Curriculum and Resources

Civic Education

The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is committed to civic education efforts both for young people and the community. We think that it is vital for the health of our democracy to prepare our young people to be competent and engaged citizens.

Informed and empowered citizens understand how to effect change when problems arise, they know how to get involved in their community, and run for elected office.  Responsible citizens can see beyond their own personal interests and demand good ethics in government and business.

Browse our website often for new resources and programs as we continue to provide opportunities for students and the public.

Available Resources

The Center for News Literacy

The Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University is committed to teaching students how to use critical thinking skills to judge the reliability and credibility of news reports and news sources. It is the only center of its kind in the United States.

The Center is at work developing innovative curriculum materials for high schools and the general public through the Digital Resource Center, funded by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

The Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) seeks to instill in our nation's youth a deeper understanding of citizenship through values expressed in our Constitution and its Bill of Rights and to educate young people to become active and responsible participants in our society. CRF is dedicated to assuring our country's future by investing in our youth today.

CRF is a non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization dedicated to educating America's young people about the importance of civic participation in a democratic society. CRF develops, produces, and distributes programs and materials to teachers, students, and public-minded citizens all across the nation.

For teachers:

iCivics

iCivics is a non-profit organization dedicated to reinvigorating civic learning through interactive and engaging learning resources. Educational resources provided by the organization empower teachers and prepare the next generation of students to become knowledgeable and engaged citizens.

For teachers: https://www.icivics.org/teachers

The Living Room Candidate

The Living Room Candidate contains more than 300 commercials, from every presidential election since 1952, when Madison Avenue advertising executive Rosser Reeves convinced Dwight Eisenhower that short ads played during such popular TV programs as I Love Lucy would reach more voters than any other form of advertising. 

For teachers: http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/lessons

Mikva Challenge

Mikva Challenge develops youth to be informed, empowered, and active citizens and community leaders. They engage youth in action civics, an authentic and transformative learning process built on youth voice and youth expertise.

For teachers: https://mikvachallenge.org/curricula

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The News Literacy Project

The News Literacy Project (NLP) is an innovative national educational program that teaches students in middle school and high school how to know what to believe in the digital age. It does so by creating original lessons and working with educators and seasoned journalists to deliver them in the classroom, after-school and digital programs.

For teachers: https://newslit.org/services/

Procon.org promotes critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format.

Illinois Civic Blueprint

The Civic Blueprint for Illinois High Schools was designed to give educators, policymakers, parents, and all residents of Illinois:

• Explanations of promising approaches to high school level civic learning
• Examples of Illinois high schools, educators, and students using these approaches
• Recommendations for implementing these approaches in high schools throughout Illinois
• Resources that support schools and communities in promoting civic engagement among Illinois high school students

P.S. Illinois Curriculum

WSIU and PBS proudly present P.S. Illinois: The Paul Simon Collection, a set of multimedia social studies resources honoring the life and legacy of the late Paul Simon. 

The collection is designed to complement the United States and Illinois Government, World and American History, Current Events, Journalism, Geography, and General Social Studies courses in high schools and middle schools.

The collection features clips from WSIU’s television documentary, P.S. Illinois: The Paul Simon Story, and excerpts from The Essential Paul Simon: Timeless Lessons for Today’s Politics by Dr. John S. Jackson.