Curated OER
President's Day
Learners access prior knowledge about the branches of government to explore foreign policy. For this conflict resolution lesson, students reflect on foreign policy decisions and participate in scenarios based on foreign policy events.
Academy of American Poets
We Sing America
Pair the famous poems "I Hear America Singing," by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, with a more recent poem by Elizabeth Alexander called "Praise Song for the Day" to demonstrate a theme and introduce your...
National Park Service
A Tale of Two Men
Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores were both born in 1858, and both came to the Dakota territory in 1883, but they influenced the developing country of America in different ways. Elementary and middle schoolers apply written and...
Curated OER
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"...
University of California
Roots of the Cold War
When and how did the Cold War begin? To answer this question, you will not find a better-organized, in-depth, activity- and inquiry-based resource than this! Executing best teaching practices throughout, each portion of this inquiry...
Curated OER
Perks and Perils
Students research the life of the first family. In this U.S. Government lesson, students take a White House quiz, read an article about the first family and write in their journals about a typical day in their lives versus what a day...
National First Ladies' Library
One Small Step
Students explore the steps taken to fulfill President Kennedy's promise to land a man on the moon.They examine the costs and difficulties of fulfilling that promise and the historical events that motivated the nation to do so.
Center for Civic Education
What Does Returning to Fundamental Principles Mean?
Looking for materials for your Constitution Day and Citizenship Day lessons? Then check out this packet of activities that not only gets your class members thinking critically about the fundamental principles at the heart of American...
University of North Carolina
The War of 1812
After reading a sample memo regarding the conflict between Britain and France before the War of 1812, class members assume the role of James Madison and brainstorm how to handle the situation. They will then analyze the creation and...
Anti-Defamation League
Shirley Chisholm: Unbought, Unbossed and Unforgotten
A 13-page packet introduces high schoolers to a lady of amazing firsts. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress, the first Black woman to run for President of the United States, and a leader of the Women's Rights...
National First Ladies' Library
All the News That's Fit to Draw: Political Cartooning and the Presidency
Students research, analyze and study the history of political cartooning in the United States. They recognize a political cartoon, be able to identify the main idea, the symbols and the exaggeration and caricature in political cartoons....
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Jacksonian Democracy and Indian Removal
Introduce a study of the presidency of Andrew Jackson with a lesson that uses video clips, primary source documents, group activities, and debates to examine Jackson's early life and career. The lesson focuses on the 1828 election and...
Great Schools
My First Presidential Election
Register, establish a platform, make campaign speeches, and design campaign advertisements with a study of presidential elections. Young citizens engage in various activities that mimic the election process.
C-SPAN
The Electoral College and the Constitution
What is the purpose of the Electoral College? Is it antiquated, or does it have a place in today's political climate? High schoolers view a series of video clips as they analyze the parts of the United States Constitution that address...
Scholastic
Abraham Lincoln: A Time Line Research Project
Though Abraham Lincoln's life was tragically cut short, it was filled with accomplishments and inspiring moments that continue to influence American democracy. Explore the ways the 16th president of the United States made his way from a...
American Press Institute
In the Newsroom: The Fairness Formula
Reporting the news is easy, right? Think again! Show young scholars the difficult choices journalists make every day through a lesson that includes reading, writing, and discussion elements. Individuals compare the language and sources...
Sea World
Endangered Species
Study different endangered species with several activities that incorporate math, science, language arts, and research strategies. A great addition to your instructional activity on conservation or Earth Day.
Tech4Learning
Set SMART Goals
A video by Kid President kicks off a lesson about setting goals. Scholars use SMART—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely—in identifying what goals or resolutions they wish to accomplish. After writing down and revising...
Curated OER
Understanding Presidential History
Students research to find the qualifications necessary to be President of the U.S. In this presidential qualification instructional activity, students research their family roots to see if they could qualify to be President. Students...
Literacy Design Collaborative
A Pale Blue Dot: That's Here. That's Home. That's Us.
21st-century learners live in such a visual world that many are unused to letting their minds imagine the picture that words create. An excerpt from Carl Sagan's lecture, "The Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space,"...
Curated OER
Judicial Void
Students explore the impact of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. They research potential nominees to replace her, in light of her resignation, and write letters to President George W. Bush to share opinions of the...
Curated OER
From the School House to the White House
Students recall visits to museums, then read a news article about a museum exhibit that shows what U.S. presidents were like during their childhood. In this U.S. history and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with...
Scholastic
The Class Election from the Black Lagoon Storia Teaching Guide
One of my favorite things about this resource is that they use a standardized lexile to help you determine who should be reading what book. I also love this great teacher's guide for the book, The Class Election from the Black Lagoon. In...
Curated OER
Dear Presidential Diary
Students discover how a president spends the day. In this presidential history activity, students research primary sources in order to write their own diaries for presidents that include suggestions of laws, managing personnel,...