Students will learn how Alabama Gov. George Wallace’s evolving positions on race reveal both the intensity of the white backlash to desegregation during the 60s and the growing political power of the black community during the 70s and early 80s.
Voting and Elections
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: Lessons from the 2004 Democratic Convention: Obama’s Speech
Students will learn about the most memorable moment from the 2004 Democratic Convention: the keynote speech delivered by a little known U.S. Senate candidate from Illinois named Barack Obama. The keynote speech of a political convention draws millions of viewers and has the ability to launch or sink political careers. Barack Obama wrote and delivered a speech that many political analysts believe propelled him to the Presidency four years later. This lesson examines not only Obama’s speech, but other examples of American oratory to demonstrate the importance of the spoken word in setting the direction of the country.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: Exploring the Impact of Campaign Ads
Students will learn how famous campaign ads like the “Daisy,” “Morning in America” and “Willie Horton,” changed how political advertisements were made, and in doing so changed the course of history.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: 1968 Democratic National Convention – The Mess in Chicago
Students will learn how internal tensions over Vietnam and the cultural changes of the 1960s led to violence and chaos at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: 1912 Republican Convention – TR Starts the Bull Moose Party
Students will learn how former President Theodore Roosevelt used the newly created direct primary system to challenge incumbent President William Howard Taft for the Republican Party’s nomination in 1912.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: The Rise of Political Memes
Students will learn about political cartoons and how today’s version — memes — are being used across social media.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: How Black Women Fought Racism and Sexism for the Right to Vote
Students will learn how Black women have often been at the forefront of activism and advocacy relating to ballot access, voter suppression, and the right to vote.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: Political Debates: What the Unforgettable Moments Reveal
Students will learn how televised political debates have impacted modern politics, with an emphasis on the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate, and their importance to campaigns and elections today.
Posted inCivics and Government
Lesson Plan: The Role of States in Elections
Students will learn about the contested 2000 election, analyze the long-term implication of the Bush v. Gore case and investigate what constitutes a free and fair election in the United States.
