Brandon Mysliwiec Contact

The Hero Academy · Social Studies

The Citizen's Compass

Groups and shared tasks lead toward civics, economics, institutions, and public questions. Documented conditions are distinguished from policy preferences and ethical judgments.

Proposed K–12 pathway · initial section available
Read & downloadView the learning sequence
The Citizen's Compass illustrated curriculum cover

Available section · CIV-K-01

Groups, roles, and shared tasks

The learner communicates by speech, gesture, drawing, or assisted communication. Adult read-aloud support is expected.

  1. CIV-K-01-L01

    Groups and shared tasks

    Identify a group task and the roles that help complete it.

    Companion activity: CIV-K-01-W01
  2. CIV-K-01-L02

    Rules describe expected actions

    Identify a rule and explain its stated purpose.

    Companion activity: CIV-K-01-W02
  3. CIV-K-01-L03

    Choices and different views

    Distinguish an observed result from a preference about a group choice.

    Companion activity: CIV-K-01-W03

A proposed path from K through 12

The learning sequence

Levels organize increasing complexity. They are not age deadlines. Detailed standards coverage, prerequisites, and topic research remain in development beyond the starter section.

Kindergarten entry

Adult-supported observation, communication, and access adaptations; no independent reading required

  1. CIV-K-01Groups, roles, and shared tasksIntroductory section available; further strand coverage in development
  2. CIV-K-02Rules and their purposesPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-K-03Needs, wants, and choicesPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-K-04Listening and describing different viewsPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Identify useful roles in a safe shared task
  • Explain a rule's stated purpose and check an observed result
  • Distinguish a stated preference from evidence that an option meets a goal

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 1

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level K; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-1-01Families and community institutionsPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-1-02Leaders, responsibilities, and rulesPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-1-03Goods, services, and exchangePlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-1-04Community inquiry and participationPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Describe a function of a community institution
  • Distinguish a good from a service in familiar examples
  • Ask a community question and record information that addresses it

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 2

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 1; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-2-01Local government and public servicesPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-2-02Citizenship and participationPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-2-03Resources, work, and savingPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-2-04Cultural practices and respectful comparisonPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Describe an example of local government and its public services
  • Explain a simple choice involving resources, work, or saving
  • Compare two documented cultural practices without generalizing to every group member

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 3

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 2; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-3-01Levels of governmentPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-3-02Rights, responsibilities, and deliberationPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-3-03Markets and opportunity costPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-3-04Media messages and evidencePlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Distinguish responsibilities assigned to different government levels in a taught example
  • Identify the opportunity cost of a specified choice
  • Separate a media claim from the evidence offered for it

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 4

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 3; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-4-01State, local, and tribal governmentsPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-4-02Constitutions and civic institutionsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-4-03Production, trade, and public goodsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-4-04Community research and service planningPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare the documented roles of state, local, and tribal institutions
  • Trace a production or trade example through its participants
  • Develop a community-service proposal with a stated need and evidence

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 5

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 4; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-5-01United States constitutional frameworkPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-5-02Branches, powers, and limitsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-5-03Households, businesses, and governmentPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-5-04Sources, perspectives, and civic discussionPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Explain a constitutional power and a limit using a supplied provision
  • Describe an interaction among United States government branches
  • Compare perspectives on a civic question and identify each source's evidence

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 6

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 5; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-6-01Comparative communities and culturesPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-6-02Government systems and institutionsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-6-03Markets, incentives, and tradePlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-6-04Information literacy and current-event inquiryPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare two government systems using defined institutional features
  • Explain a trade or incentive example while identifying a simplifying assumption
  • Evaluate a current-event source for date, author, evidence, and missing context

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 7

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 6; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-7-01Constitutional principles and federalismPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-7-02Participation, law, and civic changePlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-7-03Personal finance and consumer choicesPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-7-04Claims, statistics, and media framingPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Explain federalism using an example with identified legal sources
  • Compare two consumer choices using stated costs and constraints
  • Identify how a chart or headline can frame the same underlying information

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 8

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 7; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-8-01Civil rights and civic responsibilitiesPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-8-02Courts, policy, and democratic processesPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-8-03National and global economiesPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-8-04Evidence-based community proposalsPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Explain a civil-rights issue using documented institutions and events
  • Trace a specified policy or court process with its jurisdiction
  • Construct a community proposal that acknowledges costs, benefits, and counterevidence

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 9

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 8; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-9-01Political systems and civic theoriesPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-9-02United States institutions in practicePlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-9-03Microeconomics and market limitationsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-9-04Cultural and social inquiryPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare political theories as attributed frameworks
  • Explain a microeconomic model and identify an assumption that limits it
  • Analyze a social or cultural claim using evidence without treating a group as uniform

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 10

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 9; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-10-01Constitutional interpretation and case analysisPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-10-02Macroeconomics and economic indicatorsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-10-03Global institutions and international relationsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-10-04Media, evidence, and public argumentPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Distinguish a court holding from arguments and commentary about it
  • Interpret an economic indicator using its official definition
  • Evaluate a public argument by tracing its factual claims to original evidence

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 11

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 10; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-11-01Civil liberties, rights, and legal processesPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-11-02Taxes, credit, insurance, and financial decisionsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-11-03Policy analysis and tradeoffsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-11-04Research ethics and community participationPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Explain a legal-process example while identifying jurisdiction and date
  • Compare financial scenarios using fees, risk, and explicit assumptions
  • Evaluate a policy proposal using stated criteria and distribution of effects

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 12

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 11; placement is skill-based

  1. CIV-12-01Comparative governance and contemporary issuesPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. CIV-12-02Economic models and competing explanationsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. CIV-12-03Independent source evaluation and deliberationPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. CIV-12-04Civic research and contribution capstonePlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare governance responses to a current issue using dated evidence
  • Evaluate competing economic explanations through their assumptions and predictions
  • Produce a civic capstone that distinguishes empirical findings from value judgments

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Subject strands inside this book

  • Families and Communities
  • Culture and Society
  • Civics and Citizenship
  • Government and Political Systems
  • United States Constitution and Government
  • Rights and Responsibilities
  • Economics and Trade
  • Financial Literacy
  • Media and Information Literacy
  • Current Events and Global Issues
  • Community Service and Civic Participation

Evidence and scope

Selected introductory work toward D2.Civ.2.K-2, D2.Civ.3.K-2, and D2.Civ.6.K-2; no claim of complete civics coverage.

Read source notes and release limits →