This infographic and supporting resources assist educators and students to contact local government and advocacy groups to advance civic engagement in and out of the classroom. It provides background information on why civic engagement is a good idea, what it looks like in the classroom, and links to community development, university partners, and statewide Chambers of Commerce.

Special thanks to Jim Renzelmann at the Sheboygan Area School District for his help on this work!

In this simulation, students will run a county and make decisions that affect the success of their county. Constituents in the simulation pose problems for studenst to determine if they should solve and which department inthe county should be responsible.

Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students in iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses. There are also Downloadable Resources available to support this learning activity.

This 10-minute video examines the 2007 collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis which fell into the Mississippi River during rush hour. Thirteen people were killed. The collapse led to a search for the cause and highlighted the need for bridge inspections and repairs.

An investigation revealed that the bridge had been rated in poor condition for 17 years. The Minnesota Department of Transportation was found to be underfunded, and limited in how many infrastructure projects they could finish in a given year. The collapse highlighted tensions at different levels of government on whether to spend money on new infrastructure projects or to put money into maintenance and repairs.

Website Description:
Students discover that states have their own governments and powers separate from the federal government. They learn what those powers are, how they’re different from the federal government’s powers, and that state governments also give power to smaller, local governments. Students critique a set of fictional state laws, create a story involving state powers, and look at some differences between state and local power.
We recommend teaching our lesson The "Federal" in Federalism right before this lesson.
(Please note: This lesson replaces our old "On the Level" lesson plan. The Venn diagram activity from On the Level can be found in The "Federal" in Federalism.)

Student Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to…
*Explain the source and nature of state and local governmental power.
*Distinguish reserved powers from federal powers.
*Identify types of powers that are held at the state or local level.
*Examine the differences between statewide laws and local ordinances/laws.
*Explain the duties of various local officials.

In this game, students will play a voting simulation where they learn the importance of getting to know the candidates, their qualifications, experience, and what they stand for. The students will also be able to identify the issues that are most important to them and then evaluate the candidates on their stance on these issues. Multiple information sources are used to inform students about elections and candidates to make this a realistic simulation.

Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students in iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses.

This simulation game also comes with teaching materials and an extension pack which allows additional teaching and learning opportunities beyond the game.

Upon learning about the school and housing discrimination happening in their hometown, these Milwaukee movers and shakers took action, making their case on the campaign trail, in the courtroom, and on the streets of their city.

Resources available for exploring this story include:
- A short animated video with captions and transcripts in English and Spanish
- A short biography book accessible as a slide deck, with per-page audio for listening along, and maps of key locations in the story
- Questions that can be used for conversation, reflection, and connection with the story
- A historical image gallery full of primary and secondary sources to explore
- A guide for activating the media with learners that includes story stats, extension activity ideas, and standards supported

This story is part of Wisconsin Biographies, a collection of educational media resources for grades 3-6. Explore the full collection at pbswisconsineducation.org/biographies.

This Webquest has students learn what a county is and explore the function, purpose, and services offered from their county's government.

Instructor Notes: Teachers can assign this content to their students in iCivics account and then Clicking the Assign button on this activity. Teachers will then have the option to add a Class into iCivics OR Sync a roster from Google Classroom. This will allow teachers to see student's responses. There are also Downloadable Resources available to support this learning activity.

A reference book with a information about Wisconsin local government, voting, and elections.