Curated OER
Free To Speak And Free To Post?
Students research online and in books city statutes regarding posting signs on utility poles, interview appropriate officials about ordinances and how completely it is enforced, explore what has happened elsewhere when citizens decided...
Curated OER
Free to Speak and Free to Post?
Pupils research on the Web and in books with city statutes or call city officials to find out the local ordinance on posting signs on utility poles. If illegal, students explore what has happened elsewhere when citizens decided to change...
PBS
Presidential Leadership and the Goal to Unify | America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump
Traditionally, a United States President's Inaugural Address establishes the tone and vision for his presidency. It has stressed the goal to unify the country and bring the political parties together after what are often divisive...
Great Schools
My First Presidential Election
Register, establish a platform, make campaign speeches, and design campaign advertisements with a study of presidential elections. Young citizens engage in various activities that mimic the election process.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Fat Cats Living off the High Hog
In this current events worksheet, learners analyze a political cartoon that uses an idiom to convey its meaning. Students respond to 4 talking point questions.
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
Reading Comprehension Volume 5, Number 11 : Campaign Finance Reform
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a text about campaign finance reform. Students fill in the missing words with choices from a word bank.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Learning to Interpret a Convention
In this current events learning exercise, students analyze political cartoons about political conventions. Students respond to 4 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Humor Helps Hammer a Point Home
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the use of ridicule in cartoons and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Fine Tooning a Candidate's Message
In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons featuring John Kerry. Students respond to 4 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Donkeys and Elephants and Voters, Oh My!
Students celebrate party politics. In this American politics lesson, students discover what the 2 main political parties in the country are and discuss their functions. Students then participate in a classroom simulation that requires...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Competition of Ideas
In this current events activity, students analyze political cartoons based on anti-American sentiments. Students respond to 4 talking point questions
iCivics
Candidate Evaluation
How can we decide between candidates on election day? After contemplating various issues and qualities, your learners will go through a step-by-step process of researching and evaluating sample candidates and determining their...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Options for Affecting Public Policy
Letter-writing, e-mail and telephone campaigns, petitions, marches, meetings, with lawmakers. Options for influencing elected representatives are the focus of resource that details how to craft each of these approaches to influencing...
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
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Interactive Map Activity
Students utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois. They examine how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies. Students write an essay discussing...
Curated OER
Propaganda Techniques
Students recognize and separate various techniques of propaganda. In this propaganda instructional activity, students read a handout about the various types of propaganda and how it is used ina political campaign.
City University of New York
Urban Politics: Machines and Reformers
Take a trip to the turn of the twentieth century with a resource about industrialism in America. With primary source documents and focus questions, learners think about the ways that government groups and organizations paved the way for...
National First Ladies' Library
Presidential Campaigning--Front Porch Style
High schoolers compare and contrast "front porch" political campaigns and modern day traveling campaigns of past presidents. Using the internet and other sources, they explore President Harding's campaign and platform. Using the internet...
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
The Inaugural Speech: Setting The Tone For The Administration Of A President
Students investigate the Inaugural Speech of the President of The United States while comparing two speeches. They conduct research to find the two speeches on the internet and look at them side by side. The lesson includes background...
C-SPAN
Presidential Candidate Research
Don't let the young citizens in your social studies class get all their election information from inflammatory commercials and arguing pundits. Use a lesson plan from C-SPAN to guide class members through an election season with a...
Curated OER
Introducing Elections Unit
Students discover the political parties of our country by participating in a role playing activity. In this U.S. Government lesson, students visit several different classrooms that each represent one of the political parties in the...
Curated OER
Civil Service Reform: Senate Debates
Students examine the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. They discuss the spoils system, answer discussion questions, read and analyze speeches, complete a worksheet summarizing their findings, and report their findings to the class.