After researching the presidential election process, class members develop questions and interview voters about their choice of candidate and the issues that concern them.

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 lesson that introduces class members to several fact-checking resources.

Students identify political parties, then read a news article about the 2008 election. In this current events lesson (written prior to the 2008 election), the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then...

Target audience, covert message, explicit and implicit appeals. As part of an investigation of rhetorical devices used in campaign ads, class members examine and deconstruct the appeals in logos from...

As part of a study of voting rights in the US, class members examine Constitutional amendments connected with voting and the role of the Electoral College in the election process.

Who were the candidates in the 2008 US Presidential election and where did they stand on important issues? Use a resource that offers an opportunity to go back in time and examine candidates and issues involved in that election year.

What is advertising? What role does it plan in an election? Middle and high schoolers discuss advertising and its purpose by sifting through different magazines and discussing the products they find. Then they relate advertisements to...

Harold Washington forged a coalition of voters and won the Chicago mayoral election of 1983. In doing so he became the first black mayor of that racially and ethnically divided city. Excerpts from his speech are included in a worksheet...

Campaign propaganda has evolved from 1952 through the presidential election of 2008. A social studies activity prompts class members to analyze the devices used in ads and political cartoons, noting strategies they believe would work to...

Students listen to a statement about the role the Internet plays in the political process and respond by placing a card under the appropriate agree/disagree sign at the front of the room. Students brainstorm reasons to select their...

Students discuss the 2008 Presidential election. They examine the significant issues of the election and focus on the economy. Students study the major issues with the economy. Students decide how they feel about each canidates' views...

Stump speeches are the focus of this exercise that combines politics and language arts. After learning about this type of speech, the class listens to Obama's 2008 presidential campaign stump speech and answers a series of questions that...

Every president of the United States must be a natural-born citizen, but the definition of natural-born is not as straightforward as it seems. Secondary scholars examine two points of view surrounding the constitutional requirement...

Students consider how recent historical events have impacted Kenya. In this global studies instructional activity, students visit selected websites to discover information about President Mwai Kibaki, Kenya's statistics, and Swahili....

Young scholars read about voting rights and compulsory voting in democracies. For this voting rights lesson plan, young scholars analyze the reasons for supporting and opposing compulsory voting and discuss whether compulsory voting is...

The battle over same-sex marriage is a prevalent issue in the United States, and a valuable topic to be discussed in your social studies classroom. Here is a basic outline of introductory questions, focus questions, vocabulary, and media...

Students research categories within President Obama's agenda and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this President Obama agenda lesson, students research a category within President Obama's agenda and present their topic in a...