PACE Commission Lesson Plan · Grades 9–12 · Social Studies, ELA & Civic Engagement

The Hill We Climb — Civic Voice & Action

Amanda Gorman’s 2021 inaugural poem is a call to civic action — and this lesson uses it as a starting point for high school students to explore their own civic identity and voice. Through close reading and discussion, students examine what it means to speak up in a democratic society, what makes public voice powerful, and how they can take meaningful action in their communities.