SS.912.CG.2.11

This Vietnam War lesson starts with a background reading and questions on tensions with the French and the Domino Theory. Students will make predictions about arguments for and against entering the war and the impact of public opinion. Next, they will map a divided Vietnam and surrounding areas to evaluate Domino Theory. Students will be given primary sources to categorize if the source supports or challenges the war and ultimately write a thesis statement if they think the war was justified. This is lesson 3 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and history.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this final lesson, students code with SCRATCH to create a guided critique of their imagery created in Lesson Two to demonstrate to viewers what they have learned about evaluating image authenticity. Using the Art Criticism model and their Code of Image Ethics created in lesson two, viewers are guided through the four steps of critiquing a work of art (Describe, Analyze, Interpret, Judge) focused on evaluating the image’s authenticity and potential bias. This is the last lesson of a three-lesson mini-unit.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson starts with background reading and textual questions on the Chinese Civil War. Students will be given three propaganda primary sources from the Chinese Communist Party on the topics of the Great Leap Forward, Red Guards, and Cultural Revolution. They will write 3-sentence scenarios from the point of view of the targeted audience of the propaganda to give a written representation of those who would have supported the idea. This is lesson 1 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating Civics and World History.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students create their own manipulated fake digital images to examine and evaluate their truthfulness, analyze possible outcomes of manipulated images as well as investigate the power of text and images to amplify its message.

Students also create a 'Code of Image Ethics' for images they encounter in the future, as well as identify important historical impacts of imagery and their effect on the American political process, and the implications of new technology (such as A.I. generated imagery) might impact the future of this process.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson grows student awareness of the many roles photography plays in our personal and political lives, helping them develop strength in discerning how images may be attempting to persuade them and ways to identify its veracity. Students will explore visual examples (in attachments or teacher-sourced), guided discussion, critique, and exploration of their own found examples. Reflection at the end of the lesson will reinforce the importance of telling the truth with images as well as the role they play in creating & sharing trustworthy imagery. This is lesson 1 of a 3-part unit.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will create a Scratch animation exhibiting the opposing viewpoint to the one they promoted in lesson two. This is part 3 of an integrated computer science and civics mini-unit on coding and the effects of bias within media communications. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this integrated civics lesson, students will use the block coding program Scratch to create an artifact that demonstrates an understanding of one side of a political issue or disagreement. This lesson is part II of a three-part integrated computer science and civics mini-unit. 

Type: Lesson Plan

Power point that displays propaganda of the Cold War.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will compare the reporting of the same issue from different points of view and analyze the impacts of these values on media messages. Several activities will lead to a discussion of how different people/organizations bring different points of view to many topics. This is lesson 1 of 3 of an integrated computer science and civics mini-unit.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will participate in a classroom activity called "Chat Stations," they will rotate among stations that include specific readings and questions. Each station will center around the Radical Republicans and various plans, groups, and individuals involved in the Reconstruction Era's efforts to rebuild the South, as explored through specific literary pieces.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a handout containing study/analysis of a 1770 letter from Henry Pelham to Paul Revere. We will look at his accusations in the letter and then study the two artists' artwork of the Boston Massacre. There is a series of guiding questions to engage students in the analysis, impact, and ramifications of this storyline.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will read President Barack Obama’s second inaugural address from 2013. Students will paraphrase several important sections of President Obama’s speech to develop their paraphrasing skills and evaluate the president’s use of figurative language and emotional appeal to establish purpose. Students will also complete text-dependent questions to further analyze the speech. As part of this analysis, they will express their comprehension of the key elements and overall message of his speech.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn to evaluate sources of political information from multiple perspectives for fact and bias.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students analyze methods of political communication. In partner pairs, students analyze methods of political communication used by politicians by determining the strengths and weaknesses of each method. Via think-pair-share, students evaluate the efficacy of the methods of political communication while also determining how the methods changed over time.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students analyze the language of a speech delivered by William Jennings Bryan (1896) in opposition to the Gold Standard and in support of bimetallism. The analysis will focus on connotation and bias in Bryan’s word choice. This lesson addresses the term rhetoric and the definitions and features of the rhetorical appeal, pathos.

Students will read the speech and analyze the use of connotative language that was used by Bryan to express a politically biased message.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will read excerpts and analyze the fireside chats broadcasted during the Great Depression. Broadcasts will highlight President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal focusing on Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage) and child labor laws.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be able to identify and describe different types of propaganda, their uses, and effectiveness based on historical uses of propaganda in the United States.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will become familiar with Franklin D. Roosevelt and his use of the radio to calm and reassure citizens during the Great Depression. Students will focus on the first chat addressing the banking crisis.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will use the types of propaganda to help analyze WWI propaganda. Students will learn about the different types of propaganda and then apply those techniques to famous WWI propaganda posters.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will analyze World War II posters as political communication for use of emotional appeal, bias, factual accuracy, and omission.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson will be part of the World War I unit. Students will analyze George M. Cohan’s song, “Over There” to evaluate how he used propaganda techniques to gather support for the nation’s entry into WWI. It will also demonstrate how one individual can influence public policy and how the song helped boost morale and prepare the people for war.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will identify and evaluate the influence and effects of various forms of media and the internet on political communication. Students will read scenarios and develop campaign strategies for each scenario that reflect the information provided.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will analyze primary sources found in various social media to determine their reliability by incorporating lateral reading exercises and applying the CRAAP (Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) method.  To practice, students will compare multiple perspectives on the Declaration of Independence.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will receive some direct instruction on persuasion and political ads. Students will then analyze various presidential campaign advertisements to examine their emotional appeal to voters.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn about the psychology of advertising and emotional appeal. Students will then analyze various presidential campaign slogans and logos to identify their emotional appeal to voters.  

Type: Lesson Plan

In this multi-day lesson plan, students will read a text and view a speech which include appeals to both logic and emotion. Students will recognize the importance of using short narratives and personal anecdotes in speech and will develop their own narratives/anecdotes to use in their original oratory.

Type: Lesson Plan

This Grades 9-12 Civics Family Guide provides some ideas and activities to support civics education when at home, out and about, and in the community. The activities provided align to the civics learning benchmarks within Standard 2 at these grade levels.

Type: Teaching Idea

This resource provides teachers with the tools to help students analyze the speech delivered by President Ronald Reagan following the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. Students will focus on how President Reagan conveys and supports his central idea through the use of two specific rhetorical devices. Students will evaluate how effectively the president applies the use of allusions and anaphora to support his central idea.

Type: Teaching Idea

This teaching idea focuses on FDR’s use of rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, & logos) in his inauguration speech. Students will practice identifying his use of these appeals within the text. The resource will help students understand how the president uses rhetorical appeals to convey and support his central idea.

Type: Teaching Idea

This resource intended for the debate classroom will help students write an attention-getting introduction to convey ideas, concepts, and information through the use of education and humor.

Type: Teaching Idea

This assignment will enable students to search for and critically analyze news articles presenting differing perspectives on similar issues. Students will think critically about the role that media plays in affecting the way objective information is delivered to the general public.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will analyze presidential orations for aspects of content, emotional, physical and verbal gestures, and audience engagement. They will then analyze their own oratory for ways to improve emphasis. 

Type: Teaching Idea

This teaching resource provides the tools for teachers to help students analyze the use of rhetorical appeals in President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. This resource will help students understand how President Lincoln specifically used ethos, pathos, and logos to achieve his purpose.

Type: Text Resource

This teaching resource will provide teachers the tools/ideas to help students analyze the speech delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This speech was given to Congress in order to persuade them to join the war efforts, protecting American ideals of freedom. This speech uses the rhetorical techniques of pathos and logos to persuade his listeners.

Type: Text Resource