civic literacy essay american revolution

• Board of Regents
• Business Portal

New York State Education Department

• Commissioner
• USNY Affiliates
• Organization Chart
• Building Tours
• Program Offices
• Rules & Regulations
• Office of Counsel
• Office of State Review
• Freedom of Information (FOIL)
• Governmental Relations
• Adult Education
• Bilingual Education
• Career & Technical Education
• Cultural Education
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Early Learning
• Educator Quality
• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
• Graduation Measures
• Higher Education
• High School Equivalency
• My Brother's Keeper
• Indigenous Education
• P-12 Education
• Special Education
• Vocational Rehabilitation

Office of the Professions

• Next Generation Learning Standards: ELA and Math
• Office of Standards and Instruction
• Diploma Requirements
• Teaching in Remote/Hybrid Learning Environments (TRLE)
• Office of State Assessment
• Computer-Based Testing
• Exam Schedules
• Grades 3-8 Tests
• Regents Exams
• New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA)
• English as a Second Language Tests
• Test Security
• Teaching Assistants
• Pupil Personnel Services Staff
• School Administrators
• Professionals
• Career Schools
• Fingerprinting
• Accountability
• Audit Services
• Budget Coordination
• Chief Financial Office
• Child Nutrition
• Facilities Planning
• Ed Management Services
• Pupil Transportation Services
• Religious and Independent School Support
• SEDREF Query
• Public Data
• Data Privacy and Security
• Information & Reporting

High School Regents Examinations

• August 2023 General Information
• Archive: Regents Examination Schedules
• High School Administrator's Manual
• January 2024 Regents Examination Scoring Information
• Testing Materials for Duplication by Schools
• English Language Arts
• Next Generation Algebra I Reference Sheet
• Life Science: Biology
• Earth and Space Sciences
• Science Reference Tables (1996 Learning Standards)
• United States History and Government
• Global History and Geography II
• Transition Examination in Global History and Geography
• High School Field Testing
• Test Guides and Samplers
• Technical Information and Reports
• June 2024 General Information Examination

United States History and Government (Framework)

General information.

• Information Booklet for Scoring the Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework)
• Frequently Asked Questions on Cancellation of Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework)  - Revised, 6/17/22
• Cancellation of the Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) for June 2022
• Educator Guide to the Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) - Updated, July 2023
• Memo: January 2022 Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) Diploma Requirement Exemption
• Timeline for Regents Examination in United States History and Government and Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework)
• Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) Essay Booklet - For June 2023 and beyond
• Prototypes for Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework)
• Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) Test Design - Updated, 3/4/19
• Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) for United States History and Government (Framework)

Part 1: Multiple-Choice Questions

• Part I: Task Models for Stimulus Based Multiple-Choice Question

Part II: Stimulus-Based Short Essay Questions: Sample Student Papers

The links below lead to sample student papers for the Part II Stimulus-Based Short Essay Questions for both Set 1 and Set 2. They include an anchor paper and a practice paper at each score point on a 5-point rubric. These materials were created to provide further understanding of the Part II Stimulus-Based Short Essay Questions and rubrics for scoring actual student papers. Each set includes Scoring Worksheets A and B, which can be used for training in conjunction with the practice papers. The 5-point scoring rubric has been specifically designed for use with these Stimulus-Based Short Essay Questions.

Part III: Civic Literacy Essay Question

The link below leads to sample student papers for the Part III Civic Literacy Essay Question. It includes Part IIIA and Part IIIB of a new Civic Literacy Essay Question along with rubrics for both parts and an anchor paper and practice paper at each score point on a 5-point rubric. These materials were created to provide further understanding of the Part III Civic Literacy Essay Question and rubric for scoring actual student papers. Also included are Scoring Worksheets A and B, which can be used for training in conjunction with the practice papers. The 5-point scoring rubric is the same rubric used to score the Document-Based Question essay on the current United States History and Government Regents Examination.

• Part III: Civic Literacy Essay Question Sample Student Papers

Get the Latest Updates!

Subscribe to receive news and updates from the New York State Education Department.

Popular Topics

• Charter Schools
• High School Equivalency Test
• Next Generation Learning Standards
• Professional Licenses & Certification
• Reports & Data
• School Climate
• School Report Cards
• Teacher Certification
• Vocational Services
• Find a school report card
• Find assessment results
• Find high school graduation rates
• Find information about grants
• Get information about learning standards
• Get information about my teacher certification
• Obtain vocational services
• Serve legal papers
• Verify a licensed professional
• File an appeal to the Commissioner

Quick Links

• About the New York State Education Department
• About the University of the State of New York (USNY)
• Business Portal for School Administrators
• Employment Opportunities
• FOIL (Freedom of Information Law)
• Incorporation for Education Corporations
• NYS Archives
• NYS Library
• NYSED Online Services
• Public Broadcasting

Media Center

• Newsletters
• Video Gallery
• X (Formerly Twitter)

New York State Education Building

89 Washington Avenue

Albany, NY 12234

CONTACT US  

NYSED General Information: (518) 474-3852

ACCES-VR: 1-800-222-JOBS (5627)

High School Equivalency: (518) 474-5906

New York State Archives: (518) 474-6926

New York State Library: (518) 474-5355

New York State Museum: (518) 474-5877

Office of Higher Education: (518) 486-3633

Office of the Professions: (518) 474-3817

P-12 Education: (518) 474-3862

EMAIL CONTACTS  

Adult Education & Vocational Services 

New York State Archives 

New York State Library 

New York State Museum 

Office of Higher Education 

Office of Education Policy (P-20)

© 2015 - 2024 New York State Education Department

Diversity & Access | Accessibility | Internet Privacy Policy | Disclaimer  |  Terms of Use  

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the best us history regents review guide 2020.

General Education

Taking US History in preparation for the Regents test? The next US History Regents exam dates are Wednesday, January 22nd and Thursday, June 18th, both at 9:15am. Will you be prepared?

You may have heard the test is undergoing some significant changes. In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about the newly-revised US History Regents exam, from what the format will look like to which topics it'll cover. We also include official sample questions of every question type you'll see on this test and break down exactly what your answers to each of them should include.

What Is the Format of the US History Regents Exam?

Beginning in 2020, the US History Regents exam will have a new format. Previously, the test consisted of 50 multiple-choice questions with long essays, but now it will have a mix of multiple choice, short answer, short essay, and long essay questions (schools can choose to use the old version of the exam through June 2021). Here's the format of the new test, along with how it's scored:

In Part 2, there will be two sets of paired documents (always primary sources). For each pair of documents, students will answer with a short essay (about two to three paragraphs, no introduction or conclusion).

For the first pair of documents, students will need to describe the historical context of the documents and explain how the two documents relate to each other. For the second pair, students will again describe the historical context of the documents then explain how audience, bias, purpose, or point of view affect the reliability of each document.

Part A: Students will be given a set of documents focused on a civil or constitutional issue, and they'll need to respond to a set of six short-answer questions about them.

Part B: Using the same set of documents as Part A, students will write a full-length essay (the Civic Literacy essay) that answers the following prompt:

• Describe the historical circumstances surrounding a constitutional or civic issue.
• Explain efforts by individuals, groups, and/or governments to address this constitutional or civic issue.
• Discuss the extent to which these efforts were successful OR discuss the impact of the efforts on the United States and/or American society.

What Topics Does the US History Regents Exam Cover?

Even though the format of the US History Regents test is changing, the topics the exam focuses on are pretty much staying the same. New Visions for Public Schools recommends teachers base their US History class around the following ten units:

As you can see, the US History Regents exam can cover pretty much any major topic/era/conflict in US History from the colonial period to present day, so make sure you have a good grasp of each topic during your US History Regents review.

What Will Questions Look Like on the US History Regents Exam?

Because the US History Regents exam is being revamped for 2020, all the old released exams (with answer explanations) are out-of-date. They can still be useful study tools, but you'll need to remember that they won't be the same as the test you'll be taking.

Fortunately, the New York State Education Department has released a partial sample exam so you can see what the new version of the US History Regents exam will be like. In this section, we go over a sample question for each of the four question types you'll see on the test and explain how to answer it.

Multiple-Choice Sample Question

Base your answers to questions 1 through 3 on the letter below and on your knowledge of social studies.

• Upton Sinclair wrote this letter to President Theodore Roosevelt to inform the president about

1. excessive federal regulation of meatpacking plants 2. unhealthy practices in the meatpacking plants 3. raising wages for meatpacking workers 4. state laws regulating the meatpacking industry

There will be 28 multiple-choice questions on the exam, and they'll all reference "stimuli" such as this example's excerpt of a letter from Upton Sinclair to Theodore Roosevelt. This means you'll never need to pull an answer out of thin air (you'll always have information from the stimulus to refer to), but you will still need a solid knowledge of US history to do well.

To answer these questions, first read the stimulus carefully but still efficiently. In this example, Sinclair is describing a place called "Packingtown," and it seems to be pretty gross. He mentions rotting meat, dead rats, infected animals, etc.

Once you have a solid idea of what the stimulus is about, read the answer choices (some students may prefer to read through the answer choices before reading the stimulus; try both to see which you prefer).

Option 1 doesn't seem correct because there definitely doesn't seem to be much regulation occurring in the meatpacking plant. Option 2 seems possible because things do seem very unhealthy there. Option 3 is incorrect because Sinclair mentions nothing about wages, and similarly for option 4, there is nothing about state laws in the letter.

Option 2 is the correct answer. Because of the stimulus (the letter), you don't need to know everything about the history of industrialization in the US and how its rampant growth had the tendency to cause serious health/social/moral etc. problems, but having an overview of it at least can help you answer questions like these faster and with more confidence.

Short Essay

This Short Essay Question is based on the accompanying documents and is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Each Short Essay Question set will consist of two documents. Some of these documents have been edited for the purposes of this question. Keep in mind that the language and images used in a document may reflect the historical context of the time in which it was created.

Task: Read and analyze the following documents, applying your social studies knowledge and skills to write a short essay of two or three paragraphs in which you:

In developing your short essay answer of two or three paragraphs, be sure to keep these explanations in mind:

Describe means "to illustrate something in words or tell about it"

Historical Context refers to "the relevant historical circumstances surrounding or connecting the events, ideas, or developments in these documents"

Identify means "to put a name to or to name"

Explain means "to make plain or understandable; to give reasons for or causes of; to show the logical development or relationship of"

Types of Relationships :

Cause refers to "something that contributes to the occurrence of an event, the rise of an idea, or the bringing about of a development"

Effect refers to "what happens as a consequence (result, impact, outcome) of an event, an idea, or a development"

Similarity tells how "something is alike or the same as something else"

Difference tells how "something is not alike or not the same as something else"

Turning Point is "a major event, idea, or historical development that brings about significant change. It can be local, regional, national, or global"

It's important to read the instructions accompanying the documents so you know exactly how to answer the short essays. This example is from the first short essay question, so along with explaining the historical context of the documents, you'll also need to explain the relationship between the documents (for the second short essay question, you'll need to explain biases). Your options for the types of relationships are:

• cause and effect,
• similarity/difference
• turning point

You'll only choose one of these relationships. Key words are explained in the instructions, which we recommend you read through carefully now so you don't waste time doing it on test day. The instructions above are the exact instructions you'll see on your own exam.

Next, read through the two documents, jotting down some brief notes if you like. Document 1 is an excerpt from a press conference where President Eisenhower discusses the importance of Indochina, namely the goods it produces, the danger of a dictatorship to the free world, and the potential of Indochina causing other countries in the region to become communist as well.

Document 2 is an excerpt from the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. It mentions an attack on the US Navy by the communist regime in Vietnam, and it states that while the US desires that there be peace in the region and is reluctant to get involved, Congress approves the President of the United States to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression."

Your response should be no more than three paragraphs. For the first paragraph, we recommend discussing the historical context of the two documents. This is where your history knowledge comes in. If you have a strong grasp of the history of this time period, you can discuss how France's colonial reign in Indochina (present-day Vietnam) ended in 1954, which led to a communist regime in the north and a pro-Western democracy in the south. Eisenhower didn't want to get directly involved in Vietnam, but he subscribed to the "domino theory" (Document 1) and believed that if Vietnam became fully communist, other countries in Southeast Asia would as well. Therefore, he supplied the south with money and weapons, which helped cause the outbreak of the Vietnam War.

After Eisenhower, the US had limited involvement in the Vietnam War, but the Gulf of Tonkin incident, where US and North Vietnam ships confronted each other and exchanged fire, led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Document 2) and gave President Lyndon B. Johnson powers to send US military forces to Vietnam without an official declaration of war. This led to a large escalation of the US's involvement in Vietnam.

You don't need to know every detail mentioned above, but having a solid knowledge of key US events (like its involvement in the Vietnam War) will help you place documents in their correct historical context.

For the next one to two paragraphs of your response, discuss the relationship of the documents. It's not really a cause and effect relationship, since it wasn't Eisenhower's domino theory that led directly to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, but you could discuss the similarities and differences between the two documents (they're similar because they both show a fear of the entire region becoming communist and a US desire for peace in the area, but they're different because the first is a much more hands-off approach while the second shows significant involvement). You could also argue it's a turning point relationship because the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was the turning point in the US's involvement in the Vietnam War. Up to that point, the US was primarily hands-off (as shown in Document 1). Typically, the relationship you choose is less important than your ability to support your argument with facts and analysis.

Short Answers and Civic Literacy Essay

This Civic Literacy essay is based on the accompanying documents. The question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Some of these documents have been edited for the purpose of this question. As you analyze the documents, take into account the source of each document and any point of view that may be presented in the document. Keep in mind that the language and images used in a document may reflect the historical context of the time in which it was created.

Historical Context: African American Civil Rights

Throughout United States history, many constitutional and civic issues have been debated by Americans. These debates have resulted in efforts by individuals, groups, and governments to address these issues. These efforts have achieved varying degrees of success. One of these constitutional and civic issues is African American civil rights.

Task: Read and analyze the documents. Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United States history, write an essay in which you

Discuss means "to make observations about something using facts, reasoning, and argument; to present in some detail"

Document 1a

Document 1b

• Based on these documents, state one way the end of Reconstruction affected African Americans.
• According to this document, what is one way Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois disagreed about how African Americans should achieve equality?
• According to this document, what is one reason Thurgood Marshall argued that the "separate but equal" ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson should be overturned?

Document 4a

Document 4b

• Based on these documents, state one result of the sit-in at the Greensboro Woolworth.
• According to Henry Louis Gates Jr., what was one result of the 1960s civil rights protests?
• Based on this document, state one impact of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Start by reading the instructions, then the documents themselves. There are eight of them, all focused on African American civil rights. The short answers and the civic literacy essay use the same documents. We recommend answering the short answer questions first, then completing your essay.

A short answer question follows each document or set of documents. These are straightforward questions than can be answered in 1-2 sentences. Question 1 asks, "Based on these documents, state one way the end of Reconstruction affected African Americans."

Reading through documents 1a and 1b, there are many potential answers. Choose one (don't try to choose more than one to get more points; it won't help and you'll just lose time you could be spending on other questions) for your response. Using information from document 1a, a potential answer could be, "After Reconstruction, African Americans were able to hold many elected positions. This made it possible for them to influence politics and public life more than they had ever been able to before."

Your Civic Literacy essay will be a standard five-paragraph essay, with an introduction, thesis statement, and a conclusion. You'll need to use many of the documents to answer the three bullet points laid out in the instructions. We recommend one paragraph per bullet point. For each paragraph, you'll need to use your knowledge of US history AND information directly from the documents to make your case.

As with the short essay, we recommended devoting a paragraph to each of the bullet points. In the first paragraph, you should discuss how the documents fit into the larger narrative of African American civil rights. You could discuss the effects of Reconstruction, how the industrialization of the North affected blacks, segregation and its impacts, key events in the Civil Rights movement such as the bus boycott in Montgomery and the March on Washington, etc. The key is to use your own knowledge of US history while also discussing the documents and how they tie in.

For the second paragraph, you'll discuss efforts to address African American civil rights. Here you can talk about groups, such as the NAACP (Document 3), specific people such as W.E.B. Du Bois (Document 2), and/or major events, such as the passing of the Civil Rights Act (Document 5).

In the third paragraph, you'll discuss how successful the effort to increase African American civil rights was. Again, use both the documents and your own knowledge to discuss setbacks faced and victories achieved. Your overall opinion will reflect your thesis statement you included at the end of your introductory paragraph. As with the other essays, it matters less what you conclude than how well you are able to support your argument.

3 Tips for Your US History Regents Review

In order to earn a Regents Diploma, you'll need to pass at least one of the social science regents. Here are some tips for passing the US Regents exam.

#1: Focus on Broad Themes, Not Tiny Details

With the revamp of the US History exam, there is much less focus on memorization and basic fact recall. Every question on the exam, including multiple choice, will have a document or excerpt referred to in the questions, so you'll never need to pull an answer out of thin air.

Because you'll never see a question like, "What year did Alabama become a state?" don't waste your time trying to memorize a lot of dates. It's good to have a general idea of when key events occurred, like WWII or the Gilded Age, but i t's much more important that you understand, say, the causes and consequences of WWII rather than the dates of specific battles. The exam tests your knowledge of major themes and changes in US history, so focus on that during your US History Regents review over rote memorization.

#2: Don't Write More Than You Need To

You only need to write one full-length essay for the US History Regents exam, and it's for the final question of the test (the Civic Literacy essay). All other questions (besides multiple choice) only require a few sentences or a few paragraphs.

Don't be tempted to go beyond these guidelines in an attempt to get more points. If a question asks for one example, only give one example; giving more won't get you any additional points, and it'll cause you to lose valuable time. For the two short essay questions, only write three paragraphs each, maximum. The short response questions only require a sentence or two. The questions are carefully designed so that they can be fully answered by responses of this length, so don't feel pressured to write more in an attempt to get a higher score. Quality is much more important than quantity here.

#3: Search the Documents for Clues

As mentioned above, all questions on this test are document-based, and those documents will hold lots of key information in them. Even ones that at first glance don't seem to show a lot, like a poster or photograph, can contain many key details if you have a general idea of what was going on at that point in history. The caption or explanation beneath each document is also often critical to fully understanding it. In your essays and short answers, remember to always refer back to the information you get from these documents to help support your answers.

What's Next?

Taking other Regents exams ? We have guides to the Chemistry , Earth Science , and Living Environment Regents , as well as the Algebra 1 , Algebra 2 , and Geometry Regents .

Need more information on Colonial America? Become an expert by reading our guide to the 13 colonies.

The Platt Amendment was written during another key time in American history. Learn all about this important document, and how it is still influencing Guantanamo Bay, by reading our complete guide to the Platt Amendment.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

2023 (June): NY Regents - United States History and Government (Framework)

SEQ Set 1 Directions (Question 29)

Seq set 2 (question 30), seq set 2 directions (question 30):.

Part III CIVIC LITERACY ESSAY (Questions 31–37)

Civic literacy essay part a short-answer questions (31–36).

Part B Civic Literacy Essay Question (37)

Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) Study Guide

• Introduction

Slides and Recorded Lecture

• Competency Two: United States Constitution
• Competency Three: Founding Documents
• Competency Four: Landmark Case Law

This competency section will teach students how to identify, explain, interpret, and apply the principles and practices of American democracy and the republican form of government.

This page contains full length lectures, PowerPoint slides, links to short videos, and written summaries. All of them cover material that corresponds to FCLE questions.  

• American Democracy Presentation Slides

These slides and the recorded presentation have been shared from Miami-Dade University

The Social Contract 

• Constitutional Principles: Consent of the Governed. This video discusses John Locke’s ideas about the importance of “life, liberty, and property,” “consent of the governed”, and “popular sovereignty,” and how these democratic ideals inspired the American Revolution. 

Checks and Balances/Separation of Powers   

• Montesquieu's Ideas About Government - Exploring Our Nation on the Learning Videos Channel. This video contextualizes Montesquieu, the Enlightenment, and the need for “checks and balances” and a “separation of powers” within governments. In particular, this video explains how Montesquieu's ideas influenced James Madison, the primary author of the U.S. Constitution, and the operations of the U.S. government’s branches. 

Rule of Law   

• Court Shorts: Rule of Law. In this video, U.S. judges define the rule of law and give examples of its importance, not only in Americans’ daily lives, but in establishing and maintaining a functioning democracy and civilization. 

Due Process 

• Fair Procedures Within the Boundaries of the Law . This video defines due process, explains its application, and describes how the U.S. Constitution protects this crucial civil liberty. 

Equality Under the Law   

• The Meaning of Equality Under the Law. This video defines what equality under the law is, gives instances of how it has been violated in the past, and provides examples of when discrimination may not be considered to be a violation of equality under the law. 

Popular Sovereignty   

• Popular Sovereignty and Higher Law: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 11. This video is about popular sovereignty and its relevance to the U.S. Constitution.   

Natural Rights and Natural Law   

• Essential Natural Law: The Legacy of Natural Law. This video defines and discusses the origins of natural law, while giving some examples of how natural law has been violated in the U.S. legal system. 

Federalism   

• Things Explained: What is Federalism? This video explains how federalism has influenced the development of the United States Government. 

Individual Liberty 

• Freedom of Religion. This video discusses freedom of religion and the limits of the first amendment. 
• Individual FREEDOM vs. PUBLIC SAFETY: 2nd, 4th, 8th Amendments . This video discusses the balance between individual liberty and the common good and how the Bill of Rights has played into this debate.   

Republicanism and Representative Democratic Government   

• What is a Republic? This video defines a republic and explains the relationship between republics and democracies. 

Constitutionalism 

• What is a Constitution? This video explores the concept of Constitutionalism.   

Majority Rule and Minority Rights   

• Majority Rule, Minority Rights. This video discusses the benefits and limitations of majority rule using general examples. The video also uses specific historical examples to outline how the U.S. government has worked to balance majority rule and minority rights in American law.   

Equal Protection 

• Equal Protection: Crash Course Government and Politics #29. The video explains equal protection in the Constitution, namely in the fourteenth amendment, and it gives historical examples to explain this principle’s application, including Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education   

Bill of Rights and the Protections of Civil Rights and Liberties   

• Origins and Purposes of the Bill of Rights | BRI's Homework Help Series. This video discusses the English documents that inspired the creation of the U.S. Bill of Rights, including the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights. The video explains why the Bill of Rights was important to eighteenth-century Americans and how the Bill of Rights has impacted recent legal cases by giving examples of when Americans liberties have been limited. 

Elections   

• Election Basics: Crash Course Government and Politics #36. This video discusses the election process in the United States of America and highlights the importance of fair, free, and secure elections. 
• The Importance of Free, Fair, and Secure Elections. This source, from USAgov, provides similar information about American elections. 
• << Previous: Home
• Next: Competency Two: United States Constitution >>
• Last Updated: Mar 20, 2024 11:39 AM
• URL: https://libguides.easternflorida.edu/FloridaCivicLiteracyExamStudyGuide

Civic Literacy Curriculum: Full Curriculum

Welcome to the Civic Literacy Curriculum:

Below is the full curriculum designed to make teaching or learning civics education easier for you. The content was developed by several members of Arizona State University's faculty, as well as current and former educators. The curriculum is organized around and incorporates the United States Customs and Immigration's Naturalization Test, provided to those interested in becoming naturalized citizens of the United States.

Faculty at the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership have developed a curriculum for the 100+ questions from the official test, which is comprehensive of all content appearing in the 2008/2021 and 2020 versions of the citizenship tests. Our curriculum exceeds the USCIS test in helping students learn not just the facts tested but the underlying concepts, ideas, and events. The materials include:

• Background information, which can be used to help start a classroom lecture
• Edited primary sources of canonical texts
• Classroom exercises (sign-ups required to access answer keys and rubrics)
• Discussion prompts to kickstart a discussion amongst your students

Use the curriculum guides how you see fit. They are designed to be a core civics curriculum or to augment a particular area of your social studies program. In addition, we've also created abridged study guides for students to use. You can access those study guides by clicking here .   

Teacher Materials

Curriculum Sections

Section 1: principles of the american republic.

The Civic Literacy Curriculum begins with the founding of the United States of America. Students will start by gaining a deeper understanding of how and why the American founders made the decisions they did, and about the impact those decisions have on our lives today. 

Section 2: Systems of Government

Section 2 focuses on three main concepts: federalism, separation of powers and checks and balances, and constitutional rights. Students will spend time in this section gaining an essential understanding of how their government works and how it works for them, the U.S. Constitution and more. 

Click here.

Section 3: Rights and Responsibilities

In Section 3, students will learn about the rights afforded to them in the U.S. Constitution and 27 amendments to the historic document, as well as their responsibilities as citizens. From voting, paying taxes, serving on a jury and defending the country in the armed forces, students will finish Section 3 with a deeper understanding of how the U.S. Constitution impacts their lives. 

Section 4: Colonial Period and Independence

Section 4 covers early American history, primarily the 17th and 18th centuries. This includes the settlement of the British colonies that eventually became the United States of America, the American Revolution in which those colonies separated from the British empire and lived under the Articles of Confederation, and, finally, the formation of the U.S. Constitution. Students will learn not only about these events but also the different groups of people who eventually lived on the continent (settlers, slaves, and Native Americans), as well as the ideas and actions of the Founding Fathers.

Section 5: The 1800s

Section 5 covers American history in the 19th century, as the American republic grew both geographically and in the ability of Americans to participate in its freedom. Students will learn about events such as the Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican-American War, and the movement for women’s suffrage, but the main focus is on the Civil War and the end of slavery, including Abraham Lincoln’s political leadership during the war and the Reconstruction Amendments that followed.

Section 6: Recent American History

Section 6 covers American history in the 20th century and beyond. Students will learn about the World Wars and the Cold War against communism, the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt’s constitutional revolution, the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr., wars in the Middle East, and the native American tribes.

Section 7: Geography, Symbols, and Holidays

Section 7 covers two broad topics: the country’s geography (such as the oceans and rivers that have shaped it, its neighbors, and its territories), as well as the holidays and symbols celebrated by Americans, such as the flag, anthem, and motto. 

Additional resources

In addition to the Curriculum Guides, the Civic Literacy Curriculum also includes more than 200 mini videos to supplement your teaching, flashcards, study guides for the students and the test itself. We encourage you to use any of the resources below to better your classroom experience. 

Video Library

The Civic Literacy Curriculum includes more than 200 short videos that focus on specific topics. Browse by curriculum sections or search for a specific keyword. We also encourage you to visit the Center for Political Thought and Leadership and the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership's YouTube pages for more of our video content and public programming. 

The Civic Literacy Curriculum test is a 100+ question test that covers all aspects of the curriculum. It's based off of the U.S. Customs and Immigration Naturalization Test and is broken up by curriculum sections, as well. Currently, the test is available in digital format but we plan to make a print version available soon. 

The Civic Literacy Curriculum flashcards act as a practice quiz to the actual test. Compatible with tablets, computers and smartphones, students can test their curriculum knowledge from just about anywhere. The flash cards are broken down by section to make it easier for students to follow along. 

• Ask a Librarian

Civics Literacy Study & Resource Guide

• Introduction
• Civic Life, Politics, and Government
• Foundations of American Political System
• Constitution and American Democracy
• Role of Citizens in American Democracy

American History Resources

Diverse voices, historical newspapers, other relevant guides.

• American Studies by J.P. Herubel Last Updated Apr 1, 2024 80 views this year
• Indiana Government by Bert Chapman Last Updated Feb 26, 2024 150 views this year

Featured eBooks

Important Individuals and Events in the History of the United States

• America: History and Life Index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. Covers over 2,000 journals published worldwide. Strong English-language journal coverage is balanced by an international perspective on topics and events, including abstracts in English of articles published in more than 40 languages.
• American Historical Periodicals from the American Antiquarian Society This link opens in a new window A collection of periodicals from the colonial period through to the twentieth century focused on American concerns and predominantly published in the United States or Canada, though some were published overseas by Americans living abroad. The collection offers multiple perspectives on the thought, culture, and society of North America through the eyes of citizens from all walks of life.
• American Periodicals Over 1,240 American magazines and journals that began publishing between 1740 and 1900, including general magazines, literary and professional journals, and other historically-significant periodicals. For periodicals that continued into the 20th c., the cut-off date is 1940.
• Civil War Collection Six-part collection of newspaper articles and books published at or near time of the war, 1860-1865. I: A Newspaper Perspective. II: The Soldiers' Perspective (regimental histories). III: The Generals' Perspective (memoirs). IV: The Midwestern Perspective (Indiana newspapers published between 1855 and 1869, including Vincennes Gazette and Vincennes Western Sun). V: Iowa's Perspective. VI: Northeast Regimental Histories
• Gale In Context: U.S. History This link opens in a new window Media-rich database containing reference content, millions of news and periodical articles, and more than 5,500 rare and vital primary source documents that range from slave journals to presidential papers for those seeking contextual information on hundreds of the most significant people, events and topics in U.S. history. Topics range from the arrival of Vikings in North America all to the way to the first stirrings of the American Revolution and on through the Civil Rights movement, 9/11, and the War on Terror. Cross-searchable with Gale In Context: World History
• Gale OneFile: U.S. History This link opens in a new window Providing access to scholarly journals and magazines useful to both novice historians as well as advanced academic researchers, this library resource offers coverage of events in U.S. history and scholarly work being established in the field. Updated daily. U.S. History
• Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window Electronic version of Historical Statistics of the United States: Earliest Times to Present; Millennial Edition presents thousands of annual time series of quantitative historical information covering virtually every quantifiable dimension of American history: population, work and welfare, economic structure and performance, governance, and international relations. Chapters are preceded by essays that introduce the quantitative history of their subject, and provide a guide to the sources. Enables searching, combining, and downloading of data using Excel or CSV spreadsheets.
• Sabin Americana: History of the Americas, 1500-1926 This link opens in a new window Based on Joseph Sabin's landmark bibliography, this collection contains works about the Americas published throughout the world from 1500 to the early 1900's. Included are books, pamphlets, serials and other documents that provide original accounts of exploration, trade, colonialism, slavery and abolition, the western movement, Native Americans, military actions and much more. With over 6 million pages from 29,000 works, this collection is a cornerstone in the study of the western hemisphere.
• The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy The Avalon Project at Yale Law School mounts digital documents relevant to the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government
• African American Periodicals Over 170 African American newspapers and magazines published in the U.S. from 1825-1995, from slavery during the Antebellum Period to the struggles and triumphs of the modern era. Publications include African Repository (1825-92), Black Panther (1967-75), Black Worker (1929-68), and Soul (1966-76). Search full-text by any or all of these periods: Slavery and Antebellum Era (1825 to 1860), U.S. Civil War (1861 to 1865), Reconstruction and Post War South (1866 to 1895), Segregation and the Rise of Black Protest Thought (1896 to 1920), African American Culture in the New Era (1921 to 1945), Civil Rights Era (1946-1960), The Second Reconstruction (1961-1972), Modern / Contemporary Era (1973-1998). The collection is based upon James P. Danky's African-American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography (Harvard, 1998) and drawn from holdings of the Wisconsin Historical Society.
• Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America Presents unique materials from the Edward E. Ayer Collection archival collections on American Indian history and culture at The Newberry Library, Chicago. Explore manuscripts, artwork and rare printed books dating from the earliest contact with European settlers right up to photographs and newspapers from the mid-twentieth century. Browse through a wide range of rare and original documents from treaties, speeches and diaries, to historic maps and travel journals. NOTE: Off-campus access is unavailable. We are working to resolve the issue - 1/30/2024
• Black Thought and Culture Non-fiction works (books, essays, articles, speeches, interviews and letters) by African-American leaders and others who have dealt with issues of race from colonial times to the present. The collection is intended for research in black studies, political science, American history, music, literature, and art.
• Women and Social Movements in the U.S. 1600-2000 This link opens in a new window Books, letters, images, scholarly essays, commentaries, and bibliographies, all of which document the multiplicity of American womens reform activities from the colonial period into the 20th century. Primary document projects cover a broad range of topics; books, pamphlets, and related materials provide scholars with in-depth access to the published histories and records of womens reform organizations throughout the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries; there is also a extensive Dictionary of Social Movements, and a Chronology of Women's History.

Historical Newspaper Sources

• African American Newspapers: The 19th Century Cultural life and history during the 1800s in the U.S. and the Canadian province of Ontario: first-hand reports of the major events and issues of the day, including the Mexican War, Presidential and congressional addresses, Congressional abstracts, business and commodity markets, the humanities, world travel and religion. Large numbers of early biographies, vital statistics, essays and editorials, poetry and prose, and advertisements, all of which portray the African-American experience.
• America's Historical Newspapers (Early American Newspapers, Series, 6, 7 & 10) Fully searchable runs of 215 newspapers from 27 states and the District of Columbia from 1741-1922. Highlights of Series 6 include the Detroit Plaindealer; The Colored American, Detroit's first successful black newspaper; and the Arkansas Gazette, one of the first papers west of the Mississippi. Highlights of Series 7 include New Orleans' Times-Picayune, established in 1837, and The Oregonian, founded in 1850 in Portland and still the state's largest daily.
• Gale Primary Sources Gale Primary Sources (formerly known as Gale NewsVault) delivers the definitive cross-searching experience for exploring Gale's range of historical newspaper collections. Users can simultaneously search or browse across the Times Digital Archive, the 17th and 18th Century Burney Collection, The Financial Times Historical Archive, 19th Century U.S. Newspapers, and many more. Providing access to over 10 million digitized facsimile pages, Gale Historical Newspapers provides an unparalleled window to the past.
• Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers This database provides access to approximately 500 U.S. newspapers, published between 1800 and 1900. Newspapers selected on their immediate value to researchers on the press and on the century in general. Papers selected cover a broad spectrum, with a comprehensive geographical and chronological range.
• ProQuest Historical Newspapers Newspaper digital archive offering full-text and full-image articles for the following newspapers: Atlanta Daily World (1931-2010) Baltimore Afro-American (1893-2010) Chicago Defender (1910-2010) Chicago Tribune (1849-2013) Cleveland Call and Post (1934-1991) Indianapolis Star (1903-1922) Jerusalem Post (1932-2008) Korea Times (1950-2016) Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005) Louisville Defender (1951-2010) New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993) New York Times (1851-2018) Norfolk Journal and Guide (1916-2003) Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2010) Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2010) South China Morning Post (1903-2001) Times of India (1838-2010) Wall Street Journal (1889-2011)
• Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans Full-text archive of nearly 37,000 early American publications based on Charles Evans' American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of all Books, Pamphlets, and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America from the Genesis of Printing in 1639 down to and including the Year 1800. Includes Early American Imprints, Series I: Supplement from the Library Company of Philadelphia.
• Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers (LOC) Chronicling America (ISSN 2475-2703) is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). Dates range form 1777-1963.

<< Back to Introduction 

• << Previous: Role of Citizens in American Democracy
• Last Edited: Mar 29, 2024 4:36 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/civicsliteracy

• New Visions Social Studies Curriculum
• Curriculum Development Team
• Content Contributors
• Getting Started: Baseline Assessments
• Getting Started: Resources to Enhance Instruction
• Getting Started: Instructional Routines
• Unit 9.1: Global 1 Introduction
• Unit 9.2: The First Civilizations
• Unit 9.3: Classical Civilizations
• Unit 9.4: Political Powers and Achievements
• Unit 9.5: Social and Cultural Growth and Conflict
• Unit 9.6: Ottoman and Ming Pre-1600
• Unit 9.7: Transformation of Western Europe and Russia
• Unit 9.8: Africa and the Americas Pre-1600
• Unit 9.9: Interactions and Disruptions
• Unit 10.0: Global 2 Introduction
• Unit 10.1: The World in 1750 C.E.
• Unit 10.2: Enlightenment, Revolution, and Nationalism
• Unit 10.3: Industrial Revolution
• Unit 10.4: Imperialism
• Unit 10.5: World Wars
• Unit 10.6: Cold War Era
• Unit 10.7: Decolonization and Nationalism
• Unit 10.8: Cultural Traditions and Modernization
• Unit 10.9: Globalization and the Changing Environment
• Unit 10.10: Human Rights Violations
• Unit 11.0: US History Introduction
• Unit 11.1: Colonial Foundations
• Unit 11.2: American Revolution
• Unit 11.3A: Building a Nation
• Unit 11.03B: Sectionalism & the Civil War
• Unit 11.4: Reconstruction
• Unit 11.5: Gilded Age and Progressive Era

Unit 11.6: Rise of American Power

• Unit 11.7: Prosperity and Depression
• Unit 11.8: World War II
• Unit 11.9: Cold War
• Unit 11.10: Domestic Change
• Resources: Regents Prep: Global 2 Exam
• Regents Prep: Framework USH Exam: Regents Prep: US Exam
• Find Resources

Rise of American Power

11.6 civic literacy document based essay task.

U.S. History

Framework Aligned Unit Assessment Bank developed in partnership with CUNY Debating US History: 11.6 Civic Literacy Document Based Essay Task

We have restricted access to assessments to  EDUCATORS ONLY. 

If you click on the "Open in Google Docs" button below and can view the document, then you already have access.

If you do not have access to the assessments,  please fill out the form linked here . 

You will need to provide your official school email address AND a Google email address. In some cases, these will be the same email account. You will only need to fill the form out once to gain access to all of the assessments and teacher materials in the curriculum.

After you fill out the form, you will receive notification that you have been added to a  Google Group  called  "New Visions Social Studies Assessments Access."  Once you receive that notification, you can access all of the assessments through the New Visions Social Studies Curriculum website, but  you must be logged into the Google account you provided in the form to view the assessments. 

We will try to respond to all access requests within 72 hours. We are sorry if this delay causes any inconvenience. 

Teacher Feedback

Please comment below with questions, feedback, suggestions, or descriptions of your experience using this resource with students.

If you found an error in the resource, please let us know so we can correct it by filling out this form .