Running for President roleplay

Running for President roleplay

Laura Brusseau has scripted this immersive activity to understand the process of running for office. It’s paired with our How to Run for President episode. In this activity, students in groups of three take on the role of presidential candidate, VP candidate, and campaign manager. Write your announcement speech, plan a 30 second commercial, choose your Secret Service name, and so much more!

Activity: Running for President

Grades: 8-12

The Miracle in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention

The Miracle in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention

To pair with our Founding Documents: The Constitution episode, Chuck Taft has created a convention-themed roleplaying activity based on primary sources. He has also made this wonderful video explaining the lesson plan! Click here for the full lesson plan, about which Chuck writes:

In this activity, students take on the roles of fictional (yet historic) delegates at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Students learn about the background of the Convention and analyze primary source statements from James Madison’s notes. In small conventions, students debate the major issues that the Framers faced and find out how compromise was essential in creating the supreme law of the land.

Grade: 6-12

Activity: The Miracle in Philadelphia

Creating a Land Acknowledgment: Declaration Revisited, Native Americans

Creating a Land Acknowledgment: Declaration Revisited, Native Americans

This lesson from Shaunie Decker examines how Native Americans have been represented and treated during the formation of American government. It also explores the importance of including all voices in history. Finally, this lesson explains the purpose of land acknowledgments and allows students to take action by writing land acknowledgements that can be used in class. This may be delivered as a 3-day, comprehensive lesson, or the daily lessons may be used individually.

Electoral College Simulation

Electoral College Simulation

Neal Walter Young has created this thorough, massive, entertaining simulation. Through this activity, students will grapple with the positives and negatives of the Electoral College as well as ways in which it could be reformed. This activity begins with a brief history of the Electoral College and then is followed by a simulation in which students play the role of Pennsylvanian electors during a chaotic presidential election.

Conventions

Conventions

Cary Waxler has created this delightful simulation to pair with our episode on Conventions.

Students will conduct a simulated National Nominating Convention, held in Des Moines, IA, where no candidate has secured enough delegates in primary elections to be the automatic nominee. The simulated party name is the Unionist Party.

Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers

Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers

Jonathan Peralto has created this plan to pair with our Federalist/Anti-Federalist Papers episode. Students will understand the differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in their debate over ratification of the U.S. Constitution and how that debate ultimately led to the creation and ratification of the Bill of Rights. This lesson is designed to be done over the course of two class periods, ranging from 45-60 minutes. If you are on a block schedule with longer classes, you could complete this in a single session. Time stamps were taken from the recording posted here.