Curated OER
Building a Class Government Through Elections
Students participate in their own classroom election to fill multiple positions. Individually, they examine campaign speeches and write their own. Once the election occurs, they must fulfill their duties as outlined in their campaign.
Curated OER
Presidential Election 2004: Analyzing the Attack Ads
Students view and text the text of presidential election advertisements in 2004. Using the ads, they analyze them and check the validity of the statements made. They answer discuss questions for each ad and share them with the class.
Curated OER
Database Detectives Hold an Election ~ Part 3
Students use a database to conduct a schoolwide election. They discover the importance of voting and democracy. They incourage one another to vote.
Curated OER
Evaluation of Election Process
High schoolers examine the procedures to elect the President of the United States. In groups, they create their own political cartoon presenting a consensus of their point of views on the process. They identify the strengths and...
Curated OER
Follow the Campaign Trail
Students choose a candidate of interest to them to follow throughout a campaign. Using the Internet, they identify the strengths and weaknesses of their candidate and compare them to the others. They share their findings with the class.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: 2004 Presidential Election
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the 2004 election and respond to 5 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Campaign Echoes
In this current events learning exercise, students analyze a political cartoon about the 2008 Presidential campaign and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Teaching Tolerance
The Truth About Voting
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 lesson uses group discussion, activities, and handouts to...
Smithsonian Institution
The American Presidency: Grades 4-6
An interesting unit explains the American presidency from the campaign trail all the way to the role of the president. Historians participate in discussions, create posters, conduct Internet research, and more to gain an understanding of...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Political Issue Timeline
As part of a study of US Presidential elections, class members track the history of an issue in the 2020 campaign. They create a timeline to determine if there are any patterns, if ideas about the issue have evolved, or if in issue is no...
C-SPAN
Presidential Primary Challengers
A formidable opponent can shake up the election of an incumbent president. Class members explore the results of the elections of 1912, 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1992 using video clips. A chart helps pupils organize their thoughts and...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Electoral College Philosophical Chairs Debate
Because of the Electoral College, it is possible to win the popular vote in a US Presidential election and still lose the election. After researching the pros and cons of the Electoral College, class members engage in a structured debate...
C-SPAN
The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC
What began as an effort to show a movie by an interest group has impacted financing of federal elections. Did the Citizens United case lead to more "dark money" in politics, or did it shine a light with more speech? Using video clips...
Curated OER
Christie Will Not Run for President
Readers answer eight who, what, when, why, and where questions as they read this New York Times article. They peruse the article to learn about Chris Christie and the 2012 presidential race. Next, they answer the related comprehension...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Candidate Position History Research
Climate change. Assault weapons ban. Death penalty. And the list goes on. So many issues are part of a US presidential election that it can be hard to determine a candidate's position on a particular topic and whether their position has...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Candidate Reflection Essay
After writing about which of the 2020 presidential candidates the class has researched most closely represents their ideas, young political scientists take a 2020 Presidential Election Candidate Quiz to determine what candidate they in...
Curated OER
Choosing the Best Candidate
Who would win an election between Napoleon and Julius Caesar? Group your class up to analyze and discuss which of their given choices would make the best presidential candidate, given specific criteria. The potential candidate list...
Curated OER
The War of 1812
A good addition to a unit on the War of 1812, this slideshow details causes, specific battles, political contexts, and several campaigns of the war. Maps and pictures with broad topics allow teachers to bring their own discussion topics...
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: The Furnace of the Civil War
The eyes of an American History teacher (or Civil War buff) will open wide with this series of maps, which detail the campaigns and battles of the Civil War. Meant to supplement chapter 21 of The American Pageant, this presentation would...
Curated OER
The Media
Students identify various forms of media used in a political campaign and compare the different formats as vehicles for distributing political messages. They analyze the effectiveness of candidate's uses of different media.
Curated OER
Make a Theme Song
Young scholars listen to music and the different messages it sends and then they make a theme song for a campaign. In this theme song lesson plan, students learn about propaganda and the importance of music.
Curated OER
Help a Candidate
Students identify methods used to promote presidential candidates, then create campaign promotional materials for a real or fictional candidate.
Curated OER
The Campaign of 1840: The Candidates
Students compare and contrast William Henry Harrison and Martin Van Buren as candidates for president. They explain why the Whigs wanted to find a candidate in the mold of former president Andrew Jackson and discuss whether Harrison fit...
Curated OER
Stand and Deliver
Students take a closer look at the presidential election of 2004. In this American politics lesson, students visit selected websites to learn about the 2004 campaign and active citizenship. Students then create personality...