There are two civics standards. Standard 6.1: "All students will learn democratic citizenship and how to participate in the constitutional system of government of the United States." Standard 6.2: "All students will learn democratic citizenship through the humanities, by studying literature, art, history, philosophy, and related fields."

Chapter 1 of the New Jersey curriculum framework is "Understanding Civics." It includes the two civics standards, seven clusters (subtopics), progress indicators for grades 4, 8 and 12, and learning activities listed under broad topics for grade spans K-4, 5-8 and 9-12. Examples of learning activity topics include "Government Policies Can Impact Our Lives--The Christmas Menorah" (grade 4); "What Is a Good Citizen?--Investigating a Public Issue" and "How Does a Government Work?--City Hall" (grades 9-12); and "How Artists View Historical Events--Romanticism and Revolution" (grades 9-12).