C-SPAN
Debates
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...
Curated OER
Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate Curriculum
How do you affirm and negate a statement of value? What is refutation? Interested in debate? Introduce your class to the format of the Lincoln Douglas debate with 14 lessons, designed to be used in order, so that debaters learn the logic...
Curated OER
Presidential Debate Primer
Students examine the function of presidential debates. In this civics activity, students view segments of presidential and vice presidential debates. Students analyze the answers given in the debates and identify the platforms of the...
C-SPAN
Electoral College Pros/Cons and Alternatives
If every vote counts, why do we need the electoral college? Middle and high schoolers study the Constitutional precedent of the electoral college, as well as its place in historical and modern elections, with an engaging social studies...
Curated OER
Election Unscramble
In this language arts and government learning exercise, students analyze 10 scrambled words that pertain to elections. Students unscramble each word and may complete 3 extra credit activities with these words.
Curated OER
Welcome to the Blogosphere
Create a blog spot for your classroom and promote online discussions. There are several blogging websites listed here, and you can create one specific to each class or one collective site. Teach your learners how to post on the blog, and...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Charisma vs. Experience
For this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the 2008 Presidential election and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Charisma vs. Experience
Which is more important for a president: experience or charisma? Scholars consider this as they analyze 2 political cartoons in this analysis handout. Background information gives context through a quote from The Telegraph, and 3 talking...
Curated OER
Where Do They Stand?
In this presidential election worksheet, students research the 2008 presidential candidates and create a booklet of candidate profiles that clearly differentiate each one. They also assume the identity of one of the candidates and hold a...
Curated OER
The Lesson: Kenya
Learners 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....
Curated OER
Leader of the Pack
Students take a closer look the 2008 London mayoral race. In this current events instructional activity, students research the listed Web sites that include information about the candidates for mayor and their attributes. Students also...
C-SPAN
Presidential Birth Requirement
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 and...
NPR
Same-Sex Marriage
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...
Curated OER
Carter’s Approach to Facing the Energy Crisis
Students examine President Carter's stance on the energy crisis of the 1970s. In this energy crisis lesson, students analyze primary sources that feature the crisis during Carter's term. Students script and produce advertisements to...