Minnesota Civics Test

Update: In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature repealed the civics test requirement. Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, districts will no longer need to administer the civics test (Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 120B.02, subdivision 3 has been repealed by Chapter 55, Article 2, Section 66).

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In 2016, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law requiring Minnesota students in public schools to pass a civics test. Passing this test is not required for graduation. The test consists of 50 out of the 100 questions in the United States Custom and Immigration Services (USCIS) Naturalization Test. Students must pass 30 of the 50 questions selected by Learning Law and Democracy Foundation in consultation with civics teachers.

More Information

http://teachingcivics.org/programs/minnesota-civics-test/

 

Constitution Day Classroom Resources

Interesting Resources for Constitution Day! Technology-based lessons to energize your Constitution Day activities! Also, lessons for every grade level to help you meet the requirements of the federal law honoring the U.S. Constitution!

 

The Center for Civic Education offers a selection free lessons for K-12 students that teach about the Constitution: http://www.civiced.org/resources/curriculum/constitution-day-and-citizenship-day

One lesson, “Constitution Day Scavenger Hunt with 60-Second Civics” uses one minute audio programs that focus on the Framers of the Constitution. 60-Second Civics is a daily podcast that provides a quick and convenient way for listeners to learn about our nation’s government, the Constitution, and our history. The podcast explores themes related to civics and government, the constitutional issues behind the headlines, and the people and ideas that formed our nation’s history and government. https://teachingcivics.org/lesson/constitution-day-scavenger-hunt-with-60-second-civics-the-framers-of-the-constitution/

 

From The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia

CLASSROOM EXCHANGES

Register your class to discuss a relevant constitutional question with another classroom somewhere else in the United States. The National Constitution Center facilitates these civil dialogues by providing instructional materials, pairing classrooms, connecting them with an expert moderator, and setting up video conferencing sessions.

Exchanges provide a platform for uniting students of different backgrounds and perspectives, increasing students’ constitutional knowledge while cultivating habits for civil dialogue.  

Lots of other resources including the Interactive Constitution: https://teachingcivics.org/lesson/interactive-constitution/ and Seize the Vote Game: https://teachingcivics.org/lesson/seize-the-vote/

 

Constitutional Rights Foundation

Mr. Madison Needs Some Help (Upper Elem. – Middle School)

Why was the Constitution necessary? In this FREE unit from CRF’s Adventures in Law and History, students explore the meaning of the Preamble, meet James Madison and help him put together the Bill of Rights, and learn much more in interactive lessons.

https://teachingcivics.org/lesson/mr-madison-needs-some-help/

 

Captain Kirk Preamble https://teachingcivics.org/lesson/captain-kirk-preamble/

Captain Kirk, reads the preamble from the US constitution. Enough said.

 

Civics 101

Civics 101 is the podcast refresher course on the basics of how the U.S. government works. Each episode explores topics through interviews with experts and teachers. The hosts ask questions and stitch them together into narrative stories.

Listen to this podcast for the story of how the U.S. Constitution came to be: https://teachingcivics.org/lesson/civics-101-founding-documents-the-constitution/

 

TeachingCivics.org from Learning Law and Democracy Foundation

For more lessons, search http://teachingcivics.org/ insert “Constitution” in the Find Lessons bar.