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Your students may be too young to register to vote, but it’s never too early to learn about what it takes to get to the ballot! This activity is a great way to kick off the…
With the end of the Revolutionary War, America’s geographical size doubled… but how should new territory be added to the United States? Learn about the issues raised by this…
With the Oregon Treaty, the United States added what today is the Pacific Northwest. In this mini-lesson, students learn how it happened, what tensions were involved, and how…
The United States annexed Texas after years of debate. In this mini-lesson, students learn about Texas’ independence from Mexico, the role of slavery in delaying Texas’ admission,…
The Mexican-American War ended with Mexico giving up a million acres of land to the United States. In this lesson, students learn about Americans’ drive to expand west, tensions…
In this lesson, students get an introduction to the concept of Manifest Destiny. Even before the phrase “Manifest Destiny” was first used in 1845, many Americans believed the U.S.…
In this map-based lesson, students learn the historic importance of the Mississippi River and why the U.S. was determined to maintain access. They find out how the United States…
Help your students view any political debate — local to national, historical to live broadcast.
Help your class apply their candidate evaluation skills with this election season activity. Students will select the issues and qualities they care about, then research candidates…
Students can track the states as they report election results. Who will make it to 270 first?
Does every country have Republicans and Democrats? (Spoiler alert: No.) Use this mini-lesson to show your students that there are lots of different political party systems around…
There's lots of vocabulary associated with elections, so give students this handy glossary to use as a reference. Whether it's election season or you're just covering elections in…
Learn about the electoral advantage that favors incumbents and the benefits and drawbacks of reelecting members of Congress. Then, put students' news literacy skills to work as…
Lace up your shoes and learn how candidates run the race to become President of the United States!
In this lesson, students find out who can vote and the differences in voting by state.
Oh my! From primaries and caucuses to political parties and conventions, come face to face with the big events and mile markers of the electoral process and learn what a candidate…
In this lesson, students will learn how political campaigns work and all the steps a candidate has to take to get to election day.
Every election, candidates spend a lot of money on their campaign. Do you know where the candidates get the money and what they spend it on?
Can the candidate who wins the majority of the popular votes miss out on being president? They can, and it's happened before. Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of…
For over two centuries, American political offices have peacefully transferred power after every election.
Lesson Plan
