Teacher Resources

The New Jersey Center for Civic Education is an independent non-profit organization affiliated with the Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences and located on the Rutgers-Piscataway campus. The Center is dedicated to:

• Fostering the knowledge, skills and dispositions students need to be responsible, engaged politically tolerant citizens in a democratic society
• Providing professional development and resources for K-12 educators
• Promoting civic engagement and an understanding of history and the role of the citizen and public policy-making in a democratic society
• Advocating for policies that enhance the teaching of social studies

Federal Election Links

• Teachers can now view the PowerPoint from the Center’s September 24th workshop on Teaching the 24th Election.
• The Center also offers a lesson on Should We Change the Electoral College?

New Jersey State Election Links

• Why New Jersey holds statewide elections in odd years Why is New Jersey one of only two states (Virginia is the other) to hold a gubernatorial election in an “off-year”? Note one correction to the article: Kentucky no longer holds its gubernatorial election the same years as New Jersey and Virginia.
• For information about adult voting in New Jersey that students can share with their parents and older siblings and friends, go to New Jersey State Voter Portal.
• For an overview of state election policy go to Ballotpedia’s Election Policy in New Jersey
• Here is a copy of the New Jersey Constitution
• For focused news on the New Jersey election NJ Spotlight offers NJ DECIDES 2025
• The Center also provides sample lessons on New Jersey’s history and politics. Lessons include New Jersey’s Powerful Governor, New Jersey's Legislature, and New Jersey’s Judiciary.

Teaching the Election in a Highly Partisan Era Workshop

• Teaching Elections Workshop 2025 PowerPoint. This was designed for a 90- minute virtual workshop for teachers and has information regarding teaching controversial issues such as elections, media literacy, a few suggested classroom activities, and New Jersey government and politics.
• For a video explaining the activities below teachers can view for professional development credit, click here.
• The Process Matters document suggests that one way to handle the controversial nature of this election is to help students identify American ideals prior to any instruction about the candidates and issues, and to use these ideals as parameters for classroom discussions and to focus on that which unifies us as a nation. The document has been updated for state elections to include the oaths for New Jersey governor and legislators.
• An Ounce of Prevention provides suggestions for addressing controversial issues.
• The Classroom Activities to Encourage Active Listening discusses methods to establish civil discourse within the classroom by helping students understand and respect opposing viewpoints.
• How Schools Can Address Fake News looks at the current issue of “fake news”, the history of the problem, and provides web sites and information to help students become more media literate.

Debate Issues

Several issues have arisen during the debates surrounding the current election, and the Center has provided the following resources for teachers. The lessons provide background information and suggested class questions.

• New Jersey Congressional Districts. 2020 saw the completion of a new census, requiring a redistricting of New Jersey’s representation in the House.
• What does the New Jersey Constitution say about redistricting?
• Judicial Appointments. The move by the Senate to confirm a replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made the timing of appointment of potential justices a contentious issue.
• Statehood for Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The battle over the Supreme Court has emphasized the importance of the Senate, and some have proposed adding additional states to perhaps change the potential political balance in the Senate.

The Center also provides sample lessons on New Jersey’s history and politics.