C-SPAN
Voting Discrimination and the Effects of Shelby County v. Holder
Show students that every vote counts as they debate the federal government 's role in protecting voting rights in historically racially discriminated areas. In the Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder, the high court found that...
C-SPAN
Should Your State Modify Its Voter Registration Laws and Methods for Submitting a Ballot?
What is the balance between democracy and security? Using articles and videos that examine state voting procedures, learners explore the difficult question. After looking at voting regulations in their state and nationally, they consider...
C-SPAN
Should States Shift to Mail-In Voting during the Coronavirus Pandemic?
With the coronavirus pausing many norms in American society, officials are trying to decide how to safely hold voting in the 2020 presidential election. Using curated video clips, including speeches from Congress, journalists, and...
C-SPAN
Presidential Debate Analysis
The modern presidency is defined by the development of television—including the use of televised debates in the campaign. Using debates going back to the first one between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, young scholars evaluate...
C-SPAN
Electoral College
Most people are surprised to learn that American democracy is not as direct as they thought. Using a package of guiding questions, charts and curated videos, learners unpack the unique American institution of the Electoral College. The...
C-SPAN
Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads
Political ads flood the airwaves each election cycle. An activity including more than a dozen political ads from iconic presidential campaigns helps learners unpack how the sausage gets made during election "silly season." Using the...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
What Is Constitutional Democracy?
Rediscover the values at the heart of American democracy and what makes it unique with your pupils. Use a reading and discussion questions—in addition to an analytical activity—on the preamble to the Constitution. An additional activity...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Emoluments Clause and the President
While the Emoluments Clause didn't get a lot of attention before the 2016 election, all eyes have been on this short phrase in the Constitution with the election of Donald Trump. As a business owner, do his financial interests conflict...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Troubled Elections of 1796 and 1800
Congress does more than create new laws. Political scientists delve into the elections of 1796 and 1800 to understand how political parties, the Electoral College, and personal agendas affected the election process. The resource also...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Iran Nuclear Deal and Its Critics
What was the purpose of the Iranian Nuclear Deal? An insightful resource explains nuclear tensions in the Middle East and Iranian weapon development that contributed to the Nuclear Deal in 2013. Academics learn the agreement limited...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Global Warming and the Paris Agreement
Global warming: a political debate or a scientific fact? Young historians read text, complete activities, and participate in group discussion to understand the political debate surrounding global warming and the US decision to withdraw...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Automation and the American Worker
A thought-provoking resource examines the future of automation and the effects on employment. Academics read informational text, complete written prompts, and participate in activities to understand automation and the possibilities for...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Putin's Illiberal Democracy
Is Russia really a democracy? High school scholars explore Russian democracy under the leadership of President Putin. The resource provides opportunity for group discussion, writing, and research to understand Russia's political history,...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Elections, Money, and the First Amendment
Those who spend the most, win. Academics read informational text, participate in group discussion, and defend campaign reforms to understand the correlation between money, the First Amendment, and election results. The resource explains...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Winner-Take-All: The Two-Party System
Two's company, three's a crowd. High school historians learn about the Electoral College, a two-party, winner-take-all voting system in the United States. The instructional activity explains the pros and cons of the two-party system,...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Suppressing the Vote
Voting rights have expanded over time, but some voters are still being suppressed. A thought-provoking resource explores the history of voter suppression in the US and efforts to remove roadblocks to voting. Young historians learn about...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Purged From the Voter Rolls: Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute
Once a registered voter isn't always a registered voter. Academics explore the topic of voter registration and hindrances to remaining registered. The resource focuses on data analysis, federal voter registration law, and Supreme Court...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
270 Votes to Win: The Electoral College in the United States
What exactly is the Electoral College and how does it work? The instructional activity is part of a larger series on government that explains what the Electoral College is and how it helps determine an election winner. Academics...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
What Is an Independent Judiciary?
While justice is supposed to be blind, it doesn't always follow the rules. Using a reading on the independent judiciary and case studies, learners consider what to do with judges who rule in their own self-interest rather than on behalf...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Census in US History
The census has been a part of the American landscape since the Constitution was written; however, it does have a history of controversy. Class members use a guided reading and simulation activity on developing census questions to...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Achieving Diversity: The Question of Affirmative Action in College Admissions
How can a college board of trustees both increase cultural and racial diversity and offer all incoming learners equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment? Class members debate the question using readings about how colleges use...
US Department of Commerce
The Census Questionnaire: Then and Now
As the United States has changed, so has the census! While required by the Constitution, the questions the government asks to allot representation and federal funding has developed over time. Using images of previous censuses, young...
US Department of Commerce
The Opportunity Atlas
The American dream is to climb the social and economic ladder, but is it really possible? Using an online opportunity atlas, class members explore income and social mobility throughout the country. Discussion prompts allow learners to...
PBS
Free, but Not Free: Life of Free Blacks Before the Civil War
Using the family stories of a famous comedian and singer-songwriter, learners consider what life was like for African Americans who were enslaved and free before the Civil War. To complete a concluding activity, they write about the...