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Civics for Kids

by Ryan Semerau

Ages 7-12CivicsGovernment

A standalone book that teaches how self-governance works in practice - from local government to federal, elections to taxes, citizen participation to civic virtues. Politically neutral and focused on how the system works, not which side is right.

16 chapters · 76 lessons · first 6 free

IntroductionFree

1 · Foundations of Civics

1.1 · What Does "Civics" Mean?Free
1.2 · What Is Citizenship?Free
1.3 · Self-GovernanceFree
1.4 · Why Civics Matters for YouFree
Chapter 1 TestFree

2 · Local Government

2.1 · Government Closest to HomeFree
2.2 · Mayors and City Councils🔒
2.3 · School Boards🔒
2.4 · How Local Government Affects You🔒
Chapter 2 Test🔒

3 · County and State Government

3.1 · Counties🔒
3.2 · State Legislatures🔒
3.3 · Governors🔒
3.4 · What States Do🔒
Chapter 3 Test🔒

4 · The Federal Government in Practice

4.1 · Congress in Action🔒
4.2 · The President's Role Beyond Signing Laws🔒
4.3 · Federal Agencies🔒
4.4 · How the Levels Connect🔒
Chapter 4 Test🔒

5 · How Laws Are Really Made

5.1 · An Idea Becomes a Bill🔒
5.2 · Committees: Where the Work Happens🔒
5.3 · Debate, Amendment, and Voting🔒
5.4 · Why It's Slow and Why That's the Design🔒
Chapter 5 Test🔒

6 · Elections and Voting

6.1 · How Elections Work🔒
6.2 · Primaries and General Elections🔒
6.3 · The Electoral College🔒
6.4 · Why Voting Matters🔒
Chapter 6 Test🔒

7 · Political Parties and the Political Process

7.1 · What Is a Political Party?🔒
7.2 · The Two Major Parties🔒
7.3 · Third Parties and Independents🔒
7.4 · Partisanship and Compromise🔒
Chapter 7 Test🔒

8 · Taxes and Public Services

8.1 · What Are Taxes?🔒
8.2 · What Taxes Pay For🔒
8.3 · Budgets: Where the Money Goes🔒
8.4 · The Debate Over Taxes🔒
Chapter 8 Test🔒

9 · How Citizens Participate

9.1 · Voting Is Just the Start🔒
9.2 · Contacting Your Representatives🔒
9.3 · Public Meetings and Public Comment🔒
9.4 · Civic Organizations and Running for Office🔒
Chapter 9 Test🔒

10 · Rights and Responsibilities

10.1 · Rights Come with Responsibilities🔒
10.2 · The Responsibility to Be Informed🔒
10.3 · Jury Duty🔒
10.4 · Civic Duty and the Common Good🔒
Chapter 10 Test🔒

11 · The Media and Informed Citizenship

11.1 · The Role of a Free Press🔒
11.2 · News vs. Opinion🔒
11.3 · Evaluating Sources🔒
11.4 · Media Literacy🔒
Chapter 11 Test🔒

12 · Protest, Petition, and Civil Disobedience

12.1 · The Right to Assemble and Petition🔒
12.2 · Peaceful Protest🔒
12.3 · Civil Disobedience🔒
12.4 · How Change Happens🔒
Chapter 12 Test🔒

13 · Immigration and Citizenship

13.1 · Who Is a Citizen?🔒
13.2 · Immigration: Coming to a New Country🔒
13.3 · Naturalization: Becoming a Citizen🔒
13.4 · Immigration as a Civic Topic🔒
Chapter 13 Test🔒

14 · Civic Virtues

14.1 · What Are Civic Virtues?🔒
14.2 · Tolerance and Respect🔒
14.3 · Compromise and Honesty🔒
14.4 · Civic Courage🔒
Chapter 14 Test🔒

15 · You and Your Government

15.1 · How It All Fits Together🔒
15.2 · Your Role🔒
15.3 · Self-Governance Is an Ongoing Project🔒
15.4 · What You Know Now🔒
Chapter 15 Test🔒

What you'll learn

✓What civics is and why self-governance matters
✓How local government works and why it matters most to your daily life
✓How county, state, and federal government each play different roles
✓How laws are really made in practice - from idea to signed law
✓How elections work - primaries, general elections, and the Electoral College
✓What political parties are and how the political process works
✓What taxes are and what they pay for at every level of government
✓How citizens participate beyond just voting
✓The balance between rights and responsibilities
✓How to evaluate the media and be an informed citizen
✓How protest, petition, and civil disobedience drive change
✓How immigration and citizenship work
✓What civic virtues are and why they sustain democracy

How to use this workbook

15 chapters, designed for one chapter per week (4 short lessons per week plus a chapter test). Each lesson takes about 15-20 minutes - read the lesson, talk it over with the AI tutor, then answer a few short questions in your own words.

Prerequisites

None. This book stands alone. Pairs well with Law for Kids and the Constitution book, but doesn't depend on them.