Curated OER
Songs of the Times: American Concerns in 19th Century Campaigns
Students examine campaign songs from the 1840, 1848, and 1860 elections to explore the campaign strategies of 19th century political parties.
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Government and Parliament
Twelfth graders discover how the government works in the United Kingdom and the functions of the Parliament. They hold a mock election and campaign.
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The Media
Students explore political advertising. They discuss what informed voters should know about upcoming elections and identify the four main types of ads and view a video to identify the types of ads. Evaluating the ads, they identify...
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The Insurgency
Students view a documentary about the Iraqi insurgency. They discuss the documentary and comment on what they feel the United State's response should be in a debate format.
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To Vote or Not To Vote
Ninth graders discuss if it was worth some groups fighting for the right to vote. In groups, they participate in a debate in which they discuss whether the right to vote is a responsiblity by its members. They create their own piece of...
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Get the Facts on the Candidates
Students work in teams to research candidates from a current political race. They access primary and secondary resources and differentiate between fact and opinion. Students present their findings to the class in an oral report and...
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Creating Hate: The Power of Words
Students explore why authors choose to use hate words in literature. In this power of words lesson, students complete group participation, journal entries, and written assignments to investigate the use of inflammatory...
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The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
Students analyze documents, cartoons, speeches and articles about Joseph McCarthy and his crusade against "Un-American" activities. They guide their research with a worksheet and participate in class discussions about their findings.
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The Kid Who Ran for President
In this reading worksheet, students answer 10 multiple-choice questions about the book. For example, "Why did Judd change his parakeet's name?"
Student Handouts
Foreign Affairs
Inform your class about foreign policy during the Reagan administration. The resource includes a reading passage that gives an overview of foreign policy decisions made during the Reagan administration and nine questions for pupils to...
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...
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The Kennedy Administration
From his inaugural speech to the Bay of Pigs, major events concerning the Kennedy presidency are discussed. Slides provide an array of images and web links to highlight some of the bigger issues surrounding President Kennedy. The...
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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...
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Sandra Day O'Connor: Always Supreme
Demystify America's governing system through a legendary role model and a fabulous website.
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Woman Suffrage in Colorado, 1877-1893
Students work together in groups to examine the suffrage movement in Colorado. They analyze the reasons for and against women's suffrage. They also determine the impact of the movement in Colorado.
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Right to vote...in the wrong place
Students create a presentation for other class members or for a local citizens' group explaining how they can guard ensure voter rights. Students research the Ohio Secretary of State's stand on provisional voting rules.
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The Cold War: Planning for Survival
Students prepare a documentary-style dramatization about government and personal measures taken to ensure survival in the event of nuclear war.
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A Fresh Start?
Students examine the roles and responsibilities the Department of Defense holds. They read an article about the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld. They develop questions to submit to the White House about the recent changes.
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WWII: The War Effort at Home
Students explore the different ads used by the military. They use media reports and the internet to research the war effort at home during World War II.
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The President's Cabinet: Choosing the Right Person for the Job
Students examine the Federal Confirmation Process for filling cabinet members by completing a confirmation process flow chart. They research the process, and participate in a mock Confirmation Process.
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The First Years of the Union (1797-1809)
In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 11 short answer and essay questions about the United States between 1797 and 1809. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive worksheet.
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Act of Sabotage?
Students examine animal cruelty laws in Great Britain. In this health instructional activity, students visit selected websites to research animal cruelty laws as they consider animal rights and hunting rights.
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Campaign Finance Reform and Public Opinion
Students 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...
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Voting Isn't Enough
Students compare and contrast their perceptions of politicians and leaders, analyze the consequences of negative public perceptions of politicians, and develop solutions to the problems caused by negative attitudes toward politics.