Listen to and analyze a presidential speech in order to explain the principles held by the president and the historical context in which the speech was made. Then hold a campaign and election simulation involving featured presidents.

Analyze a seminal speech from the 20th century with an activity focused on President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. After reading an excerpt from the address, pupils use a worksheet to practice their reading...

Critical thinkers consider how word choice in speeches impacts the meaning and effectiveness of the message being presented. They examine and respond to some of the speeches made at the 2004 Republican and Democratic National...

“. . .different men often see the same subject in different lights. . .” but the great orator Patrick Henry used all the skills at his command to craft a speech to convince listeners to see things as he did--that liberty was worth dying...

Young social historians examine immigration debates of the early 20th century through primary sources, such as political cartoons. They analyze the material, discuss their findings, and complete a critical thinking worksheet. All...

While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...

Although the ideas on how to implement the skill RI.9-10.2 are lacking, the assessment would work well for challenging learners to summarize, and identify the main ideas of presidential speeches that are of similar topics. One could use...

Students explore the impact of political cartoons on American elections. In this presidential elections instructional activity, students discuss the election process and then analyze political cartoons that were published during...

High schoolers research the 2000 presidential elections. They explain why the presidential winner was initially too close to call, discuss how the winner was determined and predict how the 2000 election might change the process of...

Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of commencement speeches and how they are used to influence the world. They read a variety of speeches and identify the benefits for others. The lesson includes web resources...

Just how much influence did television have on the results of the 1960 presidential election? Media critics contend that the results were all about how the two candidates appeared on the screen. Give your young historians a chance to...

Pupils examine the 2004 Presidential election between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Using a variety of primary source documents, they discover where the candidates stood on the issues. In groups, they create a tableau in which they...

High schoolers examine the two presidential candidates in 2000, and identify their own stance on campaign issues. They create fictional candidates that represent their beliefs, and write campaign speeches from their point of view.

Students explore the concept of civic virtue in a democratic state. In this democracy lesson, students listen to John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech, read selections on democracy, and discuss the importance of civic rights and...

In this presidential election worksheet, students research the 2008 presidential candidates and create a booklet of candidate profiles that clearly differentiate each one. They also assume the identity of one of the candidates and hold a...

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...

Fourth graders study President Truman and the Whistlestop Campaign. In this US history instructional activity, 4th graders complete a KWL about President Truman and write letters to stops on Truman's Whistlestop Campaign. Students create...

Students continue to examine the issues of the 2004 presidential election. Using the internet, they discover where they stand on each issue and where each candidate stands on the issues as well. In groups, they participate in a...

Young scholars examine the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. During a visit to the George Bush Presidential Museum, they watch a video about the Texas v. Johnson flag burning case. In groups, they discover the role of the Supreme...

Your young historians will be intrigued to read and analyze Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, which discusses the president's take on the causes of the Civil War and connections between the North and the South.

Learners read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...

Students explore the concept of health care. In this health care lesson, students read an article about the financial cost associated with health care. Students discuss costs and resources that people in the article have to deal with for...

In this famous person worksheet, learners read a passage about Barack Obama and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym matches,...

In this English activity, students read "Rapper to Run for Haiti President," and then respond to 1 essay, 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.