Learners read a case study of one campaign to discover how political campaigns addresses the needs of the voters. In groups, they answer questions related to the case and discuss how the commercials affect society as a whole. They use...

Imagine a lesson plan that models for learners how to separate facts from opinions. How to detect bias. How to evaluate a source of information. How to identify propaganda. Although designed for middle schoolers, the activities in this...

Students create voter education campaigns to raise awareness of and interest in the government for future voters.

Students simulate the election process with one group acting as politicians and others acting as the constituency with concerns specific to their assigned area of the country. They give speeches, take polls, and elect a leader based on...

Just how true is the information contained in political ads? Determining the veracity of campaign ads from the 2008 presidential race is the focus of a lesson that introduces class members to several fact-checking resources.

What were political machines and whom did they serve? As part of a study of US immigration patterns and how these patterns influenced politics, groups investigate how Tammany Hall and other political machines gained support from voters.

True or False: Only Presidential elections matter. Academics delve into common voting myths to understand what is true and why the election process is critical to democracy. The lesson uses group discussion, activities, and handouts to...

Students explore how political candidates use mass media to deliver their messages to voters. Focusing on specific issues in the upcoming election, students create television commercials representing different parties' views.

Use the platforms of the 2004 presidential candidates to bring persuasive writing to your class. Young voters identify the three issues most important to them in the election and research the issues and candidates' positions. They write...

Students explore media and media misrepresentation of prodcts. They create a video of a person (with both good and bad pictures.) Using creative titles, students download a slideshow. They add sound effects and other Adobe Premiere...

It's all about the spin! In an introduction to propaganda techniques and soundbite politics, scholars first learn about common propaganda techniques before seeing them in action in the context of the 2016 election cycle. Activities...

Students investigate voter participation in the U.S. They watch and discuss a Bill Moyers video, complete a handout, and develop a plan to help a community overcome obstacles to voter participation.

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...

Tenth graders analyze voter trends in South Carolina and discover techniques canddidates and their parties use to convince us to vote their way. They are able to locate voting statistics for their county; compare the number of...

Students identify various forms of media used in a political campaign and compare the different formats as vehicles for distributing political messages. They analyze the effectiveness of candidate's uses of different media.

Students investigate the actions of British political parties. In this current events lesson, students research the listed Web sites that include information about political party fundraising and peerage. Students also report on honors...

Feeling ambitious about getting your scholars examining the election process? While this presidential election simulation will take preparation, the ensuing enthusiasm will be worth it! Using one or more large classes, 12th graders are...

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...

Students examine the Canadian electoral process through participation in a local election campaign. They volunteer in an election campaign of their choice, research the campaign issues, and write reflections of their experience.

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"...

Young historians investigate how sexism impacted the 2020 United States presidential election. They examine media coverage of the six women candidates, engage in a four-corners debate reacting to statements about gender and the...

Students examine the economic and political challenges the past six presidents have faced during their terms of office, and how those challenges may or may not have impacted their chances for re-election. They create campaign slogans...

Students study the concept of what it means to be an informed voter who makes conscientious voting decisions based on significant information.  In this making informed voting decisions lesson plan, students are introduces...

High schoolers create campaign materials to encourage the passage of legislation supporting higher education for immigrant minors. They produce flyers, brochures, pins and a voter presentation for a school fair. To prepare the materials...