Reforming our tax laws poses enormous political challenges today, but a good start would be to teach students about the inequities in the U.S. tax system.

The instructional model described in this article engages students in lively simulations on real-world issues and deepens their knowledge of U.S. government and politics.

Elementary teachers can help nurture the next generation of citizen-activists with two books that explore examples of young people engaging in civic action.

Direct civic engagement enables students to learn through citizenship rather than simply about citizenship and empowers them to take effective action in the future.

By investigating statistics collected by censuses, students can obtain a deeper understanding of historical events and cultural milestones like the Battle of Gettysburg, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, or landing a man on the moon.

Pre-service teachers in a social studies methods course designed to address issues of inequity and privilege, engaged elementary students in a ten-week inquiry project. Based on this project, this article shares insights about the processes involved in enacting justice-focused pedagogy.

The use of trade books to foster discussion of historical events and major Supreme Court decisions in the elementary classroom can serve as a powerful method through which elementary students can begin to see themselves as active contributors to the communities and worlds in which they live. In this article and the accompanying lesson plan, the authors share ways to teach about Supreme Court decisions —specifically the decisions that have affected marriage equality—with the C3 Framework.

The writ of habeas corpus has been a critical tool for balancing the rights of individuals with the government's responsibility to protect the nation's welfare. The featured elementary, middle, and high school lessons explore the significance of this right.