Standards-Based Bell Ringers for Civics & American Government – Quarter One

I’m in love with these Standards-Based Bell Ringers for Civics and American Government. Centered around critical thinking, these Bell Ringers provide curriculum-focused enrichment for middle and high school Civics and American government students. Quarter One covers everything from Civics and Citizenship, Civic Duties and Responsibilities, forms of government, John Locke and the Social Contract, King George and the American Revolution, as well as the Declaration of Independence!

With 10 Weeks of daily prompts, these Bell Ringers provide rigorous and engaging enrichment for American Civics students. Full of critical thinking, creative prompts, test prep, and reflection questions, you can use these Bell Ringers as hooks for lessons, to launch discussions, review materials, and prepare for the Civics End of Course exam!

The Full Collection of Civics Bell Ringers on TPT:

Quarter One | Quarter Two | Quarter Three | Quarter Four

In this resource, you get the entire First Quarter of Civics Bell Ringers. This includes 10 weeks of daily Bell Ringers: 9 weeks of Standards-Based enrichment, from introducing Citizenship all the way to the Declaration of Independence, as well as a general Civics: the Study of Citizenship bell ringer perfect for the first week of school! 

This resource includes:

Ten weekly bell-ringers on each of the following topics (with their corresponding 2023-2024 Florida State Standards listed).

1. Civics: the Study of Citizenship (Bonus Back-to-School Week!)

A welcome week perfect for the first week of school. Ease students into the curriculum by asking them to interpret a John F. Kennedy quote (“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”), create a word wall based on the word “government”, and write about an issue affecting the world that they would like to see solved. 

2. Who is a Citizen? | SS.7.CG.2.1 Defining Citizenship.

Among the topics this week, students reflect on what it means to be “of good moral character”, illustrate the concepts Law of Blood and Law of Soil, and consider what the three natural rights “Life, Liberty, and Property” mean to them.

3. The Obligations of Citizenship | SS.7.CG.2.2 Obligations of Citizenship.

This week defines Civic Duties and asks students about obligations and responsibilities in their own lives. Students illustrate the five civic duties and reflect on whether women should have to sign up for the Selective Service.

4. Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship | SS.7.CG.2.2 Obligations of Citizenship.

This week asks about the students’ experiences volunteering, includes an End of Course Exam “EOC Prep” of sample curriculum-based test questions, has them interpret a Barack Obama quote, and lets them design a protest sign based on a school issue they would like to see changed.

5. Forms of Government | SS.7.CG.3.1 Forms of Government. 

Students define various forms of government, illustrate each, and describe what they would do if given a kingdom to rule.

6. Origins of Government | SS.7.CG.1.3 Influential Documents, SS.7.CG.1.4 The Enlightenment and Its Influence, SS.7.CG.1.11 The Rule of Law. 

This week introduces the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, and Mayflower Compact. Students are asked to identify whether these documents represent limited or self-government, to think about the importance of Rule of Law, and to empathize with the plight of the American Colonists.

7. John Locke & the Social Contract | SS.7.CG.1.3 Influential Documents, SS.7.CG.1.4 The Enlightenment and Its Influence.

This week covers the concept of the Social Contract. Students consider Social Contracts in their own lives, question whether slavery was a breach of the Social Contract, and complete a word search for natural rights.

8. The Intolerable King George | SS.7.CG.1.5 The Road to Independence. 

Students illustrate the various taxes and acts the Parliament levied against the colonists and consider whether the British overreacted to the Boston Tea Party. 

9. Thomas Paine: Common Sense | SS.7.CG.1.3 Influential Documents.

Students reflect on their own moments of rebellion, identify tyrannical governments throughout history, analyze a political cartoon, and rewrite quotes from Common Sense in their own words as Tweets. 

10. Declaration of Independence | SS.7.CG.1.6 Declaration of Independence. 

Students consider grievances mentioned in the Declaration and muse on why these actions upset the Colonists; connect the Declaration of Independence to the Social Contract, and write about a time when they wished their parents would have given them more freedom. 

This resource comes as a non-editable PDF, and also contains an optional Bell Ringer Cover Sheet and Student Contract, as well as a handy grading sheet with student and teacher reflection!

A digital version is also available through TPT Easel! TPT Easel Activities can be assigned directly to your Google Classroom, or you can generate a link to share with students via email or your school’s LMS!

What other teachers are saying about this resource:

You can also follow Happy Teacher Resources on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest