Political PartiesLesson 6

Questions to think about?

•Have you ever heard of a Political Party?

•What do you know?•What do you want to

learn?

Political Parties and Government

• Think about the color activity we just did?• Why did the class divide?• This is exactly what George Washington

wanted to avoid when he became the 1st President of the United States

• Division among the people.• George Washington was NOT affiliated or

apart of any political party.

What does it mean to identify with a political party? Why do people join

political parties?• Gender (Male/Female)• Social Class (poverty, working class,

middle class, wealthy)• Religion (Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu,

etc.)

• Race (White, African-American, Asian, American- Indian, Native Hawaiian-Pacifica Islander, etc.)

• Region (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest, etc.)

What is Government?

• decisions made by our representatives which affect us

• groups of people with common ideas who want government to do things certain ways

• common opinions form groups that elects leaders who best promote those ideas.

In the beginning……..

• People were basically divided into two groups on the issue of the newly written Constitution: The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.

• The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the beginnings of the first two political parties.

• Would you support the Federalists or the Anti-Federalists? Explain why.

• Imagine that you were living in 1787 – no computers, TVs, radios, etc. What would you do to persuade others to support you if you were a Federalists or an Anti-Federalists?

Students will complete the chart and glue it inside their journals.

Federalists Anti-Federalists•Supported the ratification of the Constitution

•Against the ratification of the Constitution

•Wanted the 13 states to have limited powers

•Wanted the 13 states to be powerful & wanted more local control of government

•Individual rights were not necessary because the Constitution had three branches of government that would protect those rights

•Wanted people to have more rights that were not in the Constitution

•A large republic would be the best protection for individual freedoms

•Only a small republic could protect rights

•Supported by large farmers, merchants, artisans

•Supported by small farmers, often from rural areas

Issues: (Grades 1-3)• What are the best things about your

school?• What are the biggest problems for

your school?• Come up with solutions on how to

solve those problems.• Record your information in your

journals.

Issues: (Grades 4-5)• What are the issues that

bind its members?• What are the best things

in America?• What are the biggest

problems in America?• Issues:

EducationImmigration ReformEnvironmentNational Security

Activity 2: Have you ever wondered?

• How many past United States Presidents belonged to the Democratic party? Republican party?

• Use the president list and tally each.• Grades 1-3 will create a bar graph• Grades 4-5 will create a pie graph(%)

What are political parties? What political party do these animals

represent?

What do you know about a donkey?

• Characteristics:

herd animals have an incredible memory stronger than a horse of the same size more independent in their thinking reputation for stubbornness

What do you know about a elephant?

• Characteristics:well-known for their

intelligence, close family ties and social complexity

remember for years strong individual

personalities cooperative behavior

within families

Research 3 Political Parties (Grades 4-5)

• Constitution Party• Green Party• Libertarian Party• America First Party• American Party• Boston Tea Party• http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm• Students will use a Tree map to

gather information.

Bibliography• 3d-animated-gif.blogspot.com • Microsoft Office ClipArt and Power point• http://www.congressforkids.net/Elections_politicalparties.html• http://pbskids.org/democracy/parentseducators/donkeys.html• http://www.luc.edu/curl/projects/past/passport/docs/

Unit07PoliticalParties.pdf

• http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/political-

parties.html • http://www.democrats.org/issues• http://www.gop.com/index.php/issues/issues/• http://www.ontheissues.org/Libertarian_Party.htm