Political Party Station Lesson

This is a complete 50 minute station lesson on United States political parties. There is a handout included that students carry to each station as well as clear station directions on what to do at each station. I give my students 9 minutes a station for each of the 5 stations. This lesson is designed in Word and Powerpoint and can be used as is or modified for your classroom. They will need access to computers or devices at two station.

Note: This lesson is not biased in anyway leaning kids towards one political party or another. It simply gives them the information and lets them decide what party they closely align with.

What’s included?
– Station 1: What is a political party? Powerpoint Notes
– Station 2: Youtube Video clip and questions from crash-course on political parties
– Station 3: Political Party Ideology Quizzes (must have access to a device or two to share with a partner – phone, tablet, or computer)
– Station 4: How do political parties feel about certain key issues? (must have access to a device or two to share with a partner – phone, tablet, or computer)
– Station 5: What makes someone conservative and liberal reading and graphic organizer?
– Homework: Political Parties Response

 

Get the lesson here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Political-Parties-Station-Lesson-3889001 

 

If you like this lesson you may also like:
Articles of Confederation Stations Lesson

Constitution Stations Lesson

Electoral College Stations Lesson

Political Parties Stations Lesson

Congress Stations Lesson

George Washington Presidency Stations Lesson

Causes of the Civil War Stations Lesson

Imperialism Stations Lesson

U.S. During World War I Stations Lesson

1920’s Stations Lesson

World War II Homefront Stations Lesson

Kennedy Administration Stations Lesson

Vietnam War Stations Lesson

US Civil Rights Movement Stations Lesson

Stock Market Stations Lesson
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How do I find out about and access new materials as they are posted?
Continue to follow me to get the notification emails of new products. Then, simply re-download the files and copy over the new items.

This purchase is for one teacher only. This resource is not to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses. Licenses are non-transferable. If you are a coach, principal, or district interested in transferable licenses to accommodate yearly staff changes, please contact me for a quote at notanotherhistoryteacher@gmail.com. This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.

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AP U.S. Government and Politics Review

Are you struggling with AP U.S. Government and Politics Review?

Here are a few of my favorite resources for review with my students for the AP Exam May 10th!!! I typically have them complete the review packet with homework practice questions everyday. I make every Friday Fun by playing review games such as Bingo, jeopardy, Quizlet Live, Kahoot, or Socrative review.

You may like to purchase:
AP Government and Politics Complete Exam Review Unit (everything is included below)
Complete Review Packet (15 pages)
Password Vocabulary Review Game
Institutions Practice Questions
Vocabulary Bingo Game 1
Vocabulary Bingo Game 2
Jeopardy Game
Practice Quizzes Each Unit
Stations Lesson 1
Stations Lesson 2

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More Curriculum:
AP Government and Politics Complete Course
Constitutional Underpinnings
Political Beliefs, Behaviors, and Culture
Political Parties and Electoral Practices
The Legislative Branch and the Congress
The Executive Branch and the Presidency
The Bureaucracy Unit
The Judicial Branch Unit
The Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Unit
Exam Review
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How do I find out about and access new materials as they are posted?
Continue to follow me to get the notification emails of new products. Then, simply re-download the files and copy over the new items.

This purchase is for one teacher only. This resource is not to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses. Licenses are non-transferable. If you are a coach, principal, or district interested in transferable licenses to accommodate yearly staff changes, please contact me for a quote at notanotherhistoryteacher@gmail.com. This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.

Follow Me
Visit my store and click on the green star to follow me and receive product updates: Not Another History Teacher
You can also follow me on Pinterest or Like my Facebook Page

 

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Top 5 Innovations in Classroom Technology

Technology in the classroom has certainly been a touchy subject, what with kids using their cell phones as the latest way to “pass notes” in class. But savvy teachers understand that mobile devices offer them a means of connecting with students and enhancing the lessons delivered in the classroom. However, it can be hard to keep up with technology, which seems to advance at the speed of light. So here are a few innovations that every teacher should get behind in order to keep their classroom up-to-date with growing trends.

 

  1. The connected classroom. You can hardly operate a classroom these days without allowing for the enhancements offered by the internet, including the research opportunities provided by search engines and the education and entertainment value delivered by targeted video content. But there’s more to making your classroomClassroom-Tech connected these days. It involves not only hardware like smartphones and tablets, but also software, apps, and social media meant to help you connect with students on a level that they are comfortable and familiar with. Getting your classroom connected can help you to enhance your regular lessons, engage with students, and virtually find more ways to communicate with kids that might not necessarily interact otherwise.
  2. Facebook pages. Facebook is nothing new, but more and more teachers are starting to see the merits of creating group pages for each of their classes. With the proper protective measures in place (privacy settings, passwords, etc.) you can keep parents happy. And utilizing the platform provides you with a forum to interact with and help students outside of class, as well as encouraging them to help one another. In addition, you can use it to post assignments, add instructions, and facilitate communication for group projects. In short, Facebook (or similar social networking sites) could certainly add to the educational experience.
  3. Study Blue. There are all kinds of mobile applications designed to help students study smarter, but this freebie (with in-app purchases) offers options for study notes and flashcards, as well as the ability to message with the teacher or other students for sharing, feedback, and help. It’s a great way for students to stay on track with their studies, both inside and out of the classroom.
  4. Tablets and smartphones. Although many teachers remain hesitant about allowing students to bring their mobile devices to class, others have started to realize the many educational opportunities inherent in these gadgets. With options for apps, programs, and videos (amongst other things), tablets and smartphones are paving the way to a technological future through classroom usage.
  5. Digital lectures. With options like Ted Talks and Khan Academy grabbing the interest of older students, it’s not surprising that teachers at all grade levels are taking the cue and flipping the concept of lectures end over end. Boring speeches need not take up every class period when teachers create Power Point presentations or video lectures for students to watch in study hall or at home. And this concept paves the way for more interaction within the classroom setting. When students come prepared, having watched a lecture in their off-time, teachers can focus on answering questions and clarifying points, as well as engaging in activities that offer hands-on opportunities to drive home important information. Whether you teach at the grade school or high school level or you’re an instructor at WSU online, digitizing lectures can lead to increased opportunities for interaction in the classroom.

Leon Harris is a freelance writer and editor based in sunny Southern California. In his spare time, Harris enjoys living a healthy lifestyle and exercising with his two Golden Retrievers.

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5 Ways for Teachers to Make Learning More Interactive

One of the biggest challenges that many teachers face is trying to get students to participate, and it’s a problem that seems to grow as students get older and become more concerned about the judgment of their peers. Of course, there will always be a select few students that raise their hands for every question and delight in answering correctly. But the goal within any classroom setting is to ensure that all of the kids are engaged and that each one is receiving a solid Attentive-Classeducation. This is no easy feat these days, especially with limited resources and growing class sizes. But when teachers can find ways to make lessons interactive, then students have no choice but to play their role, enhancing the educational experience not only for themselves, but for the entire class. So here are just a few ideas that should help to get every student involved in the learning process.

  1. Cut back on lectures. Whenever you lecture a class full of students and allow them to sit by passively, taking notes, you are doing them a disservice. Although there are certainly occasions where you have to deliver a passel of data, consider how much of what you’re telling them may be garnered from reading or online research that you could give as homework. This should help you to temper your rote data dumps in the classroom setting and instead focus on interactive lessons designed to see if the kids are actually doing their reading assignments. Only by talking with them, instead of at them, can you figure out what they’re actually taking in.
  2. Test understanding rather than memorization. Nearly every child can memorize and regurgitate facts on command. This is the basic tenet of standardized testing. But as an involved educator you want to make sure that the kids in your classroom are learning not only how to absorb information, but how to put it to good use. In other words, you’re training them to think for themselves. So when you quiz your students in class, try to come up with questions that force them to think about what they have learned, approach it from different angles, and come up with a unique response. The brain is a muscle and we have to use it in order to make it strong.
  3. Put students in groups. If you question students one at a time you’re forcing the rest of the class to remain idle in the meantime. By creating small groups you can pose questions or problems for the entire class and allow the groups to discuss and answer them as a unit. This not only allows each student to interact with every question, but it also lets the students learn from and teach each other, potentially helping to solidify their own understanding of the materials covered.
  4. Electronic response system. Technology has allowed for a slew of new ways to make the classroom interactive, and one method that many teachers favor is the electronic response system. It’s a quick way to take a “vote” from the class and see how students are stacking up. For example, you can ask a question, offer three possible responses, and immediately see the percentage of students who got it right, helping you to determine where you should focus your teaching efforts. You might also use this gadget as a way to engineer lively debates on topics covered in class by taking polls of student opinions on a subject.
  5. Unorthodox seating. The way a classroom is laid out can definitely have an impact on the level of interactivity. For example, in a class that requires a lot of discussion, you might consider forming the desks into a large circle so that all of the students can see whoever is speaking. This face-to-face configuration encourages interaction and turns a discussion between teacher and students into an interactive experience that includes the entire class. Of course, there are certain settings where this strategy won’t work, like in a lecture hall with immovable seating or a program for a master of science in accounting online. But the creative teacher can find ways to make any setting more interactive.

 

Guest Post: Leon Harris is a freelance writer and editor based in sunny Southern California. In his spare time, Harris enjoys living a healthy lifestyle and exercising with his two Golden Retrievers. 

 

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Smithsonian Quests inspire students to explore their own ideas!

I learned about Smithsonian Quests from Daniel Boyle, who is a history teacher I know from twitter who wants to incorporate the idea of the Google 20% into his classroom. Smithsonian Quests inspire students to explore their own ideas and interests online, in school, at home, and across the nation. The quests connect and reward learners of different ages and in different regions as they learn through discovery and collaboration. Rewards include digital badges that students (and teachers) take with them for life!

 

The primary goal is to inspire youth to explore their own interests through a series of online activities and related incentive badges. Many of these badges are integrated with content from online education conferences, which highlight a variety of different topics.

Smithsonian Quests & BadgesThe second goal is to enhance students’ cognitive capabilities by incorporating knowledge and skill-building into the quests. The online conferences and quests are interdisciplinary in nature, offering students the opportunity to choose what they care about most.

All quests engage students in exploring a topic of interest either as part of a formal standards-aligned school curriculum or as a student-driven after school activity. An important secondary audience is you, the educator, whose support is vital in connecting with students. To this end, you also will be offered badges that will document their participation in Smithsonian online conferences, online professional development sessions, and the completion of class projects. All quests will be reviewed and badges awarded by a team of Smithsonian experts.

Sign-up now! You will receive an invitation to join a grade-level based group in the Smithsonian Quests Community.

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Use Google Draw to Animate Maps or Images written by Chris McKenzie @mckc1

Guest Post written by  Chris McKenzie who is an English teacher and a Coordinator of Educational Technology at a secondary school (grades 8-12) in Vancouver, BC. You can follow her on Twitter handle at  mckc1

 

I’d like to share relatively simple idea that makes use of Google Drawing to annotate maps. This is great for historical maps because it’s easier to do than overlaying a map onto Google Earth. If you don’t know about Google Drawing, you can find it in Google Drive. Instead of creating a Google Doc, just go a bit further down the drop-down menu and select “Drawing”.

Then, when you are in the drawing window, “Insert” an image and resize the image and the canvas to your liking.After that, you and the students can use the line tool and scribble tool to draw on the map, use the text tool to write on the map, and use the insert image function to include other images. If you right-click on the lines, text, or images, you can select “comment” to add a comment to the right of the map. Move your mouse over the comment to see which part of the map it pertains to, or click on an element of the map to see which comment is associated with it. Best of all, because this is a part of Google Drive, multiple students can collaborate on it.

It may be worthwhile having students annotate a map before you teach them the lesson. As a form of pre-assessment, they could annotate it with what they know. Then, as the lesson goes on, they could revise their previous annotations or drawings to show what they’ve learned.

Depending on your purpose and the students’ ages, you may also want to have some small pushpin images or premade labels down the side so that the students have only to drag them into place.

Here is a sample map:

 

 

 

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Socrative for Review and Sub Plans!

I NEVER in my wildest dreams would assume my student’s would actually be able to play a “review game” on their mobile devices with a substitute. I have a dream US history class period 1, which means they are still tired. The classroom culture is such that they do their work, every one of them contribute to the class, and meaningful learning happens. It is one of my favorite classes. I am not sure I could leave a review game for some of my other periods, but with that being said you have to know your students and ideally have a good substitute!

 

I use Socrative for review games all the time. I also love Infuse Learning. I use both programs (free) interchangeably because they have different features. On Monday morning I had a review day scheduled before their test on Tuesday. I attended a conference in the city and needed to leave sub plans. My first reaction was “oh no, what can I have the sub do with them? I can’t lose another school day” (we’ve had 2 snow and 4 hurricane days this year, so far). I already had a Socrative review prepared for my students and I figured I would continue with my plans. Being my school is a BYOD my students could partner up or each use any device they owned to play the “game.”

My sub plans said:

  1. Have the students go to their Socrative app or the internet to access the website
  2. Give them this random code ##### to play the game
  3. Have them play the review game alone or with a partner

I preset the questions to have student’s see if they got the questions correct as well as a “why” if they got the question wrong. My student’s did really well and enjoyed the review game. If you want to access other teacher’s review games using the socrative share code- click this link.

 

After they played the digital review game I had them use white boards in pairs. I gave each pair an envelop of four vocabulary words with the definitions that were going to be on the test. They had to draw their vocabulary word. They then took turns guessing each others word. They played this game for four rounds so they reviewed over 40 vocabulary words in the period.

 

I graded the tests on Tuesday and my students did fabulous on the assessment! I am so happy I did not lose and day and most of all meaningful learning occurred and reviewed WITHOUT me being there. I hope you can try something like this in your class.

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Earn Extra $ with Teachers Pay Teachers

Warning: I personally make extra money off this idea.

You won’t get rich as a teacher, right? Think again, there are a small number of teacher’s who are making millions of dollars selling their lesson plans online on a website called TeachersPayTeachers (TPT). Teachers Pay Teachers is the first open marketplace where teacher’s can buy and sell original teaching lesson materials. I have uploaded several of my lessons to the website. Check my profile on Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Higher Education - TeachersPayTeachers.com

 

One Georgia kindergarten teacher Deanna Jump has earned more than $1 million selling lesson plans. The website was created om 2006 and since then more than 26 teacher’s have made more than a $100,000 on TPT. Please note the website takes 15% commission on most sales.

 

It is a website created with a mission to bring teachers together who create curriculum that strives to create new and fresh approaches to the classroom.  Teachers Pay Teachers is designed to reward teachers who work hard and deserve extra compensation for all those long hours lesson planning.

 

Ultimately teacher’s pay teacher’s creates a place where teacher’s can share their best practices and everyone benefits, especially students. If interested, Join Teachers Pay Teachers as a buyer or seller or both to make your teaching career even more rewarding.

 

View my profile of lessons on Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Higher Education - TeachersPayTeachers.com

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Gooru provides high-quality learning resources for every student and teacher

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to teach completely using the iPad. The only exception is when I show a DVD in my classroom. So far it has been fairly easy since I got this wonderful Longitech keyboard, which makes typing so much easier.  In my classroom I have an Apple TV, which allows me to mirror anything from my iPad or my student’s iPad to the projector.

I am always looking for new ways to make my iPad more efficient and save me time. I recently discovered Gooru, which any user can use on their mobile device or on a regular computer browser. Gooru Collections allow any user to have access to more than 3,000 educational materials. The website is organized into playlists and is designed for every 5th-12th grade student.The options are endless from videos to games, to digital textbooks, useful teacher approved websites, quizzes, and so much more.

Collections are aligned to standards and currently cover every 5th-12th grade math, science and social science topic, with more subjects coming soon.

One of my favorite features is that you can save  any resource to your username so anytime you want to access a particular resource it’s right on the home screen or “shelf.” The best part is that it’s FREE and has NO advertisements. Check it out today, you will not be disappointed!

Features of the iPad app:
-Gooru Collections will always be free
-Browse collections on 5th through 12th grade topics
-Search for collections to find exactly what you need to study
-Bookmark your favorite collections for later review
-Enable narration written by teachers to guide you through every resource in a collection
-Get the best collections delivered to you every week in “Featured Collections”
-Swipe to move on to the next resource, or tap the top navigation bar
-Customize your experience by logging in to your goorulearning.org account and accessing the collections you saved on the Web
-All materials are vetted by teachers to ensure what you study is high quality and safe
-Much more to come!

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Encourage full class participation with “chalk talk”

Last week I was introduced to the idea of “chalk talk” from a fabulous co-worker of mine.  What is chalk talk? Chalk talk is a silent way to generate ideas, solve a problem, or reflect on your learning. Student’s remain silent and they can comment on other student’s writing  generate their own ideas, or contribute to the class with a marker or a piece of chalk. You can even make it digital with a wallwisher.

 

My First Chalk Talk

After my class had a successful socratic seminar, I decided to put a prompt on the board (see image below) and I gave white board markers to my students. They had to go up to the board and write a statement, a reflection, a comment,  or a question. When a student was done writing they gave their marker to another student who did not reflect on the board. By the end of class we had a semi-organized interesting collection related to essencial question about political culture and politicians  My students liked the quiet generated by the class and they liked that they could to reflect on what other students were writing. I was especially moved by their ability to make connections to concepts learned from previous units or current events.  I have to say I was impressed chalk talk and my students said they liked how it made everyone participate silently!

How can you use Chalk Talk in a Lesson about Hurricane Sandy?

I am going to do another Chalk Talk on Monday, our first day back after the Hurricane to reflect about the government’s relief effort.  I think it will be an interesting way to connect the government’s response to my government course. I think I am going to make my question: “Does the government have a responsibility to get involved after a natural disaster such as a hurricane?”

 

For more information about Chalk Talk visit the Education Alliance from Brown University.

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