5 Lesson Ideas To Keep Your Students Engaged During This Presidential Election Season
One of the most exciting times for any social studies teacher comes every four years. This exciting time that we all know and love is the season leading up to the election of the next President of the United States. It’s during this time when all students become naturally curious about what’s going on in the news, who the candidates are, and what each candidate believes. To capitalize on this natural curiosity, I want to share five proven ways to keep your students engaged, and excited to learn, during the presidential election season.
1. Create an Election Wall in Your Classroom
Keeping students informed is one of the first steps I like to take in helping students stay engaged during the presidential election season. Start by transforming any area of your classroom into an election wall. Whether it be a bulletin board, or any available space, spice up your wall with a title. Maybe your wall could say, “Who Will Be the Next President?” or “Road to the White House.” Whatever creative title you choose, add to your election wall by posting images of all the candidates that have been in the race. Separate the candidates by party. Include all current candidates as well as past candidates who have dropped out of the race. I would also recommend including third-party candidates that are running for office. Many students will be surprised to see the wide array of candidates running for this prestigious position.
In addition to candidates, have fun posting additional visuals such as an electoral college map, candidates’ quotes, and where the candidates stand on the issues. You may even want to include a spot for students to vote by having students place a post-it note on their favorite candidate. Whatever you choose to include on your election wall, the information will surely spark conversation and initiate engagement amongst your students!
2. Watch a Presidential Candidate Debate
Watching a presidential debate in class has proven to be a fantastic way for students to get connected with the candidates and become engaged with the entire political spirit of the election season. Whether it be a general election, primary race, gubernatorial race, or a presidential race, students love hearing the arguments made between the political candidates. When paired with an engaging tool such as my Debate Viewing Guide, this simple yet effective lesson idea, of watching the latest candidate debate, will help guide students through the various hot-topics being discussed. The nice thing about watching debates in class is that students get to see and hear the unfiltered messages directly from the candidates themselves. There are no news outlets or family members present to get in the way of influencing the candidates’ words. One helpful strategy to use when watching videos is the stop-and-go strategy. Stopping the video for classroom discussion after candidates have explained their views on each topic provides an engaging back and forth between teacher and students. Students love to share their political thoughts when the political arguments are still fresh in their minds. This stop-and-go strategy, paired with the debate viewing form, provides for students with shorter attention spans and keeps them actively engaged throughout the entire video. Watching presidential debates can be an exciting learning tool for any classroom. Students love the discussions, and teachers love the easy prep as videos can be accessed for free on YouTube or any news outlet.
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3. Run Your Own Presidential Campaign Simulation
"Let's Get The Party Started!" This presidential election simulation is an excellent way for students to comprehend all aspects of political parties and the campaigns needed to elect a presidential candidate.
The teacher will divide class into groups of 4 to 5 students per group. Each group will develop their own political party and choose a presidential candidate to represent their party. Using the included criteria, allow students a few class periods, or portions of class periods, to create, form, and practice presenting their party until election day. On election day, candidates and their political parties will present their campaigns to other classes, staff, and/or your own classroom. If desired, have all those citizens that heard the campaigns vote for the best candidate/party. Download this campaign simulation for a fun, educational lesson that your students will remember for years to come. "Lets get the party started!"
⭐️ One of the best ways to prepare your students for this simulation is to study the various aspects of a party! I like to use my lesson Political Parties Spectrum: What is a Democrat & Republican? as an introduction before we start this election campaign simulation!
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What's Included:
A detailed student-guided handout for creating a party name, logo, slogan, planks, platform, propaganda, presentations, etc...
Two grading rubric options
Complete teacher and student directions for running a successful presidential campaign
All pages are available in printable PDF and digital Google Drive versions!
"...I was blown away by how excited the students, parents, and other elementary grades were....The students took the assignment and were crazy-creative, invested, and begging for more time. Groups were getting together at each other's houses just to work more, new friendships were made, and our presentation day was a huge hit! This is going to be a 5th grade tradition!" - Middle School Teacher ★★★★★
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Thank You!
Thanks so much for stopping by! It's great to meet you! I hope this resource adds value to your classroom. If you have time, I'd love for you to leave a rating on this product with your awesome feedback, and make sure to follow Mister Harms for important updates and savings. I would also love to see how you've incorporated this product into your classroom. Feel free to post a photo of this resource in action and tag @misterharms so I can meet you! I hope you have a wonderful day!
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Get your students running for President! Learning about the entire presidential race is definitely important, but actively being engaged in a presidential campaign has proven to be a game changer for my students. Each year during our election unit, while we learn about the various aspects of political parties, I have students create their very own political parties as they compete against each other in a campaign for president. Students love the competition, and teachers love the engagement. In groups of 4-5 students each, campaign groups select a candidate, create a party name, logo, slogan, signs, banners, commercials and other creative propaganda material. In addition to the needed campaign materials, students are directed to construct detailed stances on a variety of school, state, and national issues to use as their party planks and party platforms. These planks are used to help the chosen presidential candidate give their presidential speech. When all the hard work of campaigning is done, students love the anticipation leading up to the big day - election day. On election day, students enjoy presenting their campaign propaganda, showing off their party platforms, and watching their presidential candidate give a riveting speech. Year after year, students will come back to me and express their love for politics due to this exciting, yet educational experience. I highly recommend including a Political Party & Presidential Campaign Simulation in your own classroom this election season!
4. Lead a Classroom Discussion on “Are You a Democrat or Republican?”
The Presidential Election is an exciting time that happens every four years! The two major Political Parties, Democratic and Republican, get to debate their beliefs to influence voters! What is a political party anyway? What is the difference between Democrats and Republicans? Am I a Democrat or Republican? These are common questions that all students begin to ask themselves, and this lesson will help answer all their burning questions!
I have been teaching for many years and have struggled to find a resource that helps students truly understand what the differences are between the two major parties. Many students think of themselves as Democrat or Republican based upon the personalities of popular candidates. They also shape their stances based upon their pre-conceived, family beliefs. I created this lesson to help my own students understand what the parties actually stand for and to help students decide what party they most align with based upon the political issues. It has definitely become a fan favorite with my students, and I look forward to this lesson every year!
This lesson has been a time-tested, teacher-approved success for all of my classes! Students will learn about the beliefs behind the parties by looking at the terms liberal and conservative on a visual spectrum. Parties are just names given to groups of people that think similarly about how the role of government should be. By looking at a spectrum, those who think the government should be more liberal in its governing tend to lean toward the left and belong to the Democratic Party. Those who think the government should be more conservative in its governing tend to lean toward the right of the spectrum and belong to the Republican Party.
"This was perfect when I taught the election. Loved how it was an accurate way to teach about the different party views in a neutral, non-biased way and my students loved it too!" - Gabrielle ★★★★★
Students will learn through a guided set of notes followed by a worksheet that will ask students if they agree or disagree with certain political statements. This worksheet will provide a foundation for a lively classroom discussion as well as a baseline to help students know which party they most align with. As real-life political beliefs are debated and discussed within the class, students will eventually figure out if they lean more left or right. Seeing their position on the spectrum helps students realize if they are more Democrat leaning or Republican leaning. You and your students will love this lesson! It's hands-down the best lesson for helping students understand the real differences and issues between the political parties and their platform beliefs! Not only will students have fun, but you will be able to kick off your political parties unit with comfort knowing your class understands the fundamentals of politics! After using this lesson, Your students will love creating their own parties and campaigns using my Presidential Election Campaign Simulation!
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What's Included:
Complete set of instructional visuals/notes to help guide you and your students through the lesson in a Google Slideshow format.
Fully detailed set of teacher directions for you to successfully implement the lesson. You will feel well prepared to deliver an amazing lesson!
A student worksheet with 13 different political statements for students to agree or disagree with. These statements will help guide the classroom discussion as well as help determine if each student leans more liberal or conservative which will help them know if they are more Democratic or Republican.
All resources are in GOOGLE Drive format as well as PDF. You can assign in print form or assign through Google Classroom.
All resources are completely editable for you to customize as needed!
Thank You!
Thanks so much for stopping by! It's great to meet you! I hope this resource adds value to your classroom. If you have time, I'd love for you to leave a rating on this product with your awesome feedback, and make sure to follow Mister Harms for important updates and savings. I would also love to see how you've incorporated this product into your classroom. Feel free to post a photo of this resource in action and tag @misterharms so I can meet you! I hope you have a wonderful day!
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This discussion activity is one of my favorites! I have found that most students don’t really know what the difference is between a Democrat and a Republican. Many don’t even know if they themselves are a Democrat or Republican. Students may claim a party based upon prior knowledge from their family or friends, but do they really know where they stand as higher level thinking individuals? I like to start by asking the class what party they think they agree with most. I then proceed to discuss some beliefs about the political spectrum, such as liberal and conservative, and how these two views regarding government really drive the differences between parties. I then pick out some hot-topic statements that cover a broad view on politics such as free tuition for all, stricter borders, more gun control, making abortion illegal, etc.. I have students decide whether or not they agree or disagree with each statement presented by moving to different sides of the room, and students get to share their opinions in a civil manner. This definitely provides for some thrilling discussion.
When the discussion is complete, we try to place these hot-topic statements on the proper side of the spectrum labeled liberal or conservative. As we finalize the discussion and placement of topics, I then ask the class which side they think tends to be more Democrat and which side tends to be more Republican? This visual spectrum, and detailed look into the platform issues themselves, has proven to be an engaging way for students to see the true differences between a Democrat and a Republican. It also provides students a means to have their voices heard in a friendly, debate-like discussion.
Want to have your own classroom discussion regarding the political spectrum? I have put together all the best pieces into a resource for you entitled Political Parties Spectrum: Discussion Notes and Activities
5. Have Students Play The Electoral College Game
The Presidential Election is always an exciting time for students. As students watch the Democratic Party candidate and Republican Party candidate campaign to become President, teachers love the opportunity to join in the intrigue and successfully teach about the political process.
One common unknown in this race for the White House, is the mysterious electoral college. Many students are surprised to hear that the President is not necessarily the candidate with the most popular votes, but rather the candidate who wins the most electoral votes.
I have been teaching for many years and have found that this resource actively engages students in learning about the electoral college. This concept of government can certainly be limited to upper level courses, but it doesn't have to be. This resource does a great job of providing a fun competition to guide the learning process of how the electoral college system works and why it is a valid way to elect the president.
This lesson has been a time-tested, teacher-approved success for all of my classes! From elementary through high school, you will find that students love the competition and learning about a complex system they were completely unaware of. I know you will love learning about the electoral college using this fun and engaging game resource!
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⭐️ Learn more on my Electoral College Map Game blog post!
What's Included:
Complete set of teacher instructions and game play rules to help guide in preparation and implementation.
Two sets of game play rules. You can choose either way to play the game.
A worksheet with a map of the United States that includes the number of electoral votes for each state.
A game scorecard for students to document the states and electoral votes won.
A set of reflection questions for student partners to complete and discuss.
Game dice are not included in this download!
"This was ridiculously fun! Students requested to play it again, long after the election had passed. Will definitely use it in the future! Thank you!" - Sciulli ★★★★★
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Thank You!
Thanks so much for stopping by! It's great to meet you! I hope this resource adds value to your classroom. If you have time, I'd love for you to leave a rating on this product with your awesome feedback, and make sure to follow Mister Harms for important updates and savings. I would also love to see how you've incorporated this product into your classroom. Feel free to post a photo of this resource in action and tag @misterharms so I can meet you! I hope you have a wonderful day!
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As you have probably experienced before, many students think that whichever presidential candidate gets the most votes will win the presidency and become the next President of the United States! This sounds like a reasonable way to vote for President, but many students are surprised when I explain that it doesn’t necessarily work that way. Voting for President, as you well know and some find rather debatable, is determined by the Electoral College. This Electoral College voting plan, as established by the founding fathers and included in the Constitution, was to make sure large and small states, as well as urban and rural regions, would have a more equal voice in determining who would become the next President.
There are certainly some fantastic discussions that can be had from this topic alone, but since it can be somewhat confusing for some students to comprehend, playing an Electoral College Game is definitely a more engaging and fun way to teach this concept to students. Here’s how you can play this game in your classroom:
Pair students into groups of two. These two will play against each other.
Give each group a red and blue crayon, a pair of dice, and a printed map of the United States that includes the number of electoral votes for each state. One player will be a red Republican and the other player will be a blue Democrat.
The game begins in this manner. For each round, both players roll the dice. Whoever has the highest dice total that round gets to choose the state they want to win and proceeds to color in that state with their colored crayon.
The gained points, or electoral votes won by that state, are then added to that player’s point total. This colored state is now captured and no longer able to be won in future rounds. Students will enjoy seeing their map being filled in with their color.
The game continues to proceed in the same way round after round, coloring in states and capturing her points, until one player advances to a grand total of 270 electoral votes or points. The player to reach 270 electoral college points wins the game and becomes the next President of the United States!
This game idea is such a simple yet enjoyable way for students to better understand how the electoral college, and the race to become President, actually works! Download the Electoral College Map Game today. Your students will love you for it!
Implementing With Confidence
The presidential election season brings an added excitement to the classroom. It provides an important opportunity for students to be engaged in the political process as they will become the future leaders of our nation. I encourage you to incorporate some or all of these lesson ideas in your classroom this coming election to help your students better understand all that goes into electing a President. Throughout my years of teaching social studies, I have tried numerous lesson ideas. Some ideas have been successful while others failed big time. However, these five lesson ideas can be implemented in your classroom with confidence. They are time tested, student approved, and proven to keep your students engaged, yet learning, during this upcoming election season. If you’d like even more presidential style resources, you may enjoy these executive branch lessons.
What are some lesson ideas you have implemented for the election season? I’d love to hear from you. Leave your thoughts in the comments below or contact Mister Harms. For more quality content, follow @MisterHarms on social media, or join my classroom for periodic updates with lesson ideas and deal alerts!
