I'm a high school teacher in the United States with more than 20 years experience teaching history and English! I believe in making learning fun and incorporating critical thinking skills, as well as building lessons that provide teacher convenience features!
I'm a high school teacher in the United States with more than 20 years experience teaching history and English! I believe in making learning fun and incorporating critical thinking skills, as well as building lessons that provide teacher convenience features!
We the People Crossword Puzzle -- A Great Way to Preview and Review Material!
Looking for a fun way to get students engaged with lesson content and help them zero in on key concepts and important details about U.S. government and the U.S. Constitution? Puzzles work well!
This puzzle activity is intended for use with Lesson 20 of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution. As such, it dives deep into the expansion of voting rights over the course of United States history -- everything from the elimination of property requirements to the enfranchisement of African Americans, Native Americans, women, and young adults. This will help students see how the work done by the Framers of the Constitution has been augmented over time by both constitutional amendment and federal law.
Differentiated Learning is Embedded in these We the People Crossword Puzzle Worksheets
This We the People Crossword Puzzle Packet contains worksheets with two levels of difficulty to help teachers differentiate the material for their students. The first crossword included features a standard format with just the puzzle grid and the clues list.
The second crossword puzzle page, however, is intended for students that need learning aids – it also includes a Word Bank list that will assist students in filling out the puzzle by providing them with all of the possible answers. This “basic” level puzzle still requires students to think critically, though – they have to read each clue and figure out which word bank entry best suits it.
Teacher Convenience Features in these We the People Puzzle Worksheets
This packet includes a traditional crossword puzzle answer key that shows the words filled into their correct slots. However, to help teachers who want to conduct a class discussion on the terms, there is also an “Answer List” page that matches up the key words with their clues. This format means that teachers don’t have to hunt for answers on the grid when they are discussing items with the class!
Help your students understand the structure and vagaries of the Electoral College like never before as they study the map that represents Lyndon Johnson's landslide victory in 1964.
This is a Critical Thinking Worksheet that requires students to do a lot more than just read the included map. You won't find "giveaway" questions here -- no asking students who won Tennessee or how many electoral votes Nevada had that year.
Instead, students are challenged to use the information on the map to reach conclusions about a number of issues, including:
--From the map data, which states appear to have approximately equal populations?
--From the map data, how many members in the House of Representatives must a specified state have?
--Why did Goldwater win Arizona even though the rest of that region of the nation chose Johnson?
--What did the popular vote probably look like, considering how the electoral vote went?
When finished, students should have a thorough understanding of the structure of the Electoral College, with states receiving vote allotments based largely, but not exclusively, on their populations. They should also understand how the "winner take all" system in use by most states tends to skew the map toward one that makes even a landslide election look a lot more one-sided than it really was!
A Good Review of American Geography!
The map included on the worksheets has electoral vote allotments marked, but state names are not indicated except for a few small states along the eastern seaboard. To answer questions, however, students will need to be able to identify several unmarked states.
Students who do not know one state from another will benefit from using a standard map from their textbook or from an online source. Having to compare one map to another is a positive benefit -- it can help students learn a few more states! At the very least, it will point out to students that they don't yet know the U.S. map well, which means they need more practice and study with it.
What This 1964 Electoral College Worksheet Includes
---Student worksheet with map and 12 critical thinking questions
---Student extended-thinking worksheet with map and 3 challenge prompts
---Detailed annotated answer key for the critical thinking worksheet
---Additional answer key for the challenge prompt worksheet
We the People Crossword Puzzle -- A Great Way to Preview and Review Material!
Looking for a fun way to get students engaged with lesson content and help them zero in on key concepts and important details about U.S. government and the U.S. Constitution? Puzzles work well!
This puzzle activity is intended for use with Lesson 7 of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution. As such, it dives into one key source of government experience that the Framers of the Constitution had at their fingertips -- the rules and principles embedded in the early state constitutions, the major governing documents of their own time.
Differentiated Learning is Embedded in these We the People Crossword Puzzle Worksheets
This We the People Crossword Puzzle Packet contains worksheets with two levels of difficulty to help teachers differentiate the material for their students. The first crossword included features a standard format with just the puzzle grid and the clues list.
The second crossword puzzle page, however, is intended for students that need learning aids – it also includes a Word Bank list that will assist students in filling out the puzzle by providing them with all of the possible answers. This “basic” level puzzle still requires students to think critically, though – they have to read each clue and figure out which word bank entry best suits it.
Teacher Convenience Features in these We the People Puzzle Worksheets
This packet includes a traditional crossword puzzle answer key that shows the words filled into their correct slots. However, to help teachers who want to conduct a class discussion on the terms, there is also an “Answer List” page that matches up the key words with their clues. This format means that teachers don’t have to hunt for answers on the grid when they are discussing items with the class!
We the People Crossword Puzzle -- A Great Way to Preview and Review Material!
Looking for a fun way to get students engaged with lesson content and help them zero in on key concepts and important details about U.S. government and the U.S. Constitution? Puzzles work well!
This puzzle activity is intended for use with Lesson 12 of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution. As such, it dives into a key issue dealt with at the Constitutional Convention -- how to distribute powers between the state governments and the new federal government being created.
Differentiated Learning is Embedded in these We the People Crossword Puzzle Worksheets
This We the People Crossword Puzzle Packet contains worksheets with two levels of difficulty to help teachers differentiate the material for their students. The first crossword included features a standard format with just the puzzle grid and the clues list.
The second crossword puzzle page, however, is intended for students that need learning aids – it also includes a Word Bank list that will assist students in filling out the puzzle by providing them with all of the possible answers. This “basic” level puzzle still requires students to think critically, though – they have to read each clue and figure out which word bank entry best suits it.
Teacher Convenience Features in these We the People Puzzle Worksheets
This packet includes a traditional crossword puzzle answer key that shows the words filled into their correct slots. However, to help teachers who want to conduct a class discussion on the terms, there is also an “Answer List” page that matches up the key words with their clues. This format means that teachers don’t have to hunt for answers on the grid when they are discussing items with the class!
Instructions, lesson plan, and easy to use worksheet to help students track information and analyze the proceedings of the Senate during confirmation hearings for cabinet posts and Supreme Court justices. Helps teachers easily use video primary source footage in government, current events, and U.S. history classes!
The Nitty-Gritty
Here's how this Senate confirmation hearing worksheet works:
• Students are asked to fill out the nominee, the position sought, the hearing context (full Senate? Specific committee instead?) and the date of the hearing.
• Students wait for a question, then summarize it briefly.
• Students determine if the question is fair to the nominee, and also if it is a valid question -- one which is appropriate to ask. They simply check off yes or no to this issue, since minimal writing means more attention can be paid to listening to the video feed.
• Students listen to the nominee's answer and decide if they think the nominee should or should not be confirmed based on that single answer.
• Students write comments as needed to explain their perspectives about questions or answers.
That's all there is to it!
A Class Lesson Plan for Watching a Confirmation Hearing
My own usage of the worksheet looks approximately like this:
• Briefly orient students to activity. Pass out worksheets.
• Watch approx. 30 minutes of a confirmation hearing while students view with me and fill out their worksheets.
• During the 30 minutes, hit pause or mute on the hearing as needed to clarify points for the class or ask them for feedback. After an interesting Q&A (typically 8 or 10 minutes of coverage), I might debrief with the class before resuming. On the other hand, I might wait until the 30 minutes are over and then debrief the students.
• To debrief, I ask questions like this: Who thought the question wasn't fair or valid? Explain why you think that.... Who would confirm the nominee based on the last answer? Why? Who would refuse to confirm? Why?
• I've found in my years of teaching that students in government really want to discuss issues and put forth their own views. When we debrief a confirmation hearing, I usually get a lot of participation and engagement, sometimes even from students who don't usually volunteer to speak in class!
U.S. Government Worksheet Puzzle Focusing on the Presidency of the United States!
These puzzles will help students explore the ways in which the U.S. presidency differs from the leadership of prime minister, helping them to identify key distinctions between a parliamentary system and the U.S. federal government.
Differentiated Learning is Embedded in these U.S. Presidency Crossword Puzzle Worksheets
This packet contains worksheets with two levels of difficulty to help teachers differentiate the material for their students. The first crossword included features a standard format with just the puzzle grid and the clues list.
The second crossword puzzle page, however, is intended for students that need learning aids – it also includes a Word Bank list that will assist students in filling out the puzzle by providing them with all of the possible answers. This “basic" level puzzle still requires students to think critically, though – they have to read each clue and figure out which word bank entry best suits it.
Teacher Convenience Features in these United States President Puzzle Worksheets
This packet includes a traditional crossword puzzle answer key that shows the words filled into their correct slots. However, to help teachers who want to conduct a class discussion on the terms, there is also an “Answer List” page that matches up the key words with their clues. This format means that teachers don’t have to hunt for answers on the grid when they are discussing items with the class!
U.S. Government Worksheet Puzzle Focusing on the Congress of the United States!
These puzzles dive into the weighty issues of how Congress goes about making its decisions, and how it uses its investigative and oversight authority to "police" the other two branches of the U.S. government.
Differentiated Learning is Embedded in these U.S. Congress Crossword Puzzle Worksheets
This packet contains worksheets with two levels of difficulty to help teachers differentiate the material for their students. The first crossword included features a standard format with just the puzzle grid and the clues list.
The second crossword puzzle page, however, is intended for students that need learning aids – it also includes a Word Bank list that will assist students in filling out the puzzle by providing them with all of the possible answers. This “basic" level puzzle still requires students to think critically, though – they have to read each clue and figure out which word bank entry best suits it.
Teacher Convenience Features in these United States Congress Puzzle Worksheets
This packet includes a traditional crossword puzzle answer key that shows the words filled into their correct slots. However, to help teachers who want to conduct a class discussion on the terms, there is also an “Answer List” page that matches up the key words with their clues. This format means that teachers don’t have to hunt for answers on the grid when they are discussing items with the class!
As we all know, the Common Core demands a great deal more from teachers -- not least, the use of complex texts that challenge students to closely read for understanding. FDR's Four Freedoms Speech is an example of such a text, and now with this teaching packet, teachers can easily implement a close reading of it in English or history classes.
This packet includes:
--Step by step teaching procedure to guide the class through a "first read," "second read," and "third read."
--Annotation guide appropriate for secondary student use -- illustrated, but not too cute...
--Two-page excerpt of the Four Freedoms speech, easily printed on one sheet back and front
--One-page sheet of complex, thought-provoking text-dependent questions that students complete during their "third read" through the text
--Detailed answer key
All questions in this packet are free-response, asking students to compose answers at least a paragraph in length
Making the Common Core more accessible is easy with the right materials!
As we all know, the Common Core demands a great deal more from teachers -- not least, the use of complex texts that challenge students to closely read for understanding. The judicial opinion in the landmark Supreme Court Case Marbury v. Madison is an example of such a text, and now with this teaching packet, teachers can easily implement a close reading of it in English or history classes.
This packet includes:
--Detailed background information, including fun facts, to help teachers gain a thorough understanding of the court case Marbury v. Madison
--Step by step teaching procedure to guide the class through a "first read," "second read," and "third read."
--Annotation guide appropriate for secondary student use -- illustrated, but not too cute...
--One-page excerpt of the Marbury v. Madison court decision -- just enough extracted that students can complete the close reading in a reasonable time!
--Two-page sheet of complex, thought-provoking text-dependent questions that students complete during their "third read" through the text
--Detailed answer key
--Full opinion of the court included for context and/or teacher reference
All questions in this packet are free-response, asking students to compose answers at least a paragraph in length
Making the Common Core more accessible is easy with the right materials!
Help your students master key information about ancient Greece's two most famous city-states: Athens and Sparta!
Most world history textbooks give an overview of the two city-states, but few take the next step of helping students compare and contrast them in detail. The more we can get students to think critically, the more they will learn and remember, and these worksheets are designed with that principle in mind.
To that end, this packet includes several resources:
• A compare/contrast chart with dozens of descriptors about ancient Greece. For each, students identify if the description matches Athens, Sparta, or both.
• A set of 26 follow-up questions about Athens, with many of them designed to reinforce key content vocabulary such as democracy, tyrant, and oligarchy. Others take basic information about Athens and work in additional supporting details to give students a clearer picture of ancient Greece.
• A set of 26 follow-up questions about Sparta, with many of them designed to reinforce key vocabulary also. Emphasis is given to the military aspect of life in Sparta, but other topics, including their unusual system of government, are covered as well.
• Full answer keys to all activities.
All follow-up questions are multiple-choice.
Whether you are studying the ancient world in detail or quickly reviewing it as part of a "evolution of modern government" emphasis, these Athens and Sparta activity worksheets will help your students gain more insight into the Golden Age of Greece.
Looking for a teaching resource that zeros in on some of the most critical years in American history? This question set targets the Revolutionary War, zeroing in on the course of the war right up until the pivotal battle of Saratoga, long considered a turning point because the American victory there persuaded the French to formally ally with the United States. That decision would prove to be critical in later years when French aid helped General Washington gain the final surrender.
In this question set, students will dive deep into the challenges and struggles that characterized the first half of the Revolutionary War!
TOPICS COVERED IN THESE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS
• British battle strategy against New York and Philadelphia
• Early French aid even before Saratoga
• American battle strategy: crossing the Delaware
• Valley Forge
• The Battle of Saratoga
• Diverse views of the conflict from Native Americans, African Americans, and women
• Advantages and disadvantages held by the British and the Patriots
• Financing the war
TWO AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
This resource includes a multiple choice worksheet and also a free response worksheet, with no overlap of questions between the two. They do both cover the same range of concepts, however, which means that teachers can use one as a pre-test or formative assessment and the other as a final test or summative assessment!
Another choice would be to designate the multiple choice worksheet as a "basic" level task and the free response one as more advanced, and use them accordingly -- to differentiate instruction, build in extra-credit opportunities, or in any other way you use leveled materials, such as reserving one for a Revolutionary War practice activity and the other for an American Revolution quiz.
WHAT THESE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS INCLUDE
• Multiple Choice Worksheet with 32 Questions
• Free Response Worksheet with 32 Questions
• Answer Key for each worksheet
The multiple choice answer key in this American Revolution resource is full-context so that teachers don't have to look back and forth, question to answer, when reviewing multiple choice questions with the class. Everything needed to go over questions and answers with the class is grouped together for teacher convenience.
A "fast correct" answers only key is also provided for the multiple choice worksheet.
A free response answer key is also provided.
Looking for a teaching resource that zeros in on two of the most critical years in American history? This question set, which targets the important events of 1775 and 1776, helps students to dive deep into issues related to the colonies' decision to break from Great Britain.
TOPICS COVERED IN THESE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS
• Political as well as military moves toward independence -- The Second Continental Congress, The Olive Branch Petition, The Declaration of Independence, Bunker Hill
• Philosophical underpinnings of the independence movement -- John Locke's influence on Thomas Jefferson
• Great publications of the time -- Thomas Paine and Common Sense
• Two sides of the issue -- The point of view of Loyalists, the kinds of people in the colonies who gravitated toward the Loyalist cause
• Patriots and their supporters -- Their own demographic and socio-economic characteristics
• Diverse points of view -- What the prospect of independence would mean for Native Americans and African Americans
• Contributions of Great Americans -- John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and even lesser-known figures such as independence opponent John Dickinson
TWO AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
This resource includes a multiple choice worksheet and also a free response worksheet, with no overlap of questions between the two. They do both cover the same range of concepts, however, which means that teachers can use one as a pre-test or formative assessment and the other as a final test or summative assessment!
Another choice would be to designate the multiple choice worksheet as a "basic" level task and the free response one as more advanced, and use them accordingly -- to differentiate instruction, build in extra-credit opportunities, or in any other way you use leveled materials.
WHAT THESE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS INCLUDE
• Multiple Choice Worksheet with 29 Questions
• Free Response Worksheet with 29 Questions
• Answer Key for each worksheet
The answer keys in this American Revolution resource are full-context so that teachers don't have to look back and forth, question to answer, when reviewing material with the class. Everything needed to go over questions and answers with the class is grouped together for teacher convenience.
Looking for a teaching resource that zeros in on two of the most critical years in American history? This question set, which targets the important events of 1775 and 1776, helps students to dive deep into issues related to the colonies' decision to break from Great Britain.
TOPICS COVERED IN THESE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS
• Political as well as military moves toward independence -- The Second Continental Congress, The Olive Branch Petition, The Declaration of Independence, Bunker Hill
• Philosophical underpinnings of the independence movement -- John Locke's influence on Thomas Jefferson
• Great publications of the time -- Thomas Paine and Common Sense
• Two sides of the issue -- The point of view of Loyalists, the kinds of people in the colonies who gravitated toward the Loyalist cause
• Patriots and their supporters -- Their own demographic and socio-economic characteristics
• Diverse points of view -- What the prospect of independence would mean for Native Americans and African Americans
• Contributions of Great Americans -- John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and even lesser-known figures such as independence opponent John Dickinson
TWO AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
This resource includes a multiple choice worksheet and also a free response worksheet, with no overlap of questions between the two. They do both cover the same range of concepts, however, which means that teachers can use one as a pre-test or formative assessment and the other as a final test or summative assessment!
Another choice would be to designate the multiple choice worksheet as a "basic" level task and the free response one as more advanced, and use them accordingly -- to differentiate instruction, build in extra-credit opportunities, or in any other way you use leveled materials.
WHAT THESE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WORKSHEETS INCLUDE
• Multiple Choice Worksheet with 29 Questions
• Free Response Worksheet with 29 Questions
• Answer Key for each worksheet
The answer keys in this American Revolution resource are full-context so that teachers don't have to look back and forth, question to answer, when reviewing material with the class. Everything needed to go over questions and answers with the class is grouped together for teacher convenience.
Do you teach the U.S. Constitution to your government or history students? I go through it every year and constantly work on ways to make it highly interesting and relevant to students -- not to mention, more understandable!
Liven up your own civics teaching this guided Constitution worksheet that takes students through the details of Article II, which covers the executive branch.
I BELIEVE IN CRITICAL THINKING
The worksheet is more than a reading comprehension activity. At key points, it asks students the application questions that are so essential to true understanding.
To complete the worksheet, students will have to do a close reading of Article II to discover key details, but then they will have to apply critical thinking skills to figure out, for example, what the Framers meant by "extraordinary measures." The Constitution uses the term without explanation; with this worksheet, students are asked to go beyond the surface of the text to reach a deeper level of understanding.
TEACHER CONVENIENCE IS NUMBER ONE WITH ME!
As a teacher myself, I know that you have plenty to do. You need support materials that make your life easier, not harder. When it comes to this Article II Constitution Worksheet, that means:
---The whole worksheet fits on one sheet of paper, front and back. This means that a set of the worksheets, used year after year if students are directed not to write on them, will take up very little space in your file cabinet.
---A full answer key is provided. It includes not just the bare answer, but also helpful ancillary information to help guide class review and discussion and keep the Constitution interesting.
GREAT WAYS TO USE THIS CONSTITUTION WORKSHEET
*For previewing or reviewing key content
*For absent work when students miss your class discussions on the key content
*As extra credit or enrichment
*As a way to differentiate instruction
*I'm sure you can think of even more!
This product is a PDF easy-print version of my popular Critical Viewing Questions for the movie The American President starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening.
WHAT YOU WILL GET:
More than 30 open-ended questions that require students to think deeply and analyze the content of the feature film:
• Reusable worksheet formatted to fit on a single sheet of paper, saving teachers time at the copy machine!
• Consumable worksheet formatted to fit on two sheets, providing students with space to write their answers.
• Detailed suggested answers, providing insights into how American history touches on some of the issues raised in the film.
GREAT FOR A VARIETY OF CLASSES:
• U.S. Government
• Civics
• Media Studies
• Film as Literature
About These American President Critical Viewing Questions
All of the questions on the worksheet ask students to think deeply about the messages and themes that the film is sending. They require students to determine not only what happens in the film, but how the filmmakers are attempting to influence audience perception and beliefs about politics, freedom, democracy, lobbying, and the press -- among many other topics!
As students respond to the questions, they will be contemplating deep-level issues about America and their own personal beliefs, such as:
-------What are the limits of freedom in modern-day America? What should those limits be?
-------Is the press a help or a hindrance to the current political culture?
-------What issues in a politician's personal life are legitimate campaign issues?
-------In what ways is lobbying a force for good? For ill?
-------What is the nature of the lobbying industry as it currently exists?
Integrate Analysis Skills into Instruction -- with NO PREP on your part!
These worksheets will change viewing The American President from an entertainment into an opportunity to think deeply about major issues regarding the political climate of the country.
EXPLORE THE CRASH OF 1929 LIKE NEVER BEFORE
Even seasoned teachers might be surprised at some of the real-life stories brought to life in the video that goes with these worksheets. Did you know that in between shooting movie scenes, Groucho Marx was making frantic phone calls to his stock broker? Tidbits like that make this episode of "American Experience" really engaging for the students as they learn about the heyday of the Roaring Twenties and the causes of the crash that ended a decade of prosperity. These Crash of 1929 worksheet will help students stay on task and track important details as they watch the video, or they can double as a test given afterwards to assess how much of the information the students have mastered.
ABOUT THE VIDEO: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE -- THE CRASH OF 1929
These teaching packet is designed to accompany "The Crash of 1929," an episode of the award-winning PBS series American Experience. The episode lasts approximately 53 minutes, making it a near-perfect “fit” for one class period at a typical secondary school. However, the episode can be easily broken out into segments if teachers prefer to show the program over more than one day.
ABOUT THESE STOCK MARKET CRASH WORKSHEETS
All student worksheets are provided in two formats: consumable and reusable. The latter option allows teachers to spend less time copying since they can make one class set that can be used all day long and/or across multiple years. If you prefer to allow students to write directly on the worksheets, however, a consumable version with answer blanks is provided as well.
MORE THAN JUST AN ANSWER KEY.....
There are also two answer keys: one designed for fast correcting and one intended to facilitate discussion as it includes commentary on a number of answers such as the true/false problems that are actually false statements.
THE VIDEO'S GREAT... WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?
The fastest and easiest way to find the program online is to run a simple Google search. Depending on availability, you may also see it on the official PBS website or on Netflix in addition to a number of other sites.
Teachers who would like to purchase a copy on DVD should look on sites like Amazon or eBay – since these outlets often offer used copies of DVDs, this is the most affordable option. New DVDs of most American Experience episodes are usually available from the PBS website. A final option is to closely watch your local PBS station for American Experience broadcast times since the Crash of 1929 episode does sometimes replay.
Versatile resource designed for elementary, middle, and high-school students!
Having your students watch presidential debates is a hugely worthwhile endeavor whether it's election season or not. Obviously when election day is approaching, it's good to let students see what both major candidates have to say about the issues and the country.
Videos of past debates, though, can also be really useful when studying history. Imagine teaching the Cold War era and showing students segments from the iconic Kennedy/Nixon debates, for example.
Engagement is Key
The challenge of using presidential debates to help you teach current events or historical periods, however, is keeping students highly engaged while they watch. Most students, even in the earlier grades, can watch 5 minutes without their eyes glazing over, but much more than that and you might start losing the attention and interest of many of your students. This is particularly true for younger students, but it can also be a challenge even with high school seniors, since some of them are a *lot* more immature than others.
So How Does Presidential Debate Bingo Work?
Once you've printed off from some Presidential Debate Bingo sheets, have students predict what key words or phrases they expect to hear during the debate. Have them fill in one word or phrase per square on their grid.
This usually takes between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on the size of the grid in use and the background knowledge level of the students.
When grids are ready, play the debate or the debate segment you want the class to watch. Tell students to listen carefully so that they can mark off their words/phrases as they occur. If you have stickers handy, students --even high school seniors!-- love using them to mark off their squares. Otherwise, you can have students cross through their entries as they watch.
Students love this and it really livens up watching debates!
Three analysis worksheets designed to help students think critically as they carefully examine posters promoting the WPA, the CCC, and the Social Security program -- key elements of FDR's New Deal legislation intended to help the United States rise above the Great Depression!
About These New Deal Primary Analysis Worksheets
Using primary sources in class is a powerful way to illustrate history and bring it to life. When it comes to the New Deal, there's a huge wealth of primary sources in the form of propaganda posters readily available via image searches.
The trouble with just using the images in class, however, is that all too often, students will simply glance at the poster before claiming to thoroughly understand it. Even when assigned to write a paragraph about a New Deal propaganda poster, students may only explore the most obvious points instead of delving deeper.
A Focus on Analysis, not Just Observation!
These New Deal Primary Source Propaganda worksheets ask students to do more than just note what images and text exist in the New Deal posters under study. They also require students to determine WHY certain text and image elements were included, using questions that explore issues such as:
• What caused the artist to use a certain color scheme?
• What was the propaganda poster creator trying to communicate by including certain image elements?
• How does the overall look of the poster create a message of inclusion or exclusion from certain government programs and policies?
• What do various design elements imply about the program or policy in question?
Learning by Doing
Once students have some experience answering these pre-made analysis questions, they will understand a lot more about not just the New Deal itself, but also about the ways in which propaganda artists influence their audiences. With this new understanding, they'll be ready to tackle a couple of fun and interesting New Deal project follow-up suggestions included in the packet!
Teacher Convenience Features
• Three separate worksheets, each one focusing on a specific New Deal program.
• Each worksheet includes a complete rendering of the poster under study along with six multiple choice questions for students to answer.
• Two of the posters included are full-color, while one was created only in black and white.
• Full answer keys are included for each worksheet.
• Multiple choice means FAST correcting!
Nothing livens up an economics class like a rousing good movie that dives deep into the real problems students are soon going to confront up front and personally when they enter the American work force. To get your students interested and debating the economic issues of our times, show Inequality for All in class and watch your students come alive with interest and at times, outrage!
ABOUT THE FILM: INEQUALITY FOR ALL
Inequality for All is a 2013 documentary about modern economic problems. It specifically focuses on the 2007-2008 financial crisis, exploring how the widening gap between the rich and the poor was a contributing factor that continues to plague us today. Presented by Robert Reich, the U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, the film examines how increasing wage inequality leads not only to economic suffering as demand falls, but also how it threatens American democracy itself.
The film is good viewing for students in high school courses covering economics, government, or 20th century American history. It fits well into the latter classes because Reich provides an analysis of how top tax rates during the 20th century tended to either increase or decrease levels of inequality, depending on how the top tax rate was set.
Differentiated Instruction at Your Fingertips!
This teaching packet provides fill-in-the-blank worksheets for students to complete as they watch the film. There are two basic level worksheets, labeled Cloze Worksheet A and Cloze Worksheet B. Each of these is entirely unique; there is no overlap of problems between them.
Each of the basic worksheets provides students with more than 30 fill-ins to complete as they watch the film.
There is also an advanced level worksheet. This worksheet is a combination of Worksheets A and B. It is best used with students who are able to work at a more rapid pace, keeping up with the film as they quickly jot down the key words missing from each problem.
The Advanced Worksheets provides students with more than 60 fill-ins to complete as they watch.
CRITICAL THINKING EMPHASIS -- MORE THAN 20 INEQUALITY FOR ALL ESSAY / DISCUSSION TOPICS
After viewing, review the film’s key points and help your students apply them to their own economic futures by using the MORE THAN 20 Essay Prompts / Discussion Topics. These are also great for generating debate and as the basis of a variety of projects!
These Hitler: The Rise of Evil worksheets are designed to be used by students as they watch the film. Students will pay better attention to the movie and will focus in on important details as they solve the problems included in the activity.
USING THESE HITLER THE RISE OF EVIL MOVIE WORKSHEETS
The approach here is cloze, also known as fill-ins:
Key statements from the film's script are included on a worksheet, with important words or phrases blocked out. Students are to fill in the missing words or phrases as they watch the film. I have used these worksheets with my classes and have found them to be highly successful at helping students follow the movie better and feel accountable for the class time spent on the movie.
Students stay on task more when they feel accountable. As every teacher knows, some students treat an instructional movie as though it were free time. These worksheets will help discourage that notion.
The worksheet is several pages long and has 70 cloze (fill-in-the-blank) problems to be solved while students watch the 3 hour-long film.
The problems to be solved often guide students to historically significant items, helping them to gain a better understanding of the importance and context of terms such as:
Communist, Versailles, Fuhrer, Munich, putsch, swastika, Reichstag, chancellor... and many more!
Teacher convenience is a hallmark of my products!
Accordingly, I have organized student materials and teacher materials in several ways so that you have a variety of options.
Student Materials: Two worksheet versions are provided for your convenience:
1) Re-usable. Make one class set and use it with multiple groups over multiple years. Save on paper, ink, and the hassle of making printouts!
2) Consumable. If you prefer to let students write directly on the worksheets, use this version!
Teacher Materials: Two answer keys are provided to you:
1) Answers provided in context for use in class discussions of the material. This answer key includes timestamps of when each key statement occurs during the movie. This answer key is probably the more convenient one if you have students use the consumable worksheets.
2) A more traditional linear answer key to make correcting student work simpler. This answer key is probably more convenient if you have students use the re-usable worksheets.