Middle School Civics Curriculum for Private and Independent Schools
Civics Complete – Middle School is a grades 6–8 civics course that a private or independent school can adopt without district materials. Its 50+ resources teach the purpose of government, democracy and the rule of law, constitutions and founding documents, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federal, state and local government, using real documents, court cases, infographics and political cartoons. It downloads instantly from $149.90.
See the civics curriculum →Civics Complete – Middle School, from $149.90, is a no-prep civics curriculum for grades 6–8. It covers rights and responsibilities, the purpose of government, democracy and the rule of law, constitutions and founding documents, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federal, state and local government. Students analyze laws, court cases, charts and political cartoons and build civic arguments with evidence. Private schools should check it against their own requirements; no endorsement is claimed.
The curriculum
Civics Complete – Middle School, Grades 6–8
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Civics Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Civics
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Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Teaching civics where the school sets its own rules
Civics is the subject small private schools most often squeeze. It gets folded into a history class for a few weeks before an election, or taught from a single worn textbook section on the three branches. Yet independent school families tend to care about citizenship and character, and many schools describe leadership and service in their mission. That gap shows up when a student cannot explain how checks and balances actually work, or why a court case mattered. There is also the question of tone. Civics teachers in any school handle current events carefully, and in a small community where families know each other, a lesson that feels partisan can turn into a meeting with the head of school. You need material that teaches how government works and how to argue from evidence, without telling students what to think. Practically, the civics teacher in a small school is usually also the history teacher, the geography teacher and an advisor, so there is no time to gather founding documents, find cartoons and build answer keys. Without ready material, civics stays a footnote.
Why it fits
How it fits a private school civics course
The curriculum gives civics its own structured place in your program.
- Lessons on rights and responsibilities connect directly to the citizenship goals in many school missions.
- Founding documents and court case analysis give students real primary sources to work with.
- Separation of powers and checks and balances are taught as systems, not memorized lists.
- Building civic arguments with evidence keeps discussion grounded in sources rather than opinions.
- Federal, state and local government units help students connect to their own community.
- Political cartoon and infographic tasks build media literacy in short, focused lessons.
Getting started
Your first two weeks with it
Here is one practical way to establish civics as a real course at your school.
- Decide where civics livesChoose whether civics runs as its own semester, a block within social studies, or a thread across grades 6–8. Write that decision down for the head of school.
- Open with the purpose of governmentStart with why governments exist and what rule of law means. Every later lesson on branches and courts builds on that foundation. Return to it whenever students ask why.
- Set discussion norms earlyBefore any current-events link, use the civic argument lessons to practice claims with evidence. Students learn to disagree respectfully from day one. Post the norms on the wall.
- Use a founding documentTeach a lesson that works directly with a constitution or founding text. Students see that civics starts with documents, not opinions. Have them quote the text directly.
- Bring in local governmentWhen you reach the federal, state and local units, invite a local official or look at your town's own government structure. Students connect it to their own community.
Which version
Choosing a version
The $149.90 version with 50+ resources covers a full middle school civics course. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital course with planner, guides and templates for teacher time management. It is worth it if you are covering several social studies subjects at once, though it adds no civics content. Since many small schools ask one teacher to cover both civics and world history, buying World History Complete – Middle School too with code TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off and keeps both courses in the same structure.
Honest limits
What it does not do
It does not take positions on current political debates, and it does not supply news articles for this year's events; you bring those in yourself. It focuses on U.S.-style government structures. Your school decides what its civics program must include, so compare it with your own requirements and any accreditation expectations. If the history teacher down the hall will use it too, message Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, you have 7 days to exchange it for store credit of equal value. There is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does it meet state civics requirements or accreditation standards?
Teach Lessons does not claim it meets any state civics requirement, standards framework or accreditation rule, and no outside body has endorsed it. It is written for U.S. middle school classrooms. Compare the units with what your school or accreditor expects, and confirm with your administration before relying on it.
Is it politically neutral?
It teaches how government works, including democracy, rule of law, separation of powers and checks and balances, and asks students to build civic arguments with evidence. It is not designed to promote any party. As with any civics course, how you frame current events is up to you and your school.
Does it cover state and local government?
Yes. Units cover federal, state and local government. Because states differ, you may want to add details about your own state and town to make those lessons concrete for students. Look at your state's own structure, such as its legislature and courts, and your town's council, then match those examples to the lessons.
Could it complement an ethics or character program?
Rights and responsibilities lessons sit well next to character education. The XXL Ethics Bundle for grades 7–10 at $89.99 may appear on the product page as an optional extra if your school wants more ethics material. Starting with the rights and responsibilities lessons keeps that link clear.
Can it be taught in one semester?
Units can be taught as a full sequence or individually, so a semester course is possible. One option is to prioritize government structure and founding documents and use the remaining units as time allows. Leftover units can become review material or an enrichment block later in the year.
Can our school buy it centrally?
The curriculum is purchased online with instant download. If your school has questions about purchasing or about several teachers using it, send them to Teach Lessons before buying. Mention how many teachers will use it so Teach Lessons can explain what the licence covers. The files are available instantly after purchase.
Give civics a real place in your school
Look at the full list of contents on the product page and pick the version that fits your schedule.
See the civics curriculum →