Curated OER
Election-Year Issues: Where Do the Political Candidates Stand?
Students create a multimedia presentation to compare the platforms of political candidates using information gathered from their research.
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...
Polk Bros Foundation
Governor Deval Patrick's Inaugural Speech
“America herself is an improbable journey.” So is Deval Patrick’s journey from the South Side of Chicago to the governorship of Massachusetts. The complete text of Patrick’s inaugural speech, delivered outdoors facing Boston Common,...
Staples Foundation For Learning
The President’s Desk
What stories can a desk paperweight and picture frame possibly tell us about the president of the United States? Pupils are transported to the desk of President John F. Kennedy through an engaging interactive site. The guide offers a...
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...
Curated OER
Fighting The Horse Race: Creating Ads Which Explore 2008 Presidential Candidates & Issues
What is advertising? What role does it plan in an election? Middle and high schoolers discuss advertising and its purpose by sifting through different magazines and discussing the products they find. Then they relate advertisements to...
Curated OER
The Organization of Political Parties
Challenge the future world leaders in your class with this activity, which tests their knowledge on the organization of modern political parties. Students can access their prior knowledge of current elections, or notes from your lecture,...
Curated OER
The Senate
Reinforce your future politicians' growing knowledge about Congress and the Senate with this quiz, which could also be used as a review activity. Questions address the requirements of becoming a senator, as well as the details of Senate...
Curated OER
Young Voters Make A Difference
Students research recent statistics on voting by those 18 to 24. They survey senior students to determine their intent to vote in the next election. Students display the data in charts and graphs. They write the results and share it with...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: All Eyes on the Iowa Caucus
Explore the primary elections through political cartoons. Three talking points guide deeper thinking as pupils analyze a cartoon, which depicts the 2008 campaigning in Iowa. Analysts identify caricatures, research why winning Iowa is...
Curated OER
Political Polls
Students explore politcical polling by conducting a poll of student body elections. They prepare a survey, distribute forms, and tabulate data.
Curated OER
Sam Houston for President...Again
Fourth graders discover the political career of Sam Houston. In this Texas history instructional activity, 4th graders research primary resources and create a modern-day version of Sam Houston's political campaign of the 1840s.
Curated OER
Citizenship Worksheet 4 - Selecting Leaders
For this United States citizenship worksheet, students learn the process for how leaders are elected in the United States. Students are challenged with discussion and research questions and exercises that support the information they...
Curated OER
The Voting Game
Young scholars examine and discuss the Canadian electoral process. They conduct a simulation of the electoral process, with students running as candidates, holding a convention, campaigning, and voting for Prime Minister of the Day.
Curated OER
Political Movement: Political Parties
Students explore politics by researching Australian government law. For this political parties lesson, students define the different active parties in Australia and their roles within the country. Students complete a word bank activity...
Curated OER
Electing a President
Learners brainstorm and list qualities that they would look for in a president; students rank qualities in order of importance.
Curated OER
Creating a Pamphlet/Brochure for a Party or Candidate
Young scholars explore political persuasive writing. In this government and persuasive writing lesson, students work in groups to write text and create graphics for a brochure describing and promoting a predetermined political candidate.
Curated OER
Government and Parliament
Twelfth graders discover how the government works in the United Kingdom and the functions of the Parliament. They hold a mock election and campaign.
Curated OER
Democratic Village Elections in China: Comparing Governments of China and the United States
Students explore democratic practices in China. In this global studies lesson, students compare and contrast democratic values of the Chinese government with the American government. Students read provided articles and conduct their own...
Curated OER
Comparing Canadian and U.S. Political Systems and Political Campaigns
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this political systems instructional activity, students conduct research to compare and contrast the forms of government in the ...
Curated OER
Select a Candidate and Get the Word Out
Twelfth graders explore the roles of political parties in presidential elections. They discuss the qualities needed by a presidential candidate and brainstorm ideas for their candidate to emphasize during a campaign.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates — Springboard to the White House
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates saw two primary political candidates debating seven different times about one of the most important social movements in United States history. Middle and high schoolers read an article that describes the...
Curated OER
They Have Issues
Students examine the different campaign styles and political platforms of the nine candidates vying for the Democratic Party nomination for the 2004 presidential election. They graph and compare candidate platforms and write an essay...
Curated OER
Navigating the Road to the White House
Students explore U.S. politics by researching the Presidential requirements. In this electoral process lesson, students identify the main requirements to become a Presidential candidate and the two main political parties. Students...