Carolina K-12
Who the People? Representative Democracy in North Carolina and Congress
Our elected officials are supposed to represent us, but what does it mean when they aren't like us? Budding citizens explore the demographic makeup of the US Congress, the role of money in political elections, and the Citizens United...
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Interpreting the Past; Assessing Its Impact on the Present
Even though the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt ended over 100 years ago, we can still learn something from his stances and policies that is applicable today. Class members first look over a list of prevalent political issues from the...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Political Issue Timeline
As part of a study of US Presidential elections, class members track the history of an issue in the 2020 campaign. They create a timeline to determine if there are any patterns, if ideas about the issue have evolved, or if in issue is no...
Curated OER
CANDIDATE COMPARISON
Students identify the names of major contemporary political parties. They explain why a person might choose to vote for one candidate for President of the United States over another candidate. They identify the two major political...
National First Ladies' Library
Political Party History
Students research and examine the role of political parties in the history of the twentieth century of the Unites States. They divide up into groups of four to analyze the twenty-six presidential campaigns and the candidates who...
Curated OER
The Constitution and Our Republic: Political Parties and the Election Process
Students discuss the role of political parties in the election process. In this election process lesson, students work in groups to examine the major functions of political parties and the role political parties play in the election...
Curated OER
Political Cartoons as Part of the Election Process
Students explore the impact of political cartoons on American elections. In this presidential elections lesson, students discuss the election process and then analyze political cartoons that were published during presidential elections....
Curated OER
Electoral Politics
Students formulate their own opinions about the issues in an election campaign through a critical examination of political advertisements, candidate debates, and political cartoons.
Curated OER
Voter Behavior
Transform your government students into informed voters with this straightforward activity. Five matching questions and five multiple choice questions test students' knowledge on voter behavior and political parties, and the format lends...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: All Eyes on the Iowa Caucus
Explore the primary elections through political cartoons. Three talking points guide deeper thinking as pupils analyze a cartoon, which depicts the 2008 campaigning in Iowa. Analysts identify caricatures, research why winning Iowa is...
Curated OER
Money and the Election Process: Ch 7
Where does the money for political campaigns come from? Guide your class with 10 multiple choice questions on money and the election process. There are 5 true/false and 5 multiple choice questions for them to answer. Use as a quiz or for...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Beyond a Two-Party System
Young political scientists go beyond the two-party system and research third-party candidates running in the 2020 US Presidential election. Groups present background information about the candidate, the party's platform points, and a...
C-SPAN
Debates
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...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Presidential Electability
There are specific constitutional requirements that candidates must meet to become president of the United States. In addition, there are societal opinions that affect a candidate's electability. Class members examine historical...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Campaign Photo Analysis
It's the art of the image! As part of a study of the 2020 Presidential race, groups analyze an image of a candidate, first from an objective point of view and then subjectively. They then prepare a presentation detailing what they...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Understanding History, Religion, and Politics in Jerusalem and Beyond
Students examine the reasons behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Exploring multiple perspectives, they discuss the concepts of peoples' rights and justice in the area. They practice applying conflict resolution principles as well.
Curated OER
Fighting The Horse Race: Creating Ads Which Explore 2008 Presidential Candidates & Issues
What is advertising? What role does it plan in an election? Middle and high schoolers discuss advertising and its purpose by sifting through different magazines and discussing the products they find. Then they relate advertisements to...
Curated OER
The Mass Media and Politics
What effect do the prevalence of televisions in homes have on the American political stage? Challenge your students to consider this idea with these ten questions, both true/false and multiple choice. You could use this worksheet as a...
Curated OER
Select a Candidate and Get the Word Out
Twelfth graders explore the roles of political parties in presidential elections. They discuss the qualities needed by a presidential candidate and brainstorm ideas for their candidate to emphasize during a campaign.
Curated OER
Election-Year Issues: Where Do the Political Candidates Stand?
Students create a multimedia presentation to compare the platforms of political candidates using information gathered from their research.
Curated OER
A New Candidate for Animal Farm
Students create an advertising campaign in which a candidate from Animal Farm will run for an upcoming election. For this follow-up activity to George Orwell's Animal Farm lesson, students explore propaganda, rhetoric, and satire as they...
Curated OER
Meet the Press
Students participate in a role play revolving around political elections. The roles of candidate, campaign manager, and journalist emphasized in this activity. Students listen to candidate interviews that are available online.