Free, Non-Partisan Resources from iCivics to Encourage Learning Around the 2020 Presidential Election
With less than a week to go until the 2020 presidential election on November 3rd, Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo encourages educators and families to facilitate learning about the election with the non-partisan resources curated by iCivics. Using iCivics, educators and families can help students learn about the electoral process, understand the power of their vote, find ways to participate beyond the ballot box—and ultimately, engage them in our country’s democratic process, now and in the future.
“iCivics is a wonderful way to teach kids about our electoral process,” said Borough President Oddo. “And parents and teachers can relax - these lessons and games are completely and refreshingly free of any partisanship whatsoever. It teaches children to make up their own minds.”
iCivics, the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider, is best known for their 20 engaging digital experiential games, along with hundreds of practical, dynamic, and standards-aligned civics lessons for K-12 classrooms. The games are ideal for classrooms, remote learning, and at-home schooling.
This is not the first time the Borough President’s Office has partnered with iCivics. In June 2017, Borough President Oddo, in tandem with NYC DOE, funded professional development for Staten Island teachers – elementary, middle and high school. At that time, iCivics made their experts available for a full day of training, in order to familiarize the borough’s teachers with its digital tools, lesson plans, and curriculum.
iCivics’ most popular election-focused games, Cast Your Vote and Win the White House, have been significantly upgraded ahead of the 2020 election to better reflect the public policy issues and challenges our country faces in the current moment, as well as the unique stories of a broad range of everyday people. They also offer an English-language learner version to support non-native English-speaking students. New features include an in-game glossary, image-supported concept assistance, Spanish-language mode, and voice-over for critical game content.
To support learning around the 2020 Election, iCivics has curated all of their election teaching resources at Election Headquarters, where educators and families will find:
iCivics’ resources and games are best suited for students in grades 5 through 12 and are completely free with the creation of an educator or parent account on www.icivics.org.
“These lessons and games, like Win the White House and Cast Your Vote, are as timely as you can get,” Borough President Oddo continued. “As far as I’m concerned, the lessons taught in iCivics should be required in schools and encouraged in homes everywhere. It teaches kids what America is all about.”
About iCivics
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics in 2009 to transform the field through innovative, free educational video games and lessons that teach students to be knowledgeable, curious, and engaged in civic life. Since then, iCivics has become the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider to 7.5 million students across America. Learn more: www.icivics.org.
With less than a week to go until the 2020 presidential election on November 3rd, Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo encourages educators and families to facilitate learning about the election with the non-partisan resources curated by iCivics. Using iCivics, educators and families can help students learn about the electoral process, understand the power of their vote, find ways to participate beyond the ballot box—and ultimately, engage them in our country’s democratic process, now and in the future.
“iCivics is a wonderful way to teach kids about our electoral process,” said Borough President Oddo. “And parents and teachers can relax - these lessons and games are completely and refreshingly free of any partisanship whatsoever. It teaches children to make up their own minds.”
iCivics, the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider, is best known for their 20 engaging digital experiential games, along with hundreds of practical, dynamic, and standards-aligned civics lessons for K-12 classrooms. The games are ideal for classrooms, remote learning, and at-home schooling.
This is not the first time the Borough President’s Office has partnered with iCivics. In June 2017, Borough President Oddo, in tandem with NYC DOE, funded professional development for Staten Island teachers – elementary, middle and high school. At that time, iCivics made their experts available for a full day of training, in order to familiarize the borough’s teachers with its digital tools, lesson plans, and curriculum.
iCivics’ most popular election-focused games, Cast Your Vote and Win the White House, have been significantly upgraded ahead of the 2020 election to better reflect the public policy issues and challenges our country faces in the current moment, as well as the unique stories of a broad range of everyday people. They also offer an English-language learner version to support non-native English-speaking students. New features include an in-game glossary, image-supported concept assistance, Spanish-language mode, and voice-over for critical game content.
To support learning around the 2020 Election, iCivics has curated all of their election teaching resources at Election Headquarters, where educators and families will find:
- iCivics games, Win the White House, Cast Your Vote, Executive Command, and NewsfeedDefenders
- A Family Guide for playing Win the White House at home
- Print-and-go lessons that include simulations, vocabulary development, graphic organizers, and active participation opportunities
- Timely infographics that provide overviews of key concepts, such as gerrymandering and the peaceful transfer of power
- WebQuests to help students connect civics concepts to the real world
iCivics’ resources and games are best suited for students in grades 5 through 12 and are completely free with the creation of an educator or parent account on www.icivics.org.
“These lessons and games, like Win the White House and Cast Your Vote, are as timely as you can get,” Borough President Oddo continued. “As far as I’m concerned, the lessons taught in iCivics should be required in schools and encouraged in homes everywhere. It teaches kids what America is all about.”
About iCivics
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics in 2009 to transform the field through innovative, free educational video games and lessons that teach students to be knowledgeable, curious, and engaged in civic life. Since then, iCivics has become the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider to 7.5 million students across America. Learn more: www.icivics.org.
