Quick Start Guide

for the Civics and Citizenship Toolkit!

The Civics and Citizenship Toolkit is a collection of 

educational resources developed by U.S. Citizenship 

and Immigration Services (USCIS) to help permanent 

residents learn more about the United States and prepare 

for the naturalization process. Many of the Toolkit’s

products can also serve as supplemental teaching tools 

for adult educators and volunteers in a classroom or 

community program setting. 

This Quick Start Guide provides suggestions on how to use 

the Toolkit and its materials to support immigrants in 

your community. A detailed listing of each of the items 

included in the Toolkit is also provided. Many programs, 

especially those new to serving immigrant communities, 

will find the publication Expanding ESL, Civics, and Citizenship 

Education in Your Community: A Start-Up Guide to be a valuable 

resource. This 

practical guide offers 

recommendations 

for organizations 

interested in 

establishing English 

as a Second Language 

(ESL) and citizenship classes for immigrants. 

As an initial step, we encourage you to review both 

this Quick Start Guide and the more detailed Expanding ESL, 

Civics, and Citizenship Education in Your Community: A Start-Up 

Guide. You will find many uses for the Toolkit both as a 

supplement to classroom instruction and as a standalone resource for self-study. To explore some ideas, see 

the topics below.

Providing Basic Information to the Immigrant Community 

Before starting a new class or program, try assessing 

the needs of the immigrant community and exploring 

the resources already available locally. To guide your 

research, browse through the publication Welcome to the 

United States: A Guide for New Immigrants and complementary 

web resources at uscis.gov/tools/settling-us to review 

topics of special interest for immigrants. Topics include:

• Life in the United States

• Education

• Finding a job

• Healthcare 

• Immigration and citizenship

• Emergencies

• Starting a business

Consult with other immigrant-serving organizations to 

learn what services they offer and see if there are unmet 

needs in your community. If you find that there is little 

or no knowledge of the resources already available in 

your community, consider creating a local guide for new 

immigrants as your first project. 

Another suggestion is to host community information 

sessions, in partnership with local organizations that 

already serve the local community, on topics of interest 

to immigrants. For example, you could host a session on 

one of the following topics:

• Getting settled in the United States

• Education in the United States

• How to become a U.S. citizen

• How to navigate the local job market

• How to start a small business

Promoting the sessions in advance is key for success. 

Refer to Expanding ESL, Civics, and Citizenship Education in Your 

Community: A Start-Up Guide for ideas on how to inform the 

community about your programs.

Developing Content for Classes

Many of the products and publications included in the

Toolkit can be used to enhance an ESL and/or citizenship 

class. Suggestions include the following activities: 

• Use Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants

to identify vocabulary related to life in the United 

States. These vocabulary words may also be useful in 

preparing students for the naturalization interview 

and test. 

• Students can practice their English skills by reading 

aloud the questions and answers found in the Civics 

Flash Cards. 

continued on the next page

M-674 (rev. 08/17)
We hope that you find the ideas presented in this Quick Start Guide useful for your program. For additional 

information and resources, please visit uscis.gov/citizenship.

Developing Content for Classes (continued from previous page)

• Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons offers 

English language learners an opportunity to learn 

about U.S. history and government. Review each 

of the vocabulary words in the back of this booklet 

for the English reading and writing tests with the 

class. Following this exercise, ask students to write 

sentences using the vocabulary words and then read 

the sentences aloud. 

• Use the Toolkit to create a collection of civics and 

citizenship study materials in your program’s library 

or reference section.

Set aside time to review the materials in the Toolkit. This 

process may help you come up with your own ideas to 

use in ESL and/or citizenship classes.

Training Staff and Volunteers 

The study aids and educational materials inside the Toolkit

can serve as helpful training resources for both new and 

experienced volunteers. Refer to Expanding ESL, Civics, and 

Citizenship Education in Your Community: A Start-Up Guide for a 

step-by-step plan to build and support your volunteer 

network. Below are several suggestions on how to train 

and motivate volunteers:

• Effective citizenship instructors have a solid 

understanding of the fundamentals of U.S. history 

and government. Volunteers should review The Citizen’s 

Almanac and Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons

to become familiar with the content covered on the 

civics test. 

• Assign each volunteer to become an “expert” on one 

of the chapters from the orientation guide, Welcome 

to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants. Ask each 

volunteer to provide a summary to fellow volunteers. 

If a student or client has a question about life in 

the United States that one volunteer cannot answer, 

he or she can direct the individual to the most 

knowledgeable source.

• Ask volunteers to review Expanding ESL, Civics, and 

Citizenship Education in Your Community: A Start-Up Guide. 

This will allow them to get a better understanding 

of the elements of an effective program. Hold 

brainstorming sessions to review program goals, 

ideas, and recommendations.

• Using the civics and citizenship resources in 

the Toolkit, ask volunteers to create a special 

program and exhibit during patriotic holidays 

or commemorations, such as the Fourth of July, 

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Flag Day, etc.

Exploring the Citizenship Resource Center

Visit the USCIS Citizenship Resource Center at 

uscis.gov/citizenship for additional free citizenship 

preparation materials. Individuals applying for 

citizenship can use these resources as a reference tool 

to prepare for the naturalization interview. Teachers 

and volunteers can use them to complement classroom 

instruction. Be sure to look for these helpful study tools: 

• The USCIS Naturalization Interview and Test is a 16-minute 

video that provides an overview of the naturalization 

process and testing requirements. The video 

highlights scenes from the naturalization interview, 

including the English and civics (U.S. history and 

government) portions of the naturalization test. These 

simulated situations provide a closer look into the 

overall process.

 • Listen to audio MP3 files, available in English and 

Spanish, of the official list of civics questions and 

answers for the naturalization test.

• Use the online study tool, also available in English 

and Spanish, called the Civics Practice Test to help test 

your knowledge of U.S. history and government.

• A Promise of Freedom: An Introduction to U.S. History and Civics 

for Immigrants is a 12-minute film focused on the 

history and founding of our nation and the important 

rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship. A Promise 

of Freedom is an excellent way to begin a session on 

immigration or citizenship. The film is available with 

English, Chinese, and Spanish subtitles.

• Access lesson plans and activities with instructions 

and teaching strategies for novice and seasoned ESL 

instructors preparing students for U.S. citizenship.
The Civics and Citizenship Toolkit contains a variety of educational materials 

designed to help permanent residents learn more about the United 

States and prepare for the naturalization process. The following items are 

included in each copy of the Civics and Citizenship Toolkit. Electronic versions 

of these items are available at uscis.gov/citizenship unless otherwise 

noted.

Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants/ 

Bienvenido a los Estados Unidos de América: Guía para nuevos inmigrantes

USCIS offers a comprehensive guide containing practical information to help 

immigrants settle into everyday life in the United States, as well as basic civics 

information that introduces new immigrants to the U.S. system of government. 

English and Spanish versions are provided in the Toolkit. The guide is available in 

additional languages at uscis.gov. 

Civics Flash Cards

The Civics Flash Cards will help immigrants learn about U.S. history and government 

while preparing for the naturalization test. These easy-to-use flash cards contain 

each of the 100 civics (history and government) questions and answers on the 

naturalization test. Perfect for individual study or for use in the classroom, the Civics 

Flash Cards serve as a valuable instruction tool for citizenship preparation. 

Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons 

Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons contains short lessons based on each of the 

100 civics (history and government) questions and answers on the naturalization 

test. This additional information will help immigrants learn more about important 

concepts in American history and government—moving beyond memorization—as 

they prepare for citizenship. 

The Citizen’s Almanac

The Citizen’s Almanac is a collection of America’s most cherished symbols of freedom 

and liberty, serving as a modern day lifeline to the rich civic history we all share as 

Americans. The booklet includes information on patriotic anthems and symbols, 

citizenship rights and responsibilities, the creation of our founding documents, 

biographical details on prominent foreign-born Americans, landmark decisions of the 

U.S. Supreme Court, and important presidential and historic speeches on citizenship.

Civics and Citizenship Toolkit 

Products and Publications
Pocket-Size Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the 

United States

A pocket-size booklet containing the complete text of these two core documents of 

American democracy.

Preparing for the Naturalization Test: A Pocket Study Guide/

Preparación para el examen de naturalización: Guía de Bolsillo

This pocket study guide contains the list of 100 civics questions and answers for the 

naturalization test as well as the English reading and writing vocabulary. English and 

Spanish versions are provided in the Toolkit.

Expanding ESL, Civics, and Citizenship Education in Your Community: 

A Start-Up Guide 

Many community, faith-based, and civic organizations and employers would like to 

help immigrants adjust to life in the United States and prepare for citizenship, but do 

not know where to begin. Fortunately, the experience and practices of existing ESL, 

civics, and citizenship programs can help you get started. This guide offers suggestions 

and strategies along with a framework you can adapt to suit your community’s needs 

and circumstances. The guide also includes basic recommendations and sample forms 

and materials to help begin an ESL and/or citizenship program.

For more information on the Civics and Citizenship Toolkit, please visit uscis.gov/citizenshiptoolkit.

uscis.gov ★ 1 800 375 5283