An examination of stump speeches, one of the most important components of a presidential campaign, is made possible by accessing The New York Times Learning Network. After closely examining the form and function of stump speeches,...

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,...

Upper graders play a game as a way to facilitate understanding of US Presidential Campaign issues and strategies. After being divided into small groups, a candidate will be chosen to run for office. Each group creates propaganda to get...

Imagine a lesson plan that models for learners how to separate facts from opinions. How to detect bias. How to evaluate a source of information. How to identify propaganda. Although designed for middle schoolers, the activities in this...

During a political campaign, you can hardly turn around without encountering an endorsement or attack on a candidate. High schoolers examine the ways that negative advertisement, positive advertisements, and everything in between can...

In the time of a hotly contested presidential election, campaign ads are almost ubiquitous—but what makes them good? Using ads from the 2018 midterm elections, learners consider the various strategies candidates use to get the vote....

It's time to take action! Learners strategize their action campaigns by using the resource and past brainstorming activities from the series that help them pinpoint problems in their communities. They use included templates to get the...

The Poor People's Campaign of 1968 marked a shift in the civil rights movement to economic issues. Speakers in four C-SPAN video clips discuss different aspects of the campaign including Resurrection City, the Economic Bill of Rights,...

Follow the money trail! As part of their study of the 2020 Presidential campaign, class members to research how much money candidates have raise and spent, as well as the sources of the funds. They then graph their findings to compare...

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...

Have your class explore alcohol awareness public service announcements. Provided are a detailed plan and a complete set of materials for doing just this. Learners are exposed to a series of approaches and advertisements and decide which...

Engage your learners in global events. The makers of the film Invisible Children began the Kony 2012 Campaign to bring awareness to the Lord's Resistance Army. You can show your class the video Kony 2012 and spark discussion with the...

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...

As an introduction to a series of related resources that examine political advertising and commercials from 1952-2012, class members use the provided rubric to analyze and rate the effectiveness of the emotion, persuasion, factual...

Students examine the anti-lynching campaign sponsored by the NAACP in the 1930's. In this social justice lesson plan, students study the history of the anti-lynching campaign and determine why it was not successful. Students conduct...

Students investigate the anti-lynching campaign of the NAACP in the 1920's. In this human rights instructional activity, students prepare for and participate in a simulated debate of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill that was presented to...

Using the announcements of presidential candidacies, pupils consider how contenders make their initial arguments to the public. A worksheet helps structure collaborative work to analyze 10 video clips. Writing prompts allow for extension...

Just how true is the information contained in political ads? Determining the veracity of campaign ads from the 2008 presidential race is the focus of a instructional activity that introduces class members to several...

To gain an understanding of how images and sounds are used to influence viewers, class members analyze these features in Presidential campaign commercials from 1952-2012.

It's the art of the image!  As part of a study of the 2020 Presidential race, groups analyze an image of a candidate, first from an objective point of view and then subjectively. They then prepare a presentation detailing what they...

Campaigns to gain voting rights for women during the 19th and 20th centuries took place on both the state and federal level. After examining primary sources that document both types of campaigns, class members debate the merits of the...

Political ads flood the airwaves each election cycle. An activity including more than a dozen political ads from iconic presidential campaigns helps learners unpack how the sausage gets made during election "silly season." Using the...

Whether it's an election year or not, a unit on voting patterns and political campaigns will awaken the civic pride in your high school citizens. Divided into six parts, the curriculum covers various facets of an election, including...

Over the summer of 1944, the Allied powers of World War II came together to take back the beaches of France. See the ways each division operated to turn the tide of war with an interactive timeline and map.