Election 2004 Resources for the Classroom

Web Resources to Help Develop Classroom Activities

The editors at NEA walked over hot coals to find these Web resources to help you make the most of the 2004 election. If truth be told, though, the coals weren't really that hot. Okay, there weren't really any coals at all. But we did work pretty hard to find these resources -- those sites that we think are among the best on the Web.

Use them to develop fun, informative classroom activities with your students, or print this list and share it with your friends and colleagues to help them make the most of this teachable moment.

Lessons, Activities & Games

By the People, Election 2004 | PBS
Find 30 lesson plans for grades 3-5 and 9-12, all of which teach the importance of campaigns, elections, voting and citizenship.
http://www.pbs.org/elections/kids/educators.html

Growing Voters and Election 2004: Complete Materials for Teachers, Grades 1-12
This resource includes free downloadable lesson plans, activities, websites, rubrics and more. The materials are being made available by Lesley University, a national leader in graduate education for classroom teachers.
http://www.lesley.edu/election04/

Primaries, Voting and Elections | Education World
Dozens of lesson plans, Internet sites, and curriculum ideas will help your students understand the impact of this year's election.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/election.shtml

Candidates & Issues

Council on Foreign Relations: Election 2004
Recent polls show that foreign policy and national security are U.S. voters’ primary concerns in the upcoming elections. The Council on Foreign Relations provides transcripts of op-ed pieces, interviews, speeches, polls and other documents that illustrate the presidential candidates’ stances on key foreign policy and national security issues.
http://www.cfr.org/campaign2004/

Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart, a citizen's organization, has developed a Voter's Self-Defense system to provide you with the necessary tools to self-govern effectively: abundant, accurate, unbiased and relevant information. As a national library of factual information, Project Vote Smart covers your candidates and elected officials in five basic categories: biographical information, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances and interest group ratings.
http://www.vote-smart.org/

Public Agenda: Issue Guides
Public Agenda's nonpartisan Issue Guides distill facts and analysis from major news and public opinion sources. First Choice election guides are designed to help you consider where you want the country to go in the next four years -- and what you're willing to do to get there. First Choice is supported by the Carnegie Corp. of New York and produced in partnership with The New York Times Learning Network and MTV's Choose or Lose.
http://www.publicagenda.org/

2004 Candidates Pocket Reference Guide | NEA and Other Organizations
This short guide provides voters with important questions and facts to help evaluate candidates' positions on public education and children's health issues.
http://www.nea.org/parents/voterguide.html

History, Civics & Government

Project Vote Smart
This informative, practical and easy tutorial is intended to help people of all ages better understand American politics by providing useful information about Congress, political parties, campaign finance, the Constitution, elections, state government and much more.
http://www.vote-smart.org/resource_govt101_01.php

AmericanPresidency.org
AmericanPresident.org is the most comprehensive non-partisan resource available on the history and function of the American presidency. This exciting new resource is brought to you by the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs, the nation's leading research institute for the study of the American presidency.
http://www.americanpresident.org/

American Experience: The Presidents | PBS
Explore the lives and careers of 42 US Presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton.   Activities for kids and teaching guides for the classroom make this an especially valuable resource for teachers.  All online resources are free, but you’ll also find information for purchasing companion video products.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/index.html

Voting & Elections

Declare Yourself
Part of a nation-wide campaign to energize and empower young voters, this website for teens and young adults provides resources for registering eligible voters and helping them find polling locations.  Information and resources also help prepare voters to make knowledgeable decisions.
http://www.declareyourself.com/

Federal Election Commission
This site is valuable for those who want to learn more about financing campaigns for federal office, the rules and regulations pertaining to this process, or elections and voting in general. The primer on How the Electoral College Works  is especially useful.
http://www.fec.gov

Rock the Vote | MTV
The goal of Rock the Vote is to increase youth voter turnout. Rock the Vote coordinates voter registration drives, get-out-the-vote events, and voter education efforts, all with the intention of ensuring that young people take advantage of their right to vote.
http://www.rockthevote.com/