Students explore the two-party system and why it’s been so difficult for third parties to make it. The class then break into groups to study three U.S. elections with major third party candidates: the 1912, 1992, and 2000 elections.
Down-Ballot Voting and the Role of Local Elections
Students will analyze the role of state and local government and the merits of candidates and ballot measures in their local elections.
Meet Richard St. George – Theatrical Performance
Developed for the Museum’s exhibit, Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier, this 20-minute performance provides viewers with an opportunity to consider the opinions and experiences of someone who chose to fight for the British against uprisings in both North America and Ireland. Learners can also explore the evergreen online exhibit
Through Their Eyes – Teacher Resource Guide
Built to support the Through Their Eyes core museum student experience, as well as use of the Virtual Tour of the Museum of the American Revolution, this teacher resource guide features modular activities of varying lengths, types, and purposes to encourage student thinking and discussion. High quality images, worksheets, and more engage students around themes
Virtual Tour of the Museum of the American Revolution
Use this virtual tour of the core galleries of the Museum of the American Revolution to explore the dynamic late 18th century through four guiding questions: How do people become Revolutionaries? How did the Revolution Survive its darkest hour? How Revolutionary was the war? What kind of nation did the Revolution create? Along the way,
Season of Independence – Online Interactive Map and Timeline
Mirroring an in-museum resource, this interactive online map and timeline tracks statements of support for independence across the 13 American colonies in rebellion over time, while placing those colonies in larger geographic context. Throughout, it presents the voices of those who supported independence, disagreed, and hoped to avoid a war altogether. Use the accompanying classroom
Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia – Virtual Exhibit Tour
During the Revolutionary War, James Forten – a young man of African descent born free in Philadelphia – served on a privateer ship to support the Revolutionary cause. Afterwards, he and his family fought to encourage the new nation to live up to its revolutionary ideals. Use the materials in this online exhibit, supported by
Economics
This unit aims to cultivate critical thinking skills in students as they explore microeconomics and macroeconomics, examining the role of government in the economy through lessons that encourage analysis, evaluation, and understanding of economic principles and government interventions.
1912 Republican Convention: TR Starts the Bull Moose Party
This four-minute video provides students with an introduction to the election of 1912 and the emergence of the progressive Bull Moose party, named for Theodore Roosevelt’s saying after an assassination attempt that he was “fit as a bull moose” to become president again. Focusing on Theodore Roosevelt’s decision to challenge President William Taft for the 1912 Republican Party nomination, the video shows students how the newly created system of direct primaries affected the race, and how Roosevelt’s failure to wrest the nomination from Taft resulted in the formation of the short-lived Bull Moose party. The video is useful for lessons focused on the election of 1912, or for lessons focused on the political reforms of the progressive era.
Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress
Teachers can assign the materials in this lesson as homework or use them to create stations in their classroom in which students can understand how the House of Representatives and Senate differ in their structures, powers, rules, and functions. After students have gone through the lesson, teachers can assign one of two practice exercises to assess how much they understood from their lesson.