Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Secretary of State Powell

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students study the life of Colin Powell who was Secretary of State during President Bush's first term. They investigate the workings of the US State Department by researching a number of websites.
Lesson Plan
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Leaders in a Media Age

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify ways in which the president can use various media to communicate his messages and intent. They demonstrate ways in which the news media can create public opinion.
Lesson Plan
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On the Leading Edge

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils write an op-ed piece concerning presidential leadership. After reading an archived article from The New York Times, students compare and contrast the leadership styles of former Vice President Al Gore and President George W....
Lesson Plan
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Loud and Clear

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students brainstorm various forms of protest, examine the context for President George W. Bush's visit to Britain, and research protests throughout history. Students use the information gathered to create informative posters and diary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discussion-Activity: An Election Primer

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research and discuss the 2000 presidential election. They role-play Al Gore's and George W. Bush's legal teams, and members of the Florida Supreme Court. They of each legal team present their arguments to the Supreme Court.
Lesson Plan
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The View

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the structure and purpose of Op-Ed pieces in the newspaper. They then write Op-Eds from the perspectives of United States presidents on important issues of their day.
Lesson Plan
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Case Study of a Campaign

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners read a case study of one campaign to discover how political campaigns addresses the needs of the voters. In groups, they answer questions related to the case and discuss how the commercials affect society as a whole. They use...
PPT
Curated OER

Sunken Millions for People in our Past

For Teachers 5th
This multiple choice review covers famous historical figures from all walks of life.  each slide has a scoring set up in the corner which assumes two teams and allows for hints and lifelines etc. but it is not clear how to use this...
Interactive
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Breaking News English: Rappers

For Students 5th - 10th
In this rappers worksheet, students read the article, answer true and false questions, complete synonym matching, complete phrase matching, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, answer discussion questions, write, and more...
Lesson Plan
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A Tough Act to Follow

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students take on the role of impersonators as they identify the distinctive human traits that comedians and imitators single out in order to do their jobs.
Lesson Plan
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Debating Our Destiny

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners participate in debates related to the history of the United States. In groups, they research their opinion on the purpose of debates and how a debater's posture affect the outcome of the debates. They identify the political...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Opening the Olympic Games

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners examine the history of the Olympic Games, including the opening ceremonies. In small groups, they create Olympic flags using symbols that represent their country and communities. In phase two of the lesson, learners work in...
Lesson Plan
PBS

The Big Picture-Economic Security in the Country and your Community

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore economic security at the local and national level during the time period preceding the 2008 presidential election. They fill out surveys on their thoughts and concerns regarding the US economy, and watch...
Worksheet
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Defining the Separation of Power

For Students 8th - 12th
For this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the separation of powers in the American government and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Lesson Plan
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Fallacies

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the ten most common logical fallacies. They identify the ways in which arguments fail. Students give reasons why one or more premises or conclusions can cause an argument to fail based on the ten logical fallacies they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using High Stakes Testing to Make Students and Schools Accountable for Learning

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students conduct an informal survey about their views on high stakes testing and use basic computation skills to evaluate results as a group. They participate in activities related to high stakes testing and "No Child Left Behind"...
Lesson Plan
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All Aboard The Campaign Train!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars explore campaign politics. For this political campaign lesson, students investigate multimedia sources in order to examine the structure of political parties and platforms from previous presidential elections. Young...
Worksheet
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Keep Current Through a Cartoonist's Commentary

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, learners analyze political cartoons about the Middle East and American domestic issues. Students respond to 4 talking point questions.
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Superhero Science

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scientist explore the various positions in the debate on stem cell research and then discuss these perspectives before formulating their own positions. They must research the topic and beliefs that others have. They will also look...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You've Got Spam

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What is spam mail? Discuss examples of spam mail and read about the "Can Spam Act." After reading the New York Times article attached, brainstorm why the act hasn't had much impact yet. Several discussion questions are listed. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How are People Portrayed by Different Media?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Your 9th - 12th graders can hone their analysis and critical thinking skills by studying the way a subject is portrayed across media types. They examine how various print, visual, and online sources have portrayed key players in the 9/11...
PPT
Curated OER

Political Humor

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Though slightly dated (around the 2008 Presidential election), the information and discussion points in this presentation about political humor are solid. Use the slides in your language arts class in a lecture about semantics, or in a...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for The Classroom: Lame Duck Congress

For Students 9th - 12th
Clear up "lame duck" congressional confusion with this political cartoon analysis worksheet. Background information on the concept's history and current use is provided, and 2 cartoons give a past and present context. Three talking...
Worksheet
Student Handouts

Foreign Affairs

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
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...