Presidential Election 2024 | Political Parties Spectrum | Democrat & Republican

The two major Political Parties, Democratic and Republican, are debating 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.

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:

1. Complete set of instructional visuals/notes to help guide you and your students through the lesson in a Google Slideshow format.
2. Fully detailed set of teacher directions for you to successfully implement the lesson. You will feel well prepared to deliver an amazing lesson!
3. 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.
4. All resources are in GOOGLE Drive format as well as PDF. You can assign in print form or assign through Google Classroom.
5. All resources are completely editable for you to customize as needed!

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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'd be so kind, 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 on Instagram or Facebook so I can meet you! I hope you have a wonderful day! Enjoy!

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