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Lesson Plan
iCivics

County Government: High School

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Balancing a budget—the bane of many people's existence! Yet, its' something that must be done, especially in government systems. The resource, fourth in a seven-part series exploring local government, focuses on various exercises that...
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Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

Are You a Democrat or a Republican? Are You Really?

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Have new or soon-to-be voters examine different political parties and their platforms as they figure out which one aligns most with their beliefs. After taking a few online quizzes, students split into pairs to discuss and then in larger...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

Mock Election

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Here is an excellent resource in which class members host a mock election for a candidate and policy that will be implemented into your very own classroom. Progressing from primaries, through the campaign trail, and finally to the mock...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

SWOT Teams: Analyzing the Political Parties for the 2010 Midterm Elections

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What are political parties and what so strategists do? In this political analysis instructional activity, students analyze political strategies to understand their strengths and weaknesses. They use key details from the text to learn how...
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Activity
Carolina K-12

Get Involved! - Civic Participation Project

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What better way to learn about civic responsibility's importance than to experience it? From the opportunity to volunteer in an elected official's office and participate in a political campaign to observations of school board and city...
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Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

Political Parties and Conventions

For Teachers 8th Standards
The two major parties polarize many in America today, but it doesn't have to be that way in the classroom! Teach learners about political party platforms and modern campaigns with a mock political convention. After watching a PowerPoint...
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Writing
Carolina K-12

The Electoral College

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Is the Electoral College the best method of electing the president of the United States? Your young historians will write a persuasive essay discussing the historical perspective of the college, pros and cons, and a final argument for or...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Why is John Adams Standing on Thomas Jefferson's Foot?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Was it a bromance, or were they frenemies? Young historians use a controversial portrait and letters between Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and others to evaluate the relationship between the two Founding Fathers. Examining the primary...
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Activity
Smithsonian Institution

Young People Shake Up Elections (History Proves It) Educator Guide

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Vote, it's your civic duty! The resource provides several videos about voting in the United States. Scholars watch a series of topics ranging from youth participation to civic action. The educator's guide provides teachers with...
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Lesson Plan
Teaching Tolerance

The Truth About Voting

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
True or False: Only Presidential elections matter. Academics delve into common voting myths to understand what is true and why the election process is critical to democracy. The activity uses group discussion, activities, and handouts to...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Political Polarization

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Dive into the political breach with pupils and explore the reasons for political polarization. Using clips from C-SPAN that include discussions from reporters and scholars, class members consider what is causing the political fault lines...
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Lesson Plan
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Beyond a Two-Party System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young political scientists go beyond the two-party system and research third-party candidates running in the 2020 US Presidential election. Groups present background information about the candidate, the party's platform points, and a...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Troubled Elections of 1796 and 1800

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Congress does more than create new laws. Political scientists delve into the elections of 1796 and 1800 to understand how political parties, the Electoral College, and personal agendas affected the election process. The resource also...
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Worksheet
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Elections, Money, and the First Amendment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Those who spend the most, win.  Academics read informational text, participate in group discussion, and defend campaign reforms to understand the correlation between money, the First Amendment, and election results. The resource explains...
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Winner-Take-All: The Two-Party System

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Two's company, three's a crowd. High school historians learn about the Electoral College, a two-party, winner-take-all voting system in the United States. The instructional activity explains the pros and cons of the two-party system,...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Purged From the Voter Rolls: Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Once a registered voter isn't always a registered voter. Academics explore the topic of voter registration and hindrances to remaining registered. The resource focuses on data analysis, federal voter registration law, and Supreme Court...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Election of 1864

For Teachers 9th - 12th
An interesting lesson plan uses a hands-on-activity and group discussion to explore the 1864 presidential election and Lincoln's plans for ending the Civil War. Designed for high school, the resource also requires historians to...
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AP Test Prep
College Board

2015 AP® Human Geography Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
How are population and political power related? What is the significance of the globalization of English? Why do refugees leave their home countries? Using structured short-answer questions, scholars unravel complicated dynamics with...
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Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

The Nazi Party Platform

For Teachers 7th - 11th Standards
Not all party platforms stay democratic. A resource covers many political issues in Germany during the time of World War II, and teaches pupils about the Nazi party platform and what went wrong. Individuals participate in a warm-up...
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Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

The Weimar Republic: Historical Context and Decision Making

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that way before Hitler became a dictator, he actually spent nine months in a German jail? Provide the background for the escalating point before the Nazi party took over in World War II through the exercises in the resource....
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Make a “Deliberations” Site

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Many hot button issues require deliberations, even in your classroom! Learners work in teams or as individuals to decide on a deliberation question to make into a Google site. They research the topics in depth, discuss both sides of the...
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Assessment
Fluence Learning

Writing About Informational Text: Political Parties

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
To demonstrate their ability to craft an analysis of informational text, class members read excerpts from James Madison's "The Federalist No. 10," from George Washington's Farewell Address, and from Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural...
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Lesson Plan
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C-SPAN

Debates

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
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 high...
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Organizer
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Mikva Challenge

Political Forum Viewing Guide

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Is there a way to determine a winner of a political debate? Use a helpful rubric to evaluate the issues, specificity, evidence, reasoning, and delivery of candidates in a debate. After assessing each person's performance, high schoolers...