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Cartoons for the Classroom: Presidential Candidates
Build critical analysis skills with this cartoon for the classroom. Upper graders answer three critical thinking questions to help them analyze a political cartoon, which depicts how Presidential Candidates are judged and chosen. Put...
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The Presidential Campaign Game
Upper graders play a game as a way to facilitate understanding of US Presidential Campaign issues and strategies. After being divided into small groups, a candidate will be chosen to run for office. Each group creates propaganda to get...
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Choosing the Best Candidate
Who would win an election between Napoleon and Julius Caesar? Group your class up to analyze and discuss which of their given choices would make the best presidential candidate, given specific criteria. The potential candidate list...
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Presidential Election Year: Major Issues
Whether or not it's a presidential election year, this debate activity will spark research on current political issues. Split your government scholars into 4 groups and assign each a political party. One person will be the "candidate"...
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Texas Kid Writes Book About Presidents
Arranged into small groups, learners read a paragraph of the news story "Texas Kid Writes Book About Presidents." As one reads, others mark the text (underlining important information and writing notes in the margin of the story). After...
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Presidential Endorsements: Newspapers Decide
Students read The Plain Dealer editorial about its "non-support" of a candidate and other articles about this and discuss the newspaper's role in the political process. Students then form an editorial board and debate which candidate...
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Voter Behavior
Transform your government students into informed voters with this straightforward worksheet. Five matching questions and five multiple choice questions test students' knowledge on voter behavior and political parties, and the format...
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Ch. 1 Practice Exam
In this elections worksheet, students match 5 methods of counting votes for candidates to their descriptions. Students match 4 different types of fair candidates with their descriptions. Students problem solve 7 election scenarios.
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The Presidential Election
In this Election Day instructional activity, students shade in states on a map which were won by each candidate. Each candidate is designated a specific identifying color. Students complete the electoral map.
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Election Issues '08
Students research the presidential candidates of 2008. In this election instructional activity, students research both candidates and identify where they stand on major issues. Students choose a presidential candidate.
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The Presidential Nominating System
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...
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It's My Party
Students compare/contrast the Republican and Democratic platforms using Venn diagrams, then read and discuss, "The Conventions Are Over. The Party's Just Starting." students then participate in a mock press conference and write editorial...
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Political Advertisements
Learners are shown how to analyze the messages and the impact of the candidates' politicial adertisements in print, video, and audio formats. They are shown the techniques that candidates use to influence voter decisions and how to...
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The Campaign: Issues and Strategies. Campaign Press Coverage
Students discuss and fill out worksheets on the amount and type of press coverage given to certain candidates. In this press coverage lesson plan, students complete 4 worksheets and view maps of the United States to see where the press...
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Opinion/Facts: Candidates
In this candidate worksheet, learners write the opinions and facts about a candidate running for office and analyze a political cartoon about them. Students complete 5 sections.
PBS
Analyzing the Candidates in the 2008 Presidential Election
High schoolers research the 2008 presidential candidates and the required process for becoming an American presidential candidate. The class discusses both the process and the candidates, and some of the reasons someone might want to run...
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Candidate KWL
In this social studies worksheet, students use this KWL graphic organizer to identify what they know about a candidate, want to know and have learned about a candidate. This could be used for school, local or national elections.
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Growing Voters and Election 2004: Classroom Debate
Students research the issues and platforms of candidates and separate propaganda from process in order to choose a candidate to support. Students examine political parties and their contributions to shaping the foundation of the...
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"The Election"
Students participate in an election for the purpose of comprehending the political process and the responsibilities that come with citizenship in a free society. They elect officials with no identity and are surprised with the revealing...
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Nation Issues 2000
Eighth graders discuss an important issue and then vote on one of four candidates for President based on their views on the issue.
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Help a Candidate
Middle schoolers identify methods used to promote presidential candidates, then create campaign promotional materials for a real or fictional candidate.
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Making Informed Decisions
Students discuss various issues of importance in the 1998 congressional and gubernatorial elections, create comparison charts of their states' candidates' positions on these issues, and decide which candidate they would vote for based on...
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The Debates
Students brainstorm a list of information that voters should know about candidates. In groups, they research their side of an argument in preperation for a debate. After observing media coverage, they compare and contrast the candidates...
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Follow the Campaign Trail
Young scholars choose a candidate of interest to them to follow throughout a campaign. Using the Internet, they identify the strengths and weaknesses of their candidate and compare them to the others. They share their findings with the...