The Democracy Project: All Aboard the Campaign Train!

Brainstorm ways to raise support for members of a political party and their platform and create slogans, songs and speeches. Map campaign stops on a “whistle stop” tour, estimate arrival and departure times and distance between stops, and then validate the estimations.

Big Apple History: Smart Art

Examine and practice the art of political cartoon-making by focusing on how and why cartoons are so effective in making a political point. Students explore the role of political cartoons in New York City in the 1870s and today.

The Democracy Project: Donkeys, Elephants, and Voters Oh My!

Learn about politics from “grassroots” to a national convention through the creation of a new political party and the development of the convention’s national platform.

Arthur: If I Were President

Make a class book about what your students’ priorities and actions would be if they were president.

The Democracy Project: Budget Making

Introduce students to budgets, expenses and savings; learn about government services and basic expenses; and create pie charts representing government spending priorities.

The Democracy Project: Dear Presidential Diary

Develop five first-person diary entries exploring a typical day in the life of the President as well as the duties and privileges of the presidency.

The Democracy Project: Graphically Speaking

Explore the relationship between congressional representation and state population by graphing current statistics and taking a historical look at the Constitution.

The Democracy Project: Painting Presidential Portraits

Research historical information about U.S. presidents, redesign U.S. paper currency to recognize six U.S. presidents and describe their significant accomplishments, and take a poll to see which past president is most popular.

The Democracy Project: The Perfect President

Identify the legal requirements, previous experiences, and personality traits that equip someone to be a successful president. Write a job description and newspaper article to advertise the job. Evaluate how selected past presidents measure up to the criteria generated by students.

The Democracy Project: To Vote or Not to Vote

Examine the history of voting rights in America, explore the current-day problem of low voter turnout, and create community surveys to pinpoint causes of low voter turnout and propose solutions to increase vote participation.

The Democracy Project: Why Vote?

Learn about the important public services that government provides, and by extension, the importance of voting in local, state and federal elections. Create a public awareness campaign to encourage adults in your community to vote.