Did you know that in some states your pupils can pre-register to vote? Teach the advantages to pre-registering and engage the classroom in an intriguing discussion about youth voting trends. Class members participates in a live polling...

Middle schoolers investigate the two major US political parties, their symbols, their history, and their leaders. The project begins with group readings of several articles, progresses to researching a particular party or important...

In 2012, each presidential candidate spent a whopping $1 billion! Learners investigate how people create campaigns and run for office. They watch a short video, the 39th of a 50-part US government and politics series, to analyze what...

So many politicians, so many endorsements! Learn to differentiate between facts as well as the process of endorsements with an informative resource. Class members watch current endorsement videos, research candidates from three different...

Many hot button issues require deliberations, even in your classroom! Learners work in teams or as individuals to decide on a deliberation question to make into a Google site. They research the topics in depth, discuss both sides of the...

The two major parties polarize many in America today, but it doesn't have to be that way in the classroom! Teach learners about political party platforms and modern campaigns with a mock political convention. After watching a PowerPoint...

Your class may not be able to vote yet, but that doesn't mean they can't feel like they're part of the presidential election! The resource creates a symposium where pupils debate about a selected topic in current events during an...

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...

Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short lesson...

As part of a unit designed to help learners develop the skills they need to become informed citizens, class members analyze campaign ads to identify the techniques used to influence voters.

Inspire future voters to cast their vote based on thorough examination of the issues. Scholars discover each candidates' plan of action through information found on the internet, television, newspapers, family members, and friends.

Where did you hear that? is the driving question of a lesson designed to shed light on the reliable, and unreliable, news sources covering an election. Through grand conversation and media exploration, scholars examine the credibility of...

The Internet is the host of a wealth information—good and bad—and it takes practice to know which sites offer the most credible material. Here, scholars explore a variety of news sources to discover valuable information on topics such as...

Target audience, covert message, explicit and implicit appeals. As part of an investigation of rhetorical devices used in campaign ads, class members examine and deconstruct the appeals in logos from the 2008 election. They then use the...

A candidate's campaigning history can reveal a lot about his or her election strategy. Analyze the way that the 2016 presidential candidates traveled through the United States during their campaigns with an interactive map. High...

How do the presidential debates of 2016 compare to the debates from the 1980's? What about the 1960's? Evaluate a chosen candidate or issue from the 20th and 21st centuries with a lesson plan focused on political debates. Middle and high...

Is there a way to determine a winner of a political debate? Use a helpful rubric to evaluate the issues, specificity, evidence, reasoning, and delivery of candidates in a debate. After assessing each person's performance, high schoolers...

Voters determine the outcome of elections, but campaign donors can influence the attitudes of those voters. Explore nine examples of donors and the amounts of money they want to contribute, and the legal ways the groups can or cannot...

Commercial breaks are a time to get up, stretch, and get a snack—but not so fast! Those advertisements are full of rhetorical devices, persuasive arguments, and media messages. Instead of fast-forwarding through the commercials this...