Why Schools Are Skipping Civics and How Homeschool Families Can Fill the Gap
Over the past few years, many traditional schools have reduced or completely removed dedicated civics and government lessons from their curriculum. This means students may graduate without a clear understanding of how their government works, what their civic responsibilities are, or how to engage in real-world decision-making. For parents, this can feel concerning. After all, understanding government isn’t just about memorizing facts; it’s about preparing kids to participate in society thoughtfully and responsibly.
The good news? Homeschool families have a unique opportunity to step in and make civics lessons engaging, hands-on, and highly relevant. Instead of dry textbooks, parents can incorporate real-world activities that bring government concepts to life. Here are a few ideas:
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Create a Mini Government at Home: Have your kids design their own country, complete with laws, leadership roles, and a budget. It’s a fun way to introduce civic responsibilities, budgeting, and decision-making.
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Debates and Mock Elections: Encourage students to research topics, form opinions, and debate respectfully. You can even host a family election to practice voting and understanding different perspectives.
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Civic Field Trips: Visiting local government offices, city council meetings, or even online legislative sessions can show kids how government decisions affect real life.
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Current Events Discussions: Use news stories as conversation starters about laws, civic responsibilities, and global events. Ask your students how they would solve real-world problems.
These hands-on approaches not only make learning fun but also build critical thinking, creativity, and leadership skills.
For homeschool families looking for structured, engaging civics and government classes, Teacher Jade’s Writing Academy offers two excellent options:
If I Ruled the World: A Basic Intro to Civics and Government
Students ages 8-12 will learn about civics and government as they design their own country, create laws, and budget for infrastructure. This hands-on class builds critical thinking, creativity, and leadership skills in a fun, engaging way!
Sign up here
Teen Politics 101: Understanding Government and Civics
This 9-week course for students 13-18 explores government systems, political ideologies, civic responsibilities, and global events through hands-on projects and interactive activities. It helps teens develop critical thinking skills and real-world knowledge.
Sign up here
By combining real-world experiences at home with these interactive classes, homeschool families can give students a strong foundation in civics that schools are increasingly leaving behind. Engaged, informed citizens start with learning that is meaningful, relevant, and fun.
These courses are also included in TeacherJade.com packages.