Curated OER
The Election Is in the House: The Presidential Election of 1824
High schoolers read an account of the election from the Journal of the House of Representatives, analyze archival campaign materials, and use an interactive online activity to develop a better understanding of the election of 1824 and...
Curated OER
The Presidential Nominating System
High schoolers 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...
Curated OER
Follow the Campaign Trail
Students 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 class.
Curated OER
Reviewing the Election Process by NOW Classroom for PBS
Students take a closer look at presidential elections. In this election process activity, students discuss the roles of the primary, caucus, polls, Electoral College, delegates, and lobbyists in the process. Students then access the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson and the Growth of Party Politics
High schoolers analyze changes in voter participation and regional power, and review archival campaign documents reflecting the dawn of politics as we know it during the critical years from 1824 to 1832. Students utilize worksheets and...
Curated OER
Asking the Questions and Questioning the Answers
What would you ask a presidential candidate if you had the chance? Bring politics to your language arts classroom with this lesson plan, in which young readers brainstorm questions they would have liked the presidential candidates to...
Curated OER
Gilded Age Politics
Whisk your students through the politics of the Gilded Age with this presentation, which features the contexts and characteristics of the 1880-1888 Presidential Elections. Clever political cartoons and clear, concise bullet points about...
Mikva Challenge
Political Forum Viewing Guide
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...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Becoming US President
It's that time of year, and the year. Once again the race is on for the White House. It's important that young voters, and would-be voters, understand the process for becoming the United States President. Class members research the...
Curated OER
Help a Candidate
Learners identify methods used to promote presidential candidates, then create campaign promotional materials for a real or fictional candidate.
Curated OER
Covering the Campaign Trail: Technological Progress or Temporary Chaos?
Students study the changes in reporting and journalism techniques that have evolved due to advances in technology by reading an online transcript. They debate whether the technological advances are positive or negative in the reporting...
Curated OER
Campaign Trail Reports
In this Presidential Election 2008 instructional activity, students research the listed candidates and respond to 4 questions about the candidates. Students present their findings to their classmates.
Curated OER
Harry S. Truman - Campaign of 1948
Students establish the major events leading up to the election in 1948. In this U.S. History lesson, students research details about Harry S. Truman, then they participate in a class discussion about him so that they are ready to...
Curated OER
The Eleventh Hour
Students examine their own understanding of the issues and events that are framing this year's presidential race. They explore the candidates' stances on eight issues and present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Project Whistlestop “Show Me” Learning Unit Election of 1948-Digital Scrapbook
High schoolers create a digital scrapbook of the election of 1948 -- one of the most interesting and unique elections in US History.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Charisma vs. Experience
Which is more important for a president: experience or charisma? Scholars consider this as they analyze 2 political cartoons in this analysis handout. Background information gives context through a quote from The Telegraph, and 3 talking...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Changes in Voting Participation
High schoolers give examples to indicate how voting participation changed in the first half of the 19th century, and make connections between changes in voting participation and the results of the election of 1828.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Expansion of the Voting Base
Students give examples to indicate how the franchise was extended and limited in the first half of the 19th century, and cite some differences in the newly enfranchised population that could affect the way they would vote.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: 2004 Presidential Election
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the 2004 election and respond to 5 short answer questions.
National Constitution Center
Address America: Your Six-Word Stump Speech
Stump speeches are the focus of this exercise that combines politics and language arts. After learning about this type of speech, the class listens to Obama's 2008 presidential campaign stump speech and answers a series of questions that...
National First Ladies' Library
Presidential Campaigning--Front Porch Style
High schoolers compare and contrast "front porch" political campaigns and modern day traveling campaigns of past presidents. Using the internet and other sources, they explore President Harding's campaign and platform. Using the internet...
Curated OER
Campaign 2000
Students research newspapers and the Internet to learn about the election. Students work in groups and choose a state that they want to compare to Florida. Students organize the data they have found into a graph labeling an "x" and "y"...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Campaign Echoes
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the 2008 Presidential campaign and respond to 3 talking point questions.