Curated OER
Covering the Campaign Trail: Technological Progress or Temporary Chaos?
Learners study the changes in reporting and journalism techniques that have evolved due to advances in technology by reading an online transcript. They debate whether the technological advances are positive or negative in the reporting...
Curated OER
Campaign 2000
Students research newspapers and the Internet to learn about the election. Students work in groups and choose a state that they want to compare to Florida. Students organize the data they have found into a graph labeling an "x" and "y"...
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
Do We Still Need the Electoral College?
One of the most confusing aspects of any presidential election year is the role of the Electoral College. Learners read a bit about how the Electoral College works and then they hold a mock election in their classroom. They'll redraw a...
Curated OER
Race and Representation
Students consider race and representation. In this voting rights lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Georgia congressional districts, and North Carolina voting districts. Students respond...
Curated OER
Voters and Judges
Students analyze the work on independent judiciaries. In this federal courts lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on details of federal cases. Students respond to discussion questions and participate in an activity...
School Improvement in Maryland
Evaluating Political Advertisements
How do interest groups try to influence elections? As part of their study of the election process, groups view 30-second advertisements produced by advocacy groups and use the provided worksheet to evaluate these ads. They then craft...
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...
Classroom Law Project
Should we believe everything we read? Becoming a discerning consumer of media
Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...
Curated OER
YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN
Twelfth graders, in groups propose a new law and design a campaign to get people to vote for their law. They have a voter's forum and hold a mock election.
Curated OER
A Race to Watch: Campaign 2008, The Role of Technology and the Internet
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...
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...
Curated OER
Campaign Finance Reform and Public Opinion
Learners discuss the issue of finance reform in political campaigns. Using the internet, they identify the positives and negatives of finance reform and research the problems associated with campaign fund-raising. They share their...
Curated OER
The Campaign: Issues and Strategies. Campaign Press Coverage
Students discuss and fill out worksheets on the amount and type of press coverage given to certain candidates. In this press coverage lesson plan, students complete 4 worksheets and view maps of the United States to see where the press...
Curated OER
Presidential Elections: Vocabulary Skills
For this online interactive English vocabulary skills worksheet, students answer 10 fill in the blank questions regarding presidential elections. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
2002 City of Newark Mayoral Campaign
Students research community issues and develop a consensus of issues they think the next mayor should address and study the candidates' positions they have chosen to track.
Curated OER
The Role of Television Commercials in Presidential Election Campaigns
Eighth graders investigate the evolution of the presidential election campaign. In this media awareness lesson plan, 8th graders examine the use of television commercials during campaigns and their impact as they complete worksheets...
Curated OER
Election Time Line
In this reading a time line about the election of the president worksheet, students read about the campaign, inauguration, primaries, national conventions and election day and put them in chronological order. Students rearrange 5 events.
Curated OER
How the Media Uses Polling Data in Presidential Election Coverage
Students research and analyze polling data in journalism. They discuss reasons that polling data is included in media coverage of presidential elections.
Curated OER
Voter Behavior
Transform your government students into informed voters with this straightforward learning exercise. Five matching questions and five multiple choice questions test students' knowledge on voter behavior and political parties, and the...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Islam and Islamic Culture
Whether democracy will ever take hold in Islamic nations continues to be a topic of great debate. Here, a series of questions, research, and discussion provide a foundation for class members to come to their own conclusion which they...
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
Presidential Qualifications
Can anyone grow up to be president of the United States? As part of their study of the 2020 election, groups research the constitutional requirements to become president. The class then brainstorms a list of qualifications beyond those...