Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Iran Nuclear Deal and Its Critics
What was the purpose of the Iranian Nuclear Deal? An insightful resource explains nuclear tensions in the Middle East and Iranian weapon development that contributed to the Nuclear Deal in 2013. Academics learn the agreement limited...
Prestwick House
Rhetorical Devices in Political Speeches
Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short lesson...
PBS
Latinos at the Ballot Box
Latinx people have had a profound effect on voting patterns, going back to the 1950s. Using video clips from the PBS series "Latino Americans," scholars work to assemble a timeline of the interesting history. Then, pupils consider the...
Curated OER
From the Post Office to the Oval Office
This Presidents' Day, have your pupils write letters to the presidential family. They will read an article about writing letters to President Obama, identify topics they feel are important, and finally discuss if those topics would...
Curated OER
Defenders of Justice
Students research abolitionists, civil rights advocates, and their allies to learn about racism and justice. In this racism and justice lesson, students define justice and sing a song about activism. Students review the biographies...
Curated OER
Perks and Perils
Learners research the life of the first family. In this U.S. Government lesson, students take a White House quiz, read an article about the first family and write in their journals about a typical day in their lives versus what a day...
Curated OER
Election Issues '08
Students research the presidential candidates of 2008. In this election instructional activity, students research both candidates and identify where they stand on major issues. Students choose a presidential candidate.
K20 Learn
American Exclusivity: The Chinese Exclusion Act
New ReviewThe Chinese Exclusion Act—the first race-based immigration restriction—is echoed in today's debates on the topic. Using graphic organizers and structured discussions, historians consider the reasons behind the act and compare the...
Curated OER
Does Rick Warren Represent Diversity?
The topic of this instructional activity focuses on whether or not Obama was able to convincingly defend his choice of choosing Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. This is considered a controversial or hot topic...
Polk Bros Foundation
American Presidents
Emanuel Leutze's painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. Alexander Gardner's photograph of Abraham Lincoln. What do these works of art tell us about the character of these American Presidents? After examining the techniques the...
Curated OER
Lincoln is in the House! ("Name-Dropping" Poems and the Power of Connotation)
“What’s in a name?” Just about everything. Barack Obama, Vincent van Gogh, Justin Bieber. Famous names evoke a multitude of reactions and poets often use the names of famous people in their works precisely because names carry...
Curated OER
Navigating the Road to the White House
Students explore U.S. politics by researching the Presidential requirements. In this electoral process lesson, students identify the main requirements to become a Presidential candidate and the two main political parties. Students...
Curated OER
Obama as a Writer
Twelfth graders examine the writings of President Obama. In this Current Events lesson, 12th graders read and analyze two articles by President Obama. Students discuss their reactions to these articles.
C-SPAN
Presidential Candidate Firsts
Hilary Clinton may have been the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, but she was only one example of an historic candidacy. Class members use video clips curated from C-SPAN to examine historical firsts in...
Curated OER
What Does 'Post Racial' Mean, Anyway?
Eighth graders explore where they personally stand on a post-election continuum, spanning from euphoria to despair. In this American History lesson, 8th graders read and discuss an article immediately following the election and a later...
Curated OER
Get up, Stand up. Stand up for your Civil Rights.
Fourth graders study civil rights leaders. In this Civil Rights lesson plan, 4th graders investigate what it means to stand up for something you believe in after reading about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Obama. Students...
Curated OER
Breaking English News - Obama Says BP Must Pay for Oil Spill Clean-up
In this ESL/ELL reading comprehension worksheet, students read or listen to an article entitled, "Obama Says BP Must Pay for Oil Spill Clean-up." They participate in discussion activities, and complete a variety of question types to...
Curated OER
A Nation of Immigrants
Students analyze the speech that Barack Obama delivered titled "A More Perfect Union." In this race relations lesson, students collaborate in heterogeneous groups to analyze the text of the Obama speech and discuss its implications....
Curated OER
The Inauguration of Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States
Eleventh graders explore the process of inauguration in the United States. Students describe the symbolic and political significance of the ceremony of the inauguration of the President of the United States. Students role play the...
Curated OER
Meet the Press: American Presidents
High schoolers interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this presidential history lesson, students research the accomplishments of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Frankiln D. Roosevelt, and...
PBS
Analyzing the Candidates in the 2008 Presidential Election
High schoolers research the 2008 presidential candidates and the required process for becoming an American presidential candidate. The class discusses both the process and the candidates, and some of the reasons someone might want to run...
C-SPAN
Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads
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...
Curated OER
Breaking News: Bin Laden Photo To Be Released
Students explore current events by completing worksheet activities in class. In this Osama Bin Laden instructional activity, students read the news article of Bin Laden's death and subsequent photo while discussing the event with...
Classroom Law Project
What do cartoonists see in this election?
Cartoons from the 2008 Presidential election provide the text for a lesson designed to help learners understand how political cartoonists use persuasive techniques to present a point of view.