Free 8th Grade Major Political Parties In The United States Lesson Plan

Topic: Major Political Parties in the United States

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to compare the view of the major political parties in the United States.

Materials

• political posters or images from each of the major political parties (e.g. Democratic Party, Republican Party, Libertarian Party)
• poster board and markers

Warm-up

• Ask students what they know about political parties in the United States. Write their answers on the board.
• Ask students if they have heard of the major political parties in the United States (e.g. Democratic Party, Republican Party, Libertarian Party). Write their answers on the board.

Direct Instruction

• Explain that political parties are organizations that represent different views and interests in society. Parties compete for power by trying to win elections.
• Discuss the views and policies of the major political parties in the United States. For example, the Democratic Party is generally more liberal and supports policies such as universal health care and increased government intervention in the economy. The Republican Party is generally more conservative and supports policies such as lower taxes and reduced government regulation.
• Use handouts and/or online resources to provide more detail about the views and policies of the major political parties.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one of the major political parties.
• Have the groups research the views and policies of their assigned party.
• Have each group present their findings to the class, discussing the differences between their party and the other major parties.
• As a class, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each party's views and policies.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one of the major political parties to research in more detail.
• Have students write a report on the views and policies of their chosen party, including a discussion of the differences between their party and the other major parties.

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson with the students.
• Ask students to summarize the main points of their reports on the views and policies of their chosen party.
• Ask students to discuss the importance of understanding the views and policies of the different major political parties in the United States.

Closure

• Assessment:
• Students will be assessed on the completion of their independent practice project, participation in class discussions, and their understanding of the views and policies of their chosen party.
• Formative Assessment
• Observation of student participation in class discussions, completion of group activities, and completion of the independent practice project.
• Summative Assessment
• Written test on the views and policies of the different major political parties in the United States.
• Written reflection on the importance of understanding the views and policies of the different major political parties in the United States.