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...
Curated OER
Watching the Elections
Students analyze the media products and advertising techniques used in political campaigns. In this elections lesson, students view political debates and then work in groups to find examples of types of advertising techniques used in...
Stanford University
Political Bosses Lesson Plan
Students research the political bosses and the political machine in New York City. In this politics lesson, students review the term progressives, political bosses, and political machine. Students study a Tammany cartoon and read...
Curated OER
Stand and Deliver
Young scholars take a closer look at the presidential election of 2004. In this American politics instructional activity, students visit selected websites to learn about the 2004 campaign and active citizenship. Young scholars then...
Curated OER
Election 2005: Campaign Issues
Learners take a closer look at the election of 2005. In this British politics instructional activity, students listen to a lecture about the 2005 campaign and active citizenship. Learners then create collages and news boards about the...
Museum of the Moving Image
Museum of the Moving Image: Living Room Candidate (Campaign Ads)
Online exhibition of presidential campaign ads, 1952-2008, organized by election year, theme, and political issue. Audio/video presentations of ads can be viewed alongside written transcripts, making Living Room Candidate particularly...
PBS
Pbs: The :30 Second Candidate
Great PBS site for the Democracy Project. This site is all about televisions role in political advertising. There is a timeline, step-by-step process of commercials, and a look at tricks of the trade.
Other
History News Network: Why Is News So Negative These Days?
This is actually the third installment in a five-part series of articles that looks at the question - "Where Have All the Voters Gone?." This particular article takes a look at the negativity in the news, but you may want to take a look...
Other
Landmark Cases: United States v. Nixon (1974)
This is a great resource for teaching about this key Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of executive privilege, and became known as the Watergate Scandal. Included is the complete text of the opinion.
PBS
Pbs News Hour Extra: Political Commercials Lesson Plan
Students will have the opportunity to analyze political commercials for truths and misconceptions, then make one of their own.
PBS
Pbs News Hour: Historical Negativity
An Online News Hour which discusses "negative" political campaigning from a historical perspective.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Responding to Comarison/contrast: Unusual Smear Campaigns [Pdf]
For this PDF lesson, students unpack two opposite concepts by creating an imaginary "Smear Campaign," pretending the two concepts are opposing each other in election. Students may create print, radio, or television ads to show how their...
PBS
Now With Bill Moyers: Campaign Finance (Lesson Plan)
A instructional activity that takes students through the process of examining the finances of political campaigns. They will review internal documents to determine if wealthy contributors buy government influence, assess the pros and...
Lin and Don Donn
Lin and Don Donn: u.s. History Lessons: Elections, Parties, Campaigns
This site provides suggestions for lesson plans and unit plans to teach about the U.S. system of elections, political parties, and campaigns.