Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Political ads flood the airwaves each election cycle. An activity including more than a dozen political ads from iconic presidential campaigns helps learners unpack how the sausage gets made during election "silly season." Using the...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

New Deal Programs in Alabama

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
New Deal programs are the focus of an activity that prompts middle and high schoolers to consider the end of the Great Depression. Groups examine primary source materials to gain an understanding of how these programs were...
Worksheet
Reading Through History

The Emancipation Proclamation

For Students 8th Standards
The Emancipation Proclamation: one of the most important primary sources for studying American history! An interdisciplinary resource includes a reading of Abraham Lincoln's seminal speech quoted directly. Following the reading, pupils...
Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

Laws and the National Community

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When it comes to the law, is justice always served? Teach scholars about how law sometimes enables prejudice of entire groups of people with a unit on World War II that includes a warm-up activity, analysis of primary sources,...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Did Southern Free Men of Color Fight for the Ideals of the South?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Much of history is distasteful. Primary sources often reveal attitudes acceptable at the time that no longer are. But to understand controversial historical events, historians must examine primary sources that represent a wide variety of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Gatsby: Primary Sources from the Roaring Twenties

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research the Roaring Twenties. In this 1920's America lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of lifestyles and values of the era as they read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

May The Best Character Win

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the financial committment to running a campaign. They discuss the difference between electroal and popular votes. They realize how involved a political campaign is!
Activity
Staples Foundation For Learning

The President’s Desk

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
What stories can a desk paperweight and picture frame possibly tell us about the president of the United States? Pupils are transported to the desk of President John F. Kennedy through an engaging interactive site. The guide offers...
Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates — Springboard to the White House

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates saw two primary political candidates debating seven different times about one of the most important social movements in United States history. Middle and high schoolers read an article that describes the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Election of 2008: Primaries and Caucuses

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the American presidential election process. In this presidential election activity, students discover details regarding the campaigns of McCain and Obama in the 2008 election. Students create timelines that feature the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Times, Are They A-Changing?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students read and discuss article, "We Agreed to Agree, and Forgot to Notice," participate in anonymous mock presidential primary ballot, and share reactions to Iowa caucus results. Students then collect statements made by candidates on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Presidential Nominating System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the process by which candidates for U.S. president are nominated by the Democratic and Republican parties. They identify the differences between primaries and caucuses and key terms and issues related to the primary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look at Virginians During Reconstruction

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine slavery and Reconstruction in Virginia. In this Virginians during Reconstruction lesson, 4th graders research primary sources for the story of William Jasper and other slaves. Students hypothesize how rights became...
Lesson Plan
University of Wisconsin

Analyzing Presidential Campaign Propaganda

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Campaign propaganda has evolved from 1952 through the presidential election of 2008. A social studies activity prompts class members to analyze the devices used in ads and political cartoons, noting strategies they believe would work to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

May the Best Character Win

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Running an election campaign takes money. Class groups must effectively budget money in order to design and purchase sufficient advertising aimed at procuring classmates' votes. After completing an online tutorial, they also write and...
Lesson Plan
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C-SPAN

The Electoral College and the Constitution

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What is the purpose of the Electoral College? Is it antiquated, or does it have a place in today's political climate? High schoolers view a series of video clips as they analyze the parts of the United States Constitution that address...
Writing
Polk Country Schools

The Death of Abraham Lincoln DBQ

For Students 8th Standards
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was a pivotal moment in American history, but what were the immediate effects throughout the newly unified country? A document-based question focuses on the consequences of the first...
Lesson Plan
West Virginia Department of Education

A State of Convenience: The Creation of West Virginia

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Ever wondered why there is a West Virginia but not an East Virginia? The resource answers questions like this one and more as it takes an in-depth and detailed look at the history of West Virginia and how it became a state. Several...
Activity
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Humanities Texas

A President's Vision: Thomas Jefferson

For Teachers 5th - 11th Standards
Here you'll find a fantastic resource for analyzing several primary sources regarding Thomas Jefferson's presidency, from his election and home in Monticello to the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Louisiana Purchase.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Election Process

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine how Electoral College works, compare and contrast candidates or issues, and discuss importance of becoming registered, active voting individuals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elections for Elementary Students

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore various websites that explain how primaries, caucuses, and general elections function. They view sample ballots, and analyze the executive branch, U.S. presidents, and citizenship.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The 2004 Presidential Election

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students examine the 2004 Presidential election between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Using a variety of primary source documents, they discover where the candidates stood on the issues. In groups, they create a tableau in which they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Presidential Election 2004: Analyzing the Attack Ads

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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.
Activity
iCivics

Win the White House

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Here is a unique and engaging approach to learning about the steps a presidential candidate must take during a campaign. Learners role play the part of a candidate in this online interactive, taking part in a presidential...

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