Curated OER
March 2, 1877: Hayes Declared Winner in Disputed Presidential Election
After reading an interesting article comparing the disputed presidential election of 1877 to a similar event in the year 2000, kids blog a response. They read the article, check out the embedded links, then respond to four related...
Curated OER
Nov. 2, 1976 | Carter Defeats Ford in Presidential Election
After reading about the presidential race in 1976, learners think critically about presidential legacy. They read all of the provided background information, related New York Times articles, and then respond to a writing prompt via blog...
iCivics
Mini-Lesson: Presidential Pardons
How do United States presidents give people second chances? Scholars research the concept of presidential forgiveness, or pardon. By completing an Executive Branch Mini-Lesson, class members get a better grasp of the power the executive...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Census in US History
The census has been a part of the American landscape since the Constitution was written; however, it does have a history of controversy. Class members use a guided reading and simulation activity on developing census questions to...
C-SPAN
Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads
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...
Curated OER
Exploring George Washington's Leadership
Students examine primary documents to determine whether or not George Washington was an honest leader. In this presidential history lesson, students evaluate Washington's leadership prior to and during his presidency. Guided reading...
Curated OER
Dear Presidential Diary
Students discover how a president spends the day. For this presidential history lesson, students research primary sources in order to write their own diaries for presidents that include suggestions of laws, managing personnel, budgeting,...
C-SPAN
Presidential Candidate Firsts
Hilary Clinton may have been the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, but she was only one example of an historic candidacy. Class members use video clips curated from C-SPAN to examine historical firsts in...
Anti-Defamation League
Sexism and the Presidential Election
Young historians investigate how sexism impacted the 2020 United States presidential election. They examine media coverage of the six women candidates, engage in a four-corners debate reacting to statements about gender and the...
Curated OER
Presidential Places Quilt
Young scholars design historical quilts. In this presidential history lesson, students research past presidents and landmarks named for them. Young scholars create quilt squares to represent the landmarks and piece all of them together...
Curated OER
The Presidential Quotation Report
Famous quotations by American Presidents are the focus of this Six Trait writing activity, which could be used in a U.S. History class or in language arts. After reading the picture book Theodore by Frank Keating, have your 7th graders...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Candidate Position History Research
Climate change. Assault weapons ban. Death penalty. And the list goes on. So many issues are part of a US presidential election that it can be hard to determine a candidate's position on a particular topic and whether their position has...
Teaching Tolerance
The True History of Voting Rights
Explore what voting rights really are in an intriguing lesson plan that explores the history of American voting. The resource examines the timeline of voting rights in the United States with group discussions, hands-on-activities, and...
Curated OER
Rotation in Office
Eleventh graders explore the concept of the spoils system. In this presidential history lesson, 11th graders examine Andrew Jackson's Inaugural Address as well as a letter to him from Mary Barney in order to gain an understanding of the...
City University of New York
Presidential Elections and the Electoral College
To understand the controversy surrounding the US 2000 presidential election, class members investigate the rationale behind the Electoral Collage, the intimidation involved in the election of 1876, and the 2004 American League...
C-SPAN
Presidential Primary Challengers
A formidable opponent can shake up the election of an incumbent president. Class members explore the results of the elections of 1912, 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1992 using video clips. A chart helps pupils organize their thoughts and analysis.
American Battlefield Trust
Southern Secession and Abraham Lincoln’s Presidential Election
President Abraham Lincoln: a true humanitarian or a savvy politician? The lesson focuses on Abraham Lincoln's presidency and the secession of the southern states. Academics interpret how Lincoln's presidential platform promoting African...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: August 2010
Geography has played a complex role in America history. The Atlantic Ocean has served as a buffer to protect the United States from European Wars, but its proximity to Cuba, however, left it vulnerable to nuclear war during the Cuban...
Curated OER
Who Could Have Been Who
Can word choice affect a candidate's likeability? Use a New York Times lesson to explore how a presidential candidate's likeability factor can fluctuate in public opinion polls. Young readers choose a presidential election from their...
Curated OER
Understanding Presidential History
Students research to find the qualifications necessary to be President of the U.S. In this presidential qualification lesson, students research their family roots to see if they could qualify to be President. Students create a graph to...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Red States/Blue States: Mapping the Presidential Election
Young historians investigate how voting patterns have changed by comparing the outcome of the 1960 election to the outcome of the recent election. A creative final assessment has participants making a news show wherein they provide...
Mr. Nussbaum
Abraham Lincoln Reading Comprehension—The Presidential Years (Part 3)
Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery and led the Union out of the most tumultuous time in American history. An informative passage and paired questions evaluate learners' understanding of main ideas, supporting points, and domain-specific...
American Battlefield Trust
1864-1865: Bringing the War to an End
The Civil War—in its breathtaking ferocity—came to a close in 1864. However, turmoil echoed throughout the country's politics, including the presidential context between Lincoln and McClellan. Performing chronology and primary source...
Curated OER
The Perfect President
Students advertise for the perfect president. In this presidential duties activity, students determine the attributes that the ideal president should have and then write job descriptions for the role.