Learners examine the role of the President. They discuss the President's responsibilities and compare both father/son presidents (Adams and Bush).

Should refugees fleeing poverty be allowed the same entrance into the United States as those fleeing persecution? High schoolers read about US foreign policy in the late 20th century regarding refugees from Cuba and Haiti, and engage in...

Using the announcements of presidential candidacies, pupils consider how contenders make their initial arguments to the public. A worksheet helps structure collaborative work to analyze 10 video clips. Writing prompts allow for extension...

In this Conservative Era worksheet, students write definitions for six terms, examine five pairs of sentences then determine which one is false, then link two sets of words together by identifying which historical theme they share in...

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...

High schoolers compare 2 preseidental speeches. In this presidential agenda lesson plan, students compare and contrast a Lyndon B. Johnson speech with a George H. W. Bush Speech. 

Students investigate the Supreme Court's role and function in the federal government and examine how Chief Justice Rehnquist's illness might affect the future of the Court. They write letters to President Bush on the Supreme Court...

Political ads are designed to play on viewers' emotions. The focus of this resource is on ads that feature children, either to establish the candidate as family friendly, or to create fear for children in the minds of viewers. Groups...

Using Mark Twain's The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, invite your learners to consider the concept of virtue in a democratic society devoted to gain and self-interest. This stellar resource guides your class members through a close...

What are the strengths and weaknesses of American individualism and independence? Explore these principles through a close reading of Jack London's To Build a Fire, and engage in high-level discussion with your class by analyzing the...

Eleventh graders explore the process of inauguration in the United States.  Students describe the symbolic and political significance of the ceremony of the inauguration of the President of the United States.  Students role...

Students explore American foreign policy regarding the war in Iraq. In this Iraq debate lesson, students examine videos and documents about the pros and cons of keeping American troops in Iraq.

Learners use comparative Internet research to formulate a prediction regarding the next president of the United States. They give presentations each week on how his or her candidate is faring in the political race.

What if society sought equality by handicapping the gifted and dispelling any traces of diversity? Kurt Vonnegut Jr. offers one possible answer to this question through his incredibly engaging and thought-provoking satirical...

The United States of America was founded on firm ideals of both the pursuit of happiness and a spirit of reverence. Through a close reading of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The May-Pole of Merry Mount," you can examine what some consider was a...

Combining a close reading of a classic American text with the study of history can be a very powerful strategy, and this is most certainly the case with this resource using Edward Everett Hale's The Man without a Country. Consider themes...

Even for one of the most accomplished men in American history, there was room for improvement. Challenge high schoolers to use Benjamin Franklin's Project for Moral Perfection to analyze text, make inferences, connect to historical...

Students investigate the Inaugural Speech of the President of The United States while comparing two speeches. They conduct research to find the two speeches on the internet and look at them side by side. The lesson includes background...

Students engage in a lesson which facilitates their learning about the history of the American presidency. They create their own lessons based on C-SPAN's American Presidents Timeline poster.

Students examine the role of the Supreme Court through an interactive program. They analyze the history of the Court and its members. They finally explore how the Supreme Court works.

Learners explore how the New York Times has represented presidential victories on its front page throughout the 20th century.