Campaign Strategy Teacher Resources

While COVID-19 has changed almost everything about daily life, it's also had a tremendous impact on the 2020 presidential contest. Using video clips featuring political advisors from both sides of the aisle, learners brainstorm what they...

Eleventh graders utilize 19th century songs, drawings, and lecture materials to explore the temperance movement in the US during the 19th century. They form a classroom Washington Temperance Society and work in groups to analyze...

In 2012, each presidential candidate spent a whopping $1 billion! Learners investigate how people create campaigns and run for office. They watch a short video, the 39th of a 50-part US government and politics series, to analyze what...

While some of your students may be too young to vote, they can get involved in the election process by creating a nonpartisan campaign encouraging voter registration. After researching how to register to vote, class members design PSAs,...

How do the presidential debates of 2016 compare to the debates from the 1980's? What about the 1960's? Evaluate a chosen candidate or issue from the 20th and 21st centuries with a lesson plan focused on political debates. Middle and...

Young scholars utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois. They examine how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies. Students write an essay...

Eleventh graders utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois and how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies.

Students examine campaign songs from the 1840, 1848, and 1860 elections to explore the campaign strategies of 19th century political parties.

Students explore an African American's presidential campaign. In teams, students create a campaign for their presidential candidate. They create political ads and plan campaign strategies. Students are simulate jobs such as a campaign...

One of the most confusing aspects of any presidential election year is the role of the Electoral College. Learners read a bit about how the Electoral College works and then they hold a mock election in their classroom. They'll redraw a...

Students recognize and separate various techniques of propaganda.  In this propaganda lesson plan, students read a handout about the various types of propaganda and how it is used ina political campaign.

Learners research and discuss how Canada's aging population affects advertising. They record information from the 2001 census and create a marketing plan to sell a soft drink.

Students consider how technology impacted American conflicts. In this technological advances lesson, students read, "The Changing Face of War," and then describe how technology made differences in World War I, World War II, the Korean...

Students analyze songs, drawings and stories from the 19th century temperance movement. They work together in groups to form a temperance society within their classroom and analyze strategies of campaigns during the movement.

Young scholars examine the political parties of the 1860 election and compare their platforms.  In this election instructional activity young scholars determine the meaning of a political cartoon and predict the outcome of the 1860...

Students examine how advertisements are produced for political campaigns. In groups, they view various examples of different advertisements and create their own ad by completing the steps listed in the lesson plan. They share their ad...

Historian Walter LaFeber discusses William Jennings Bryan's 1900 campaign strategy to win the White House by criticizing the imperialism of the Republican candidate, William McKinley.

This video discusses how candidates create a campaign strategy to convince voters that they are the best representatives of their beliefs. The various tactics in a political campaign include branding ads, political messaging, campaign...

This link from Election Central 2016 focuses on the Election Process using video clips, lesson plans, teaching materials, and activities having to do with the election process including Campaign Strategy, Getting the Nomination, Election...

Article presents a useful discussion on the basics of public opinion polling, problems with the polling process, sources of public opinion data and tips for consumers.

Official homepage of the Gallup Organization. Fascinating look at all sorts of polls.

In this activity, students watch videos to determine the best characteristics of a president in order to develop a campaign around these traits. Students watch videos of specific presidents and then create campaign posters which reflect...

Running for the presidency isn't easy! In Win the White House, you get to manage your very own presidential campaign by strategically raising funds, polling voters, launching media campaigns, and making personal appearances. Keep a close...

An Online News Hour which discusses "negative" political campaigning from a historical perspective.