I started studying civics and government with my kids when they were little—in first and second grade. That might sound a little funny. After all, civics and government are pretty complicated subjects, right?

Civics, the study of what we owe as citizens, and government, the system by which a country or state is managed, all rest on ideas and principles. It's popular now to tell young people that a certain form of government doesn't work only because it has not been applied in the correct way. This idea that systems just need to be tweaked before we reach utopia ignores the fact that governments are based on people, and people either serve God and love each other—or they don't.

To study civics and government in elementary school, I took my kids through history using literature. We learned about the ancient governments of Biblical nations. We read about the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, and medieval feudalism. We studied native animistic cultures and learned about the rise of communism. We read about Native Americans and the thirteen colonies. My boys learned how America became a nation and the way we struggled to maintain unity over two centuries of nationhood.

Not only did we read about the history of nations and their rulers, we read stories that allowed my children to consider what it was like to live as an average citizen in nations throughout history. They were able to feel the consequences of idolatrous ancient Egypt, the despair of feudalism, and the terror of both fascism and communism.

Over the years, we've had many productive and thought-provoking conversations about the ideas and principles behind different forms of government. We've talked about what various governments require of their citizens and what God requires of us in the Bible.

Now that our kids are in high school, we watch a daily student news program, and we study source documents from governments, like the U.S. Constitution. Our boys are learning to become involved citizens while fully understanding the weight of what that means. Many years of reading novels and historical narratives have set our kids up to think critically about their studies in government, civics, and economics (which I think should be fully expected as a part of government studies).

Our boys know that all government is an expression of worship—who we worship determines the way we establish our political structure. They know, too, that there are clear mandates in Scripture about how we are to behave as both citizens of our country and as citizens of eternity.

I'm so glad we took a history and literature-based approach to our homeschool in the early years. I believe it has benefited our kids in many ways, not the least of which is in their understanding of government and civics.

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Danika Cooley is an author and homeschool mother of four. Her passion is equipping parents to teach Scripture and Christian history to their families. You can learn more about Danika's popular  Bible Road Trip™  curriculum  and teen historical novel  When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther  at  Thinking Kids .

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I am adamant that Civics and Government are more important today than ever. There needs to be more than learning a few dates and studying the three branches of government for a student to get a proper understanding.

Sadly, I learned this way too late in my homeschool career. I had a tunnel vision of life that consisted of my church and my homeschool. My kids didn’t understand a sense of community until the last few years. I may get some e-mails on this, but if we are to be a light in a dark world, we need to be out there and understanding the world around us. 

Here are a few things I have incorporated over the last few years that have grown my children in this area:

Look for ways for your family to serve together in the community. This has been life changing for me, and I’ve learned to love the people in my community! We are learning to program weather radios for events around the state. There are always “clean up” days for various parks, cemeteries, or other public places. This will teach your children to get out of their comfort zone, understand community, and (ahem) also help break the stigma of the “unsocialized homeschooler.”

Meet your district’s senators, representatives, and other local officials. We have done this and have made dear friends in the process. We know better how to pray for them.

If possible, go and visit your state capitol. We have found that they really do enjoy the visitors, and they are encouraged to see young people take an active interest in government. My daughter was surprised and encouraged to see how much of a Christian worldview was present within the walls of our state capitol.

Here are some resources that have helped us:

Curriculum: We are very fortunate to have good Christian Government curriculum available for our students. You probably should be wary of choosing a secular curriculum because the worldviews are very different.

Activities and Extra Resources: If TeenPact comes to your capitol, it is worth every penny. My daughter left on day one knowing very little and returned home at the end of the week with an amazing understanding of Government and its processes, how to engage in the culture, and how to defend the Christian faith. She didn’t just read about it . . . she lived it. Another favorite for us is the Constitutional Literacy course that gives a clear understanding of the Constitution. This is published by Home School Legal Defense Association.

Daily News: This was hard for me at first. There is so much corruption, and at times if it was just too inappropriate, so I would turn it off. This type of corruption could give an opportunity to look at Proverbs together. It also keeps your children up on current events.

I realize that Government and Civics are usually just a one-time course, but I would highly encourage you to integrate them into your daily life. If we are planning to raise world changers, it will take more than two semesters! We need to either train them to be leaders or train them to look for able men to vote for.

“Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.” Exodus 18:21

Kerry Tittle is a mother of nine children and a 20-year homeschool veteran. She was the owner of ReformationKidz with her husband Rob until a tornado destroyed their home and business in 2014, taking the lives of Rob and two of their daughters, Tori and Rebekah. Kerry is the founder of  Refined Family , which is created to encourage others to find hope in the gospel in the midst of trials.

When it comes to teaching civics and government, my personal homeschool policy is to start teaching it in the first grade! I’m not talking about a droning lecture but implementing unforgettable-memory-making lessons. Our kiddos and co-op looked forward to our mini unit studies year after year, and each child grew in their ability to understand and care about civics and government. 

Box City: Every summer, our co-op collected refrigerator boxes, a pile of craft supplies and a case of packaging tape. Each student would get their own box to create a business in our Box City Township. The unit study lasted one week for a couple of hours each day. Kids made the rules and a money system. Creativity and excitement filled the air as cardboard, markers, fabric, paint, tape, glue, and glitter (Yes, I said the “G” word: glitter) swirled to set the stage for the emerging lessons. Within a week’s time, our little town experienced a recession, prosperity for some, and poverty for others. Students were encouraged to seek solutions. Even though the young students didn’t know the proper economic terms, their ideas unfolded. In our tiny microcosm of the world, the students entertained ideas of socialism, communism, and a free-market system, or some variation of all the economic ideologies. They discussed how much government should be involved in their little town. When ants destroyed one student’s box because he had left a peanut butter sandwich in his box, the kids discussed the role of the church in social issues. We covered more civics and government lessons in one week than most people get in a lifetime.

Election Day Activities: Every four years, we capitalized on an opportunity to participate in the presidential election. Of course, we researched and talked about all the propositions and issues on the ballot. When election day came, our co-op created a voting booth out of a refrigerator box, and the students used the blank sample ballot to cast their votes. Election Day was a homeschool holiday so students could vote and color in a map showing which presidential candidate won which state and tally the electoral votes. Of course, we sang the Electoral College Song by Schoolhouse Rock! 

Visit the State Capitol: We visited our state capitol every other year. Why? I mean, if you have been there once, you have been there! Here’s why: I wanted my kiddos to feel super comfortable walking into their state capitol like they were visiting a relative or friend. The trip reinforced that the government serves the people and not the other way around. Plus, each tour guide offered a different perspective, and each visit helped spur on additional conversation. 

Dear President: Some of my most cherished homeschool memories are watching my kids and my co-op kiddos stand with pride reading their written letter to the president and eventually sending the letter to the president expressing their thoughts about what they like about America and what they would like changed. It gave their young political palates a taste for what it means to be an American citizen. 

Through the power of play, visiting government offices, writing to the president, and talking about what they learned, young kids can discover the concepts of civics and government. No ho-hum lecture needed! 

You can find  Beth Mora  jogging while  singing off-key  near her home in Washington. She is the creator and teacher-on-camera for  Here to Help Learning’s h omeschool writing program for grades 1-6. She is a welcomed  speaker  at homeschool conferences and women’s events. She loves blogging at  Home to Home,  and Peak Performance, HTHL’s blogs for moms and homeschool businesses. Every week, she serves up HTHL's  Writing Tip of the Week for those who are serious about teaching their kiddos how to write. Everything she does, whether laughable or heart gripping, is done to honor One, without apology. God’s grace is the salve that has healed her own life, and God’s grace is what she offers liberally to others.