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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting to Know the Candidates: Analyzing Their Campaign Ads

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Pupils examine the role of advertising in presidential campaigns. They analyze one candidate's advertising campaign ads for elements such as major issues, positivity, negativity, facts, and opinions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Current Events to Understand Elections

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the the major phases of the electoral process for president.  For this US Government lesson, 11th graders compare and contrast the delegate system of nomination and the electoral college. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United States Presidents

For Teachers K - 3rd
In this presidential worksheet, learners color a picture of a United States President. There are pictures of each president from George Washington through George W. Bush. Each picture takes up one page. The name and dates of service...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tales of Truman's Travels Fifty Years Ago

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study President Truman and the Whistlestop Campaign. In this US history lesson plan, 4th graders complete a KWL about President Truman and write letters to stops on Truman's Whistlestop Campaign. Students create a...
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Lesson Plan
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Facing History and Ourselves

Confirmation and Other Biases

For Teachers 9th - 12th
As the investigation into the reporting of the events in Ferguson, Missouri, continues, class members consider how bias influences perception, how the tendency is to collect evidence that supports preconceived notions. The big idea...
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Lesson Plan
Street Law

The Challenge of Selecting an Ideal Supreme Court Nominee

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Nearly every president has had the opportunity to name a nominee to the United States Supreme Court. But what makes someone an ideal candidate to become a Supreme Court justice? High schoolers test their prior knowledge about the Supreme...
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Activity
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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Recipe for an Inaugural Address

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
An inaugural address represents the first moments of a new beginning. Using John F. Kennedy's speech as a model for guided practice, groups examine the ingredients of an inaugural address. Individuals then repeat the analysis process...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Campaign Echoes

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the 2008 Presidential campaign and respond to 3 talking point questions.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Primary Targets

For Students 8th - 12th
For this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about primary elections and respond to 3 short answer questions.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

The Big Picture-Economic Security in the Country and your Community

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore economic security at the local and national level during the time period preceding the 2008 presidential election. They fill out surveys on their thoughts and concerns regarding the US economy, and watch a video...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TV ATTACK ADS AND THE VOTER

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners read about the history of negative political advertisements in U.S. elections. In this politics lesson, students view several ads for opposing candidates and analyze and discuss the content. Learners write scripts for candidates...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Brief American Pageant: The Eisenhower Era

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Starting with the election results of Eisenhower over Stevenson in 1952, this presentation features additional maps about the elections of 1956 and 1960, with electoral votes by state. Additional slides detail the Far East (Vietnam,...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Brief American Pageant: Drifting Toward Disunion

For Teachers 9th - 11th
A series of maps take viewers through the Antebellum period in American history. Focusing on the elections of Buchanan and Lincoln, as well as the Southern opposition to secession, the slideshow would make a good companion to a lecture...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Brief American Pageant: The War to End Wars

For Teachers 8th - 11th
While World War I was more of a link of the chain of events in the early 20th century, its historical reputation as "the war to end all wars" has carried through the decades since. This series of slides, though short, shows the major...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Jackson Inauguration: King Mob or Champion of Democracy?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine and describe Andrew Jackson's 1828 inauguration, identify ways Jackson's election signaled important changes in American political landscape, discuss how Jackson embodied political culture of his era, and compare...
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Activity
Curated OER

The Great Depression and New Deal

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Elementary pupils are introduced to the Great Depression as a critical period of hardship in United States history. They engage in collaborative assignments researching the Dust Bowl, the New Deal, US presidents, and presidential libraries.
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Lesson Plan
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School Improvement in Maryland

Demographic Investigation

For Students 9th - 12th
What are the factors that influence voting patterns? How do these factors influence government funding? Is participation the squeaky wheel gets the grease? Class members interpret graphs and analyze trends to determine what demographic...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

President Warren Harding

For Students 4th - 5th
In this US history worksheet, students read a biography about President Warren Harding and answer 10 true and false questions.
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PPT
Curated OER

The Geography of the United States

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Full of bright maps and interesting information, this presentation details U.S. Geography. Slides include basic facts about size, regions, topography, and demographics, as well as fascinating trivia about the United States, including...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

he Inauguration and the Media

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers read, review, and write about the presidential inauguration as it appears in the media. They use local local and national newspapers to gain information about the inauguration. Students develop their own editorial on the...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Brief American Pageant: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Shadow of War

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Very briefly detailing the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt, this slideshow consists of two maps, the first of which shows the election results in 1940, and the second of which indicates the main flow of Lend-Lease Aid. An instructor...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Brief American Pageant: Wilsonian Progressivism at Home and Abroad

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Many various pieces of information about the Wilson administration adorn these slides. For instance, a map with 1912 election results, a chart detailing the organization of holding companies, and another map outlining U.S. presence in...
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Handout
ProCon

Voting Machines

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Does technology always mean advancement? Scholars take a close look at the use of voting machines. Does using a machine make voting more effective? Readers consider the advantages and disadvantages of the current voting process. They...
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PPT
Curated OER

The War of 1812

For Teachers 8th - 12th
A good addition to a unit on the War of 1812, this slideshow details causes, specific battles, political contexts, and several campaigns of the war. Maps and pictures with broad topics allow teachers to bring their own discussion topics...