Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Election Is in the House: 1824: The Candidates and the Issues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students list some changes in presidential election laws and/or procedures since 1796, and cite examples from presidential campaign materials from 1824.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Celebrating the 19th Amendment

For Students 10th - 12th
Eighty-eight years after women earned the right to vote, a women ran for president. Young analysts consider the role women play in politics, how they are portrayed, the standards they are held to, and if they are still treated unfairly...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Red, Undecided, and Blue

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students analyze voter preferences in past elections, and then write letters to a presidential candidate, recommending winning strategies drawn from their research.
Worksheet
Curated OER

You Either Know it or You Don't 5

For Students 6th - 10th
In this Internet research skills worksheet, students respond to 15 short answer trivia questions. Students may use reference sources if they don't know the answers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gettysburg Address: An American Treasure

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners apply information found in Lincoln's speeches, especially The Gettysburg Address, to create a persuasive speech on a current topic.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Election Is in the House: Was There a Corrupt Bargain?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars take a stand, supported by evidence, on whether there was a "corrupt bargain" between Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

From the President's Lips: The Concerns that Led to the Sedition (and Alien) Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research and briefly summarize the international situation during John Adams's presidency. They list the concerns that led to the Sedition Act and describe it.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Chapter 8: Reconstruction

For Students 9th - 12th
For this Reconstruction worksheet, students read assigned textbook pages regarding Reconstruction plans and respond to 44 short answer questions.  
Article
Other

Republican Party of Texas: Overview and History

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed history of the Republican Party of Texas.
Activity
Other

Copernicus Election Watch: History of the Parties

For Students 9th - 10th
This site has a great timeline that tracks the history of the Democratic, Republican, and some Independent Third Parties. Also some excellent links at the bottom of the page.
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: The Kansas Nebraska Act and the Republican Party

For Students 11th - 12th
Students will learn about the political ramifications of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the founding of the Republican Party.
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America: Political Parties: Mobilizing Agents

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This unit examines the significance of political parties in American politics, highlighting their functions, differences, and influence on the public for political decision making. Offers video, readings, web resources, and activities.
Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation: How Political Parties Began

For Students 9th - 10th
Activity in which students examine the history of political parties in America and evaluate the role they play and reasons they emerged. Questions for discussion and small group work to compare the late 1700s visions of Republicans and...
Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Political Parties

For Students 9th - 10th
Brief overview of the political party system in the U.S. explaining the emergence and longevity of the Democratic and Republican Parties.
Activity
Other

A Brief History of American Major Parties

For Students 9th - 10th
A good, brief history of the two party system in the United States.
Activity
Other

Guide to American Political Parties

For Students 9th - 10th
Complete directory of the political parties that are active in the United States. Links to each party's website are included along with a brief overview of each one with major players.
Website
Other

Republican Party: Our History

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the first few paragraphs of this article to find out about the formation of the Republican Party in 1854 and how it affected the political scene in the last part of the 1850s.
Primary
Other

Furman University: Republican Party Platform, 1860

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, which is provided for by the Furman University, gives the text of the 1860 Republican Party Platform.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Breakdown of the Party System

For Students 9th - 10th
As the Whig Party collapsed and the new Republican Party was forming, there was a flash-in-the pan party, the Know Nothing Party, that filled the void for a few years. Read about the success of the party in electing legislation, and find...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Two Parties Emerge

For Students 5th - 8th
Although George Washingon denounced the creation of political parties, they came roaring into play in the election of 1796 in which John Adams, representing the Federalists, ran against Thomas Jefferson, who represented the...
Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Republican Party History

For Students 9th - 10th
Article provides a history of the Republican party and details on the eighteen Presidents who have belonged to the Republican Party through George W. Bush.
Study Guide
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Ap Us History: Period 6: 1865 1898: Politics in the Gilded Age

For Students 9th - 10th
The study resource from Khan Academy provides an overview of Period 6: 1865-1898 in American History. The politics in the Gilded Age is discussed in this lesson. This resource is designed as a review for the AP US History Test.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: Emergence of a New Party System

For Students 9th - 10th
There were many reasons for splits in the first Republican party, now usually referred to as the Democratic-Republican Party. See how that changed the party itself and the ways those changes affected the election of 1824.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Birth of Political Parties

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief look at the beginning of political parties in the new American nation. Find out the views of the two parties.