About this episode

This episode discusses effective methods for teaching government and civics skills to upper elementary students.

Quick note: This episode is a repost, but it’s a helpful one to revisit as you plan simple ways to make government and civics easier for students to understand. Welcome to Part 4 of the Social Studies Summer Series! In this episode, we’re talking about how to teach government and civics skills to 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students in a way that feels clear, practical and engaging. Government can sometimes feel like a big topic for upper elementary students, but it becomes much easier when we connect it to real-life examples, classroom routines, community helpers, current events and everyday decision-making. I’ll share simple steps for helping students understand the basics of government, the role of citizens and how people can participate in their communities. You’ll also hear ideas for using interactive activities, multimedia resources and critical thinking questions to make these lessons more meaningful. Whether you’re teaching branches of government, rights and responsibilities or active citizenship, this episode will give you practical ideas to help students see why civics matters. Episode Highlights In this episode, you’ll hear ideas for: Starting with the basics of government…

People in this episode

Host: Kirsten Hammond

Topics covered

• government
• civics
• education
• active citizenship
• interactive activities

Keywords

• government
• civics
• education
• interactive activities
• critical thinking
• community resources
• active citizenship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Southern Teach LLC

More episodes of The Social Studies Teacher Podcast

• 10 Must-Have Teacher Supplies for the Upper Elementary Classroom · July 15, 2026 · 21 min
• 5 Mistakes New Social Studies Teachers Make (and How to Fix Them) · July 8, 2026 · 24 min
• Social Studies Summer Series Day 5: How to Teach Economics Skills · June 19, 2026 · 19 min
• Social Studies Summer Series Day 3: How to Teach Culture and Society Skills · June 17, 2026 · 18 min
• Social Studies Summer Series Day 2: How to Teach History Skills · June 16, 2026 · 14 min
• Social Studies Summer Series Day 1: How to Teach Geography Skills · June 15, 2026 · 20 min

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