Looking for a quick engagement move you can use tomorrow? Justin shares his go-to dice routine—an adaptable strategy for reviewing concepts, checking understanding, and giving students a fun challenge. Whether you teach government, AP courses, or anything in between, you'll walk away with ideas you can plug into your classroom right away.

In this episode, Justin shares practical strategies for bringing global citizenship into the classroom, with a strong focus on human rights education. He outlines how foundational concepts like the Bill of Rights, natural rights, and the UN Declaration of Human Rights can be powerful tools for student inquiry and critical thinking. From comparing historical documents to creating their own list of rights, students engage in meaningful discussions about justice, equity, and global responsibility.

Justin also explores how themes of rights and citizenship can be tied into a wide range of topics—like war, civil rights, slavery, migration, and labor history—making global connections across social studies content. Whether you're teaching US Government, World History, or Current Events, you'll find actionable ideas to deepen your students' understanding of the world and their place in it.

Past Civics-Focused Episodes

It’s review season, and Justin’s favorite time of year is in full swing! In this episode of ENGAGE, we dive into two tried-and-true strategies to get students fired up about reviewing content—The Race and Trivia Showdown. Learn how to turn your classroom into a competitive, high-energy review arena using nothing more than a good set of questions, some upbeat music, and a healthy dose of team spirit. Whether you’re teaching AP or gearing up for end-of-year exams, these low-prep, high-engagement games will help your students recall, reflect, and win. Grab your dice, get your playlists ready, and let the games begin.

Fresh off the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies Conference in Madison, Justin and Alisha break down their biggest takeaways—from innovative teaching strategies to the power of professional development. They share engaging classroom activities, including gamified lessons inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and hands-on learning methods that bring history to life. Plus, they discuss how attending conferences fuels creativity, builds connections, and enhances teaching effectiveness. Whether you're looking for new ideas to implement Monday morning or inspiration to attend your next conference, this episode is packed with insights and energy!

In this episode of ENGAGE, Justin dives into using AI to create dynamic classroom simulations. From Model UN to government crisis scenarios, he shares how AI tools like ChatGPT can streamline the process, making simulations more interactive and adaptable.  Learn how he designed a choose-your-own-adventure style UN Security Council simulation, where student decisions shape the evolving crisis.  Plus, discover tips on leveraging AI to create engaging, real-time learning experiences without hours of prep work.  Tune in for innovative strategies to enhance your social studies classroom!

UN Simulation Document

In this episode of Engage, Justin continues exploring civics education, focusing on political parties, elections, polling, and voter behavior. He shares engaging classroom strategies, including a political party jersey design project, a political socialization pie chart activity, and mock elections that simulate real voting experiences. Plus, he discusses polling analysis and debates on voter turnout, voter ID laws, and election systems. Tune in for creative ways to bring civics to life in your classroom!

Join Justin as he dives into creative and engaging ways to teach civics, focusing on elections, political parties, and interest groups.  From candy primaries to interest group speed dating, this episode is packed with interactive strategies to make government lessons come alive in your classroom.  Stay tuned for part two, where Justin continues exploring the best ways to bring civics to life!

Previous CIVICS focused episodes:

5. Foundations of Democracy

7. Civil Liberties and Citizenship

11. Policymaking Institutions

18. Civic Engagement Through Discussions and Debates

In this episode of ENGAGE: Teaching the Social Studies, Justin delves into the art of fostering healthy debates and discussions in the classroom.  Amid a polarized world dominated by divisive rhetoric and online insults, educators have the power to create spaces for thoughtful, respectful dialogue.  Justin shares practical strategies for building classroom culture that values listening, empathy, and nuanced thinking.  From icebreaker discussions about “Is a hotdog a sandwich?” to Socratic seminars on weighty political topics like the Electoral College or human rights, this episode is packed with tools and activities to prepare students for civic engagement and critical thinking in the real world.  Tune in for tips, tricks, and inspiration to transform classroom conversations!

Electoral College Discussion

In this episode of ENGAGE: Teaching the Social Studies, I share a quick, engaging strategy I recently tried in my classroom: the Tier List.  This activity gets students ranking, debating, and discussing content in a way that’s fun and meaningful.  Hear how it worked with my AP Government class and how it set the stage for deeper argumentative writing.

Looking for a new way to spark engagement?  Tune in and give the Tier List a try!

Adam Moler's Blog Post of Inspiration!  AN AMAZING FOLLOW!

Eric Curt's Blog!  Another great follow!

In today’s polarized world, classrooms are often the frontline for navigating challenging conversations.  How can educators create spaces where students feel safe to share, learn, and engage critically with diverse perspectives?  In this episode, we dive into practical strategies for fostering civil discourse with John Snoad from Sphere Education.