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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Free To Speak And Free To Post?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners research online and in books city statutes regarding posting signs on utility poles, interview appropriate officials about ordinances and how completely it is enforced, explore what has happened elsewhere when citizens decided...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Free to Speak and Free to Post?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students research on the Web and in books with city statutes or call city officials to find out the local ordinance on posting signs on utility poles. If illegal, students explore what has happened elsewhere when citizens decided to...
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Activity
PBS

Presidential Leadership and the Goal to Unify | America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Traditionally, a United States President's Inaugural Address establishes the tone and vision for his presidency. It has stressed the goal to unify the country and bring the political parties together after what are often divisive...
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Lesson Plan
Great Schools

My First Presidential Election

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Register, establish a platform, make campaign speeches, and design campaign advertisements with a study of presidential elections. Young citizens engage in various activities that mimic the election process.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Fat Cats Living off the High Hog

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon that uses an idiom to convey its meaning. Students respond  to 4 talking point questions.
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What began as an effort to show a movie by an interest group has impacted financing of federal elections. Did the Citizens United case lead to more "dark money" in politics, or did it shine a light with more speech? Using video clips...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Reading Comprehension Volume 5, Number 11 : Campaign Finance Reform

For Students 4th - 5th
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a text about campaign finance reform. Students fill in the missing words with choices from a word bank.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Learning to Interpret a Convention

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events instructional activity, students analyze political cartoons about political conventions. Students respond to 4 talking point questions.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Humor Helps Hammer a Point Home

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, learners analyze a political cartoon about the use of ridicule in cartoons and respond to 3 talking point questions.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Fine Tooning a Candidate's Message

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons featuring John Kerry. Students respond to 4 talking point questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Donkeys and Elephants and Voters, Oh My!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students celebrate party politics. In this American politics lesson, students discover what the 2 main political parties in the country are and discuss their functions. Students then participate in a classroom simulation that requires...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: The Competition of Ideas

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons based on anti-American sentiments. Students respond to 4 talking point questions
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

Candidate Evaluation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How can we decide between candidates on election day? After contemplating various issues and qualities, your learners will go through a step-by-step process of researching and evaluating sample candidates and determining their...
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Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Options for Affecting Public Policy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Letter-writing, e-mail and telephone campaigns, petitions, marches, meetings, with lawmakers. Options for influencing elected representatives are the focus of resource that details how to craft each of these approaches to influencing...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Classroom Law Project

Should we believe everything we read? Becoming a discerning consumer of media

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Interactive Map Activity

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois. They examine how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies. Students write an essay discussing...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Propaganda Techniques

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars recognize and separate various techniques of propaganda.  In this propaganda lesson, students read a handout about the various types of propaganda and how it is used ina political campaign.
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Lesson Plan
City University of New York

Urban Politics: Machines and Reformers

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Take a trip to the turn of the twentieth century with a resource about industrialism in America. With primary source documents and focus questions, learners think about the ways that government groups and organizations paved the way for...
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Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Presidential Campaigning--Front Porch Style

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders, in groups propose a new law and design a campaign to get people to vote for their law. They have a voter's forum and hold a mock election.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Inaugural Speech: Setting The Tone For The Administration Of A President

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the Inaugural Speech of the President of The United States while comparing two speeches. They conduct research to find the two speeches on the internet and look at them side by side. The lesson includes...
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Lesson Plan
1
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C-SPAN

Presidential Candidate Research

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Don't let the young citizens in your social studies class get all their election information from inflammatory commercials and arguing pundits. Use a lesson plan from C-SPAN to guide class members through an election season with a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introducing Elections Unit

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students discover the political parties of our country by participating in a role playing activity.  In this U.S. Government instructional activity, students visit several different classrooms that each represent one of the political...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Service Reform: Senate Debates

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. They discuss the spoils system, answer discussion questions, read and analyze speeches, complete a worksheet summarizing their findings, and report their findings to the class.