Youth-led civics
Free curricula on how schools make decisions
Students map who decides at the school, district, state, and federal levels, trace real policies, then take on an issue at their own school.
- Free, no login
- Grades 3–12
- Google Slides + Docs
- Handouts + answer keys
- C3-aligned
Grades 7–12
From one lesson to a two week capstone
Start with one lesson: students build a map of who decides, then work through three real cases from a bank of five. Teach it in one period or turn it into a capstone project.
50 minutesOne class period
A warm-up, the decision map, three cases, and an exit ticket. Pick any three of the five cases.
See the lesson plan
1–2 weeksA civics capstone
Case E launches a project: students pick a real issue at school, read the Doorstop guide on it, practice core civics skills, and plan a change.
See the projects
Get the slides, plan, and handouts
A slide deck with timing, a teacher lesson plan with model answers, printable handouts, an exit ticket, and all three projects. Copy it into your Google Drive and edit freely, or download print-ready PDFs.
Make your own copy
Opens in Google Drive and saves an editable copy to your account. Nothing to sign up for.
- 23-slide deck with timing for every step
- Lesson plan, core concepts, and a five-case bank
- Teacher notes and model answers for every case
- Warm-up, five case handouts, and an exit ticket
- Three optional 1–2 week civics projects
Download the PDFs
Print-ready slides and the full lesson packet. Enter your email and the links appear right here.
Preview the slides and handouts12 sample pages
Slides
6 of 23 slides · click to enlarge
Lesson plan and handouts
6 of 23 pages · click to enlarge
Who makes decisions in schools?
Every public school is run by four levels at once, and higher levels set limits the lower ones work within. Students start by guessing who could change something they care about, then build this map.
Your school
Principals and teachers run the building and carry out policy: how a rule is enforced, what happens in class, who talks to whom.
The district
The school board adopts policies and the budget; the superintendent and district office write the details. Phones, staffing, lunch vendors, and dress codes are usually decided here.
The state
Lawmakers and the state board set standards, funding, graduation rules, and mandates, like the phone restrictions most states now require.
The federal government
Congress and the U.S. Department of Education attach conditions to funding and enforce civil-rights law. They don’t write your school’s rules.
Real case studies, not hypotheticals
Pick three from a bank of five. Each comes with a slide sequence, a student handout, and teacher notes with model answers.
Phones: pouches or off and away?
California, 2024–26
A state law requires schools to limit phones but leaves the method open. Groups debate locking pouches against “off and away,” and whether each school or the district should choose.
Keep the mental health team?
National, 2022–26
A federal grant that pays for two social workers and a psychologist is ending. Students sit on the budget committee and find $259,000, weighing grants, foundations, contracts, and cuts.
Students change a state law
Illinois, 2012–15
Chicago students in VOYCE skipped the district and went to the legislature, using data, coalitions, and “selfie diplomacy” to pass Senate Bill 100, which made suspension a last resort.
Design a student survey
Inspired by Santa Barbara, 2026
After 1,700 students answered a survey about a YouTube ban, the district listened. Students design an unbiased survey tied to outcomes their own school board cares about.
Your pick: a local decision
Your school
Students choose something they can see from their desk, like bathrooms, lunch, or start times, then work out who decides it and one realistic first step.
Suggested sets: levels of government (A + B + E), how students take part (A + D + E), or money and trade-offs (B + D + E).
A one-period civics lesson plan
About 15 minutes of prep: choose your three cases and print the handouts.
| Time | Step | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 min | Warm-up | Students name one thing they’d change and guess who could change it (Handout 1). |
| 5–15 min | The decision map | Slides walk through school, district, state, and federal roles with real examples. |
| 15–45 min | Three cases | Pick three from the case bank, about ten minutes each, with handouts and model answers. |
| 45–50 min | Exit ticket | Students rewrite their warm-up idea and name who could change it now. |
Project-based learning for a civics capstone or assignment
Students pick an issue, learn who the key stakeholders are, and plan a real change over one or two weeks. Every project is student-led and non-partisan.
1 Pick an issue in class
A decision you can see from your desk
Groups choose something like bathrooms, lunch, period products, start times, or the dress code, then answer three questions on the Case E handout. The teacher notes have model answers for each common topic.
2 Read Doorstop’s guide on how to address it
Each free Doorstop guide walks students through one issue: what’s usually wrong, who decides, what fixes have worked elsewhere, and the emails and proposals to send.
3 Practice core civics and self-advocacy skills
- Run a high-quality survey
- Power mapping
- Build support
- Write the request
- Speak at a board meeting
- When the answer is “not yet”
4 Plan a change
The Project 1 handout in the lesson packet walks each group through eight steps. Students hand in their plan and a written ask, then present it to the class or (with your OK) send it to the key decision maker.
- Define it
- Gather evidence
- Build consensus
- Find who decides
- Check the rules
- Make the case
- Share it
- Reflect
Standards alignment
C3 Framework: D2.Civ.11.6-8, D2.Civ.12, D2.Civ.13, D2.Eco.1 (Case B) and D4.7–D4.8 (Projects 1 and 2).
Fits: Massachusetts grade 8 and high school civics projects, the Illinois civics course, the New York Seal of Civic Readiness, the AP U.S. Government applied civics project, and the California State Seal of Civic Engagement.
Students will be able to identify who decides at the school, district, state, and federal levels; trace how a decision moves between levels; explain the trade-offs decision-makers weigh; and learn how to address a real issue in their school.
Grades 3–6
A simple two-lesson plan for elementary and middle school students
The same civics concepts tailored for younger students. One lesson on who makes the school rules, then one on how kids can change them. Each comes with editable slides and handouts.
Developed in partnership with the Youth Civics Network, which brings civic engagement to every classroom.
Lesson 1 · 45 minWho Makes the Rules at School?
Kids sort everyday rules into school, district, or state, hear how Chicago students rode to the state capitol week after week and helped change an Illinois law, then practice a 30-second pitch to a lawmaker with a partner.
In the packet: Lesson plan, answer key, a sorting game, a pitch planner, and optional postcards to a lawmaker
Lesson 2 · 40 min + projectKids Can Make School Better
Kids learn three steps to change a rule, hear how a Santa Barbara student asked 1,700 students what they thought of a YouTube ban, then vote on one idea and make a class plan. An optional 1–2 week project adds a survey, a letter, and a meeting with the principal.
In the packet: Lesson plan, idea sheet, class plan, survey tally, letter, meeting guide, and a kindness habit tracker
How the lessons fit together
- Lesson 1Who decides: school, district, or state, and how kids have changed a state law.
- Lesson 2Pick a problem at your own school and plan how to fix it, together.
Teach them a day or a week apart. Lesson 2 doesn’t depend on Lesson 1, so it also works on its own. For older students, use the grades 7–12 lesson.
Download the PDFs
Slides and lesson packets for both lessons. Enter your email and the links appear right here.
Common teacher questions
Who makes decisions in public schools?
Several levels at once. The principal runs the building, the school board sets district policy and the budget, the state sets standards, funding, and laws, and the federal government attaches conditions to funding and enforces civil-rights law. This lesson has students map all four.
Who runs public schools, the state or the federal government?
Mostly states and local school districts. The federal government provides a small share of funding and enforces civil-rights law, but it doesn’t set your school’s rules or curriculum.
What does a school board do?
A school board adopts district policies and the budget, hires and evaluates the superintendent, and holds public meetings where anyone, students included, can speak during public comment.
Is this civics curriculum really free?
Yes. The slides, lesson plans, and handouts are free, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, and need no account. Make your own copy of the Google Slides and Doc, or enter your email to download the PDFs.
What grades and classes is it for?
The main lesson is for grades 7–12: civics, U.S. government, social studies, and advisory. It runs in one 50-minute class period, and the optional projects stretch it to one or two weeks. Grades 3–6 have their own two-lesson version.
Is there a civics lesson for elementary school?
Yes. Two lessons for grades 3–6, made with the Youth Civics Network: “Who Makes the Rules at School?” and “Kids Can Make School Better.” Each takes about 40–45 minutes and comes as editable Google Slides and a Google Doc with a lesson plan, answer key, and handouts, or as printable PDFs.
Can I use it as a civics capstone or project-based assignment?
Yes. Case E has each group pick a decision they can see at school. Then students read the Doorstop guide for their issue, practice core civics and self-advocacy skills (surveys, finding who decides, building support, and making a request), and plan a change with the eight-step project handout. Two more projects cover student voice and phone policy.
Does it work for the Massachusetts 8th grade civics project?
It’s built to launch one. The lesson shows students who decides and how to reach them, and the optional local issue action project walks a class through a student-led, non-partisan civics project.
What are good civics action project ideas for middle and high school?
Start with something students can see at school: the phone policy, lunch, bathrooms, start times, or how students are heard by the school board. The three optional projects here give each one a step-by-step structure.
Teach it this week
Free under CC BY-SA 4.0. Questions or a story from your classroom? Email ben@fix.school.