This resource pairs the text of the U.S. Constitution with the Federalist Papers.
Lesson Plan: Moot Court – Students for Fair Admissions v President and Fellows of Harvard College (2023)
Moot courts provide an engaging environment for students to debate constitutional rights using contemporary issues that have been brought to the Supreme Court. This lesson provides the materials for students to deliberate over Harvard University’s admission policy and whether its selection criteria violates the Fourteenth Amendment.
Lesson Plan: Historic Convention Speeches
The lesson opens with an introductory video clip in which several presidential staff speech writers discuss the process of writing a presidential candidate’s nomination acceptance speech. From there, students then engage in a choice engagement activity, choosing to study one of thirteen historic convention speeches, including those from John F. Kennedy, Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ted Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Jesse Jackson, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Pat Buchanan, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. After students complete their portion of the choice activity, they then each engage in a small group review to compare their selected speeches, assess whether they think each speech qualifies as ‘historic,’ and reflect on how convention speeches change over time, location, purpose, and with the specific speaker. Finally, students respond to a summative writing prompt that asks them to reflect on the lesson’s introductory video clip and “assess what makes a great convention speech.”
Lesson Plan: Congressional Committees
This lesson provides an overview of the United States’ congressional committee system. The lesson opens with reflective questions that ask students to consider how large groups of people build consensus and their prior knowledge of the legislative branch. Students then view an introductory video clip about why congressional committees exist. Next, students view and analyze six video clips that provide information about the different types of congressional committees. From there, students view and analyze six video clips that describe the purposes of the congressional committee hearing process. Finally, students view an additional reflective video clip and then respond to a summative writing prompt that asks them to assess the role of congressional committees as part of the U.S. legislature.
Lesson Plan: Polling the Public on Politics
In this lesson, students will hear Vanderbilt University Professor Joshua Clinton talk about the rise of public polling on political issues. They will view videos to learn about the impact of polling through historic examples of presidential elections, discover the significance of “who” participates in polls and “how” pollsters reach them as well as the importance of language in phrasing questions in polls and the timing in conducting them. At the conclusion of this lesson, students will consider factors in reading polls so they can make their own informed decisions about candidates.
Lesson Plan: Analyzing the 2024 Presidential Debates
This lesson has students view and analyze clips from each of the 2024 presidential debates. Students will view video clips of specific questions discussed during the debate and evaluate the effectiveness of each candidate’s response. This lesson will be updated to include clips from each of the presidential and vice-presidential debates as they air on C-SPAN.
Lesson Plan: Recognizing Propaganda in Political Speeches & Advertisements
In this lesson, students will learn about different types of propaganda by examining examples presented in the media. Students will then apply that knowledge to past and current presidential campaign speeches and advertisements. The lesson is divided into three sections. Section one introduces students to ten types of propaganda; section two asks students to watch C-SPAN video clips of past speeches and identify the types of propaganda utilized, and section three has students apply their new knowledge to the current election cycle using candidates’ speeches on C-SPAN. The lesson offers flexibility so any section can be revised to meet specific classroom needs and address teacher concerns.
Should the United States Ban TikTok to Preserve National Security?
In this mini simulation, students step into the shoes of the National Security Council to decide if the United States should impose a ban on TikTok to safeguard citizens’ data and the country’s security. Students will learn about the ways that private businesses can intersect with national security and the opportunities and limitations for government regulation of digital technologies.
U.S. History Mini Simulations
In this series of historical mini simulations, students step into the shoes of policymakers to advise the U.S. president on how to respond to major foreign policy moments in U.S. history. These eight historical simulations cover crucial U.S. decisions from the 19th to 21st centuries. Designed with a U.S. history survey course in mind, the simulations can fuel a lively discussion to supplement your curriculum and encourage civic engagement.
Learn How to Volunteer at Your Local Election Center
Who are poll workers? And what do they do? Learn how you can take part in the democratic process as a poll worker!