Many scholars, teachers, parents, as well as others, are concerned with the decline of civility in public discourse and public schools. The sharp differences among various ideological groups, exacerbated by media incivility, are contributing factors to rising incivility. This ideological divide currently manifests itself in bitter partisan politics, personal attacks, and a high degree of incivility that poisons the public discourse and serves as a poor example to K-12 students. Social studies classes, while teaching about political differences and controversial issues, must be characterized by civility--a virtue that must be inculcated through education and practice. It is difficult for students to internalize this virtue if they do not see it in our politicians, the media, and other institutions. It is also essential that students learn to disagree about issues without using personal attacks, incendiary language, or making false claims about their adversaries. Civility is not simply good manners; it is a moral virtue rooted in the notion that all people are created equally and deserve respect. Thus, incivility is not compatible with the principles of American democracy. This article will examine why civility is critical to public discourse and offer suggestions for teaching and modeling civility in social studies classes.