are linked to national standards.
• Maine Civics Network is a source for local programs and partnerships related to civics education in Maine.

Teacher Tools

• Maine Learning Results Social Studies – Civics & Government: Maine’s standards for civics.
• The Center on Representative Government is a nonpartisan educational institution that develops and provides materials on civics and government at no cost to students and educators.
• The Center for Civic Education is dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries.
• Civics Renewal Network is a consortium of nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations committed to strengthening civic life in the U.S. by increasing the quality of civics education in our nation's schools and by improving accessibility to high-quality, no-cost learning materials. On the Civics Renewal Network site, teachers can find the best resources of these organizations, searchable by subject, grade, resource type, standards, and teaching strategy.

Civics on the Road

Civics on the Road is a traveling educational initiative designed to engage students in hands-on civic learning. Through a partnership with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State and the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction team is bringing an immersive mobile learning experience to one school per month across the state throughout the 2025-2026 school year. Through these experiences, students will explore civic identity, practice historical decision-making, and recognize the power of participation, leaving the experience with a deeper understanding of democratic values and their own civic potential.

Sign-up information

Schools interested in hosting Civics on the Road can fill out this form. For more information, contact Geoffrey Wingard at Geoffrey.Wingard@maine.gov.

Teacher Tools

Civics on the Road Educator Guide 
This guide is for teachers at host schools. It is intended to provide you with materials to prepare students for their time with Maine DOE staff and volunteers and ultimately to prepare them to vote with confidence and context on the guiding question.