Political Science Teacher Resources

Designed for social studies classes, this collection of lessons examine both the history and the current state of US government institutions, policies, and economic programs.

Election season is a great opportunity to hone critical thinking skills in the classroom. Teach young citizens about the ins and outs of the American political system, provide information about current and historical presidential...

With all the hyperbole of an election year, it can be difficult to find the facts, just the facts about candidates, issues, and ballot measures. Young political scientists, with the help of 21 resources from a nonpartisan, information...

What is voting? How do I vote? Why should I vote? Who do I vote for? These are all important questions that first time, or even veteran voters might ask themselves as election season approaches them. Here is a collection that examines...

The programs of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, are the focus of seven worksheets that teach young historians how to analyze primary source documents—including a poster, excerpts from speeches, and political...

What was America like before it became the United States? Set the stage for the American Revolution with a collection of resources focused on Colonial America, including the cultural, political, and religious conflicts of the time.

The period between the end of World War II and the fall of the Berlin Wall represented a tense, antagonistic relationship between the Soviet Union and the rest of the world, particularly the U.S. Explore the Cold War dynamics and details...

Our forefathers worked to create a more perfect nation for us, and the road to democracy was anything but smooth. Add these resources to your unit on the Declaration of Independence and show your young Americans the roots of their...

Take a walk through the Italian city-states as you explore the European Renaissance. A collection of lessons about the period's art, music, scientific revolutions, and political upheavals engages even the unenlightened learners in your...

Develop informational reading skills that your students can bring to every academic textbook, newspaper article, or political speech they encounter. With lesson plans, projects, and reading passages, a collection featuring resources that...

What was America like before it became the United States? Set the stage for the American Revolution with a collection of resources focused on Colonial America, including the cultural, political, and religious conflicts of the time.

From compasses to Google Earth, these mapping resources will help your students get acquainted with mapping skills both old and new. You'll find resources here about both political and physical maps, and a number of the activities are...

Social studies and literacy skills go hand in hand, as one of the core components of history, philosophy, political science and the other social studies is the written word. The RH.9-10 CCSS standards place an emphasis on primary...

Veritas nunquam perit. The timeless truths and lessons learned from the ancient Romans can be found in a collection that not only looks at the art and architecture, the cultural happenings, and the political structure, but also traces...

This March, honor and celebrate Women's History Month with a collection of lessons, videos, and ideas. From women in aviation to women in the Civil War to women in politics, this collection is sure to cover all the bases in women's history.

A three-lesson collection explores the federal and state court systems, as well as criminal and civil court systems. Along the way, high schoolers consider the qualifications necessary to serve in high-federal offices, and why courts...

Investigate the spread of infectious disease with this interdisciplinary set of high school health lessons. Young scholars start by learning about the mechanisms of disease transmission and the different methods of prevention before...

The writings of a French diplomat and political philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, offer young scholars much to think about. In the three-lesson unit, class members examine Tocqueville’s arguments about the power of the majority and...

Informational, interesting, and easy-to-understand, the five resources in the Role of the Federal Courts collection provide an overview of the historical context, important principles, and content of the US Constitution regarding the...

Young historians, prompted by questions on worksheets, practice analyzing primary source documents (an editorial cartoon, letters, and excerpts from one of Roosevelt’s fireside chats) related to the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt....

What better way to develop an awareness of the power of presidential campaigns ads than by analyzing them? The resources in this collection ask class members to develop criteria for evaluating effective ads, and to examine the claims,...

Want to get your students, their parents, and your community involved in the democratic process? Although designed for Iowans, you don't have to be from that state nor does it need to be an election year to benefit from the resources in...

Innocent man or traitor to France? That is the question addressed in a five-lesson unit that looks at multiple interpretations of the Dreyfus Affair. As young historians examine primary sources, they also consider the bias that history...

Have you ever heard the mnemonic memory trick, Never Eat Soggy Waffles? Often, teachers find this helpful when teaching their students the four cardinal directions (North, East, South, and West). This is the first thing you need to know...