How do the presidential debates of 2016 compare to the debates from the 1980's? What about the 1960's? Evaluate a chosen candidate or issue from the 20th and 21st centuries with a lesson plan focused on political debates. Middle and high schoolers use discussion guides and questions to analyze debates and the ways that candidates represent their stances, their constituents, and themselves.

Concepts

debate, american politics, political campaigns, political parties, political systems

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Assign different debates to small groups to analyze and share with the rest of the class
• Show clips of various debates addressing the same topics, such as jobs, energy, or foreign policy, over the years
• Incorporate into a unit on debate techniques, historical elections, or American politics
• Use during an election season or as a reflection of a previous election

Classroom Considerations

• Evaluation guide is a Google doc, and requires access to the Internet before downloading onto your computer

Pros

• Provides links to all televised presidential and vice presidential debates since 1960, including debates from 2016
• Extension activity links the cause (debate) to the effect (election results), and extension questions delve deeper into campaign strategy and motivation
• Includes a graphic organizer and a set of discussion questions to guide learners through the assignment

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.7.3 SL.8.3 SL.9-10.3 SL.11-12.3