Six historical campaigns that shaped the American election process.

Teaching Guide and Poster Grades 9–12

Here’s What’s Inside:Lesson plan, teaching guide, student activities, and a classroom poster

scholastic.com/raceforthewhitehouse

SC

HO

LAS

TIC

and

ass

ocia

ted

logo

s ar

e tr

adem

arks

and

/or

regi

ster

ed t

rad

emar

ks o

f Sch

olas

tic In

c. A

ll rig

hts

rese

rved

. 653

359

© 2

016

Cab

le N

ews

Net

wor

k. T

urne

r B

road

cast

ing

Sys

tem

, Inc

. All

Rig

hts

Res

erve

d.

A CNN Original SeriesWhite house

Pho

tos:

Vot

e b

allo

t, ©

Thi

nkst

ock;

199

2 p

resi

den

tial d

ebat

e, ©

AP

Imag

es.

Thomas Jefferson said it best: “An informed citizenry is at the heart of a dynamic democracy.” Though Election 2016 is in full swing, students might be surprised to learn that many of today’s campaign tactics and techniques trace their roots to some of our nation’s most prestigious presidential forebears.

Race for the White House is a CNN documentary series narrated by Kevin Spacey that chronicles six pivotal US presidential elections. Each episode captures the themes, issues, and drama of the campaigns, as well as their impacts on future elections and the US political process in place today. Though today’s presidential hopefuls have far more and faster ways to reach voters, they share a goal with their political predecessors—to win the White House.

This teaching guide and poster, along with the historical docuseries, connect the past to the present, giving your students a new perspective on the upcoming election. Use the lesson plan and activities in this guide to engage your students in these crucial moments in American history and inspire them to participate in Election 2016 and beyond.

Objective:Students will learn about a key US presidential campaign and its impact on future elections and the US political process.

Materials:Reporter’s Notepad PenClassroom posterInternet

Resources:• scholastic.com/raceforthewhitehouse• historycentral.com/elections

/history.html• cnn.com/raceforthewhitehouse

1. Previewing Questions and ActivitiesWrite down the names of the main candidates and the year in which the featured election took place on a chalkboard or whiteboard. Ask students to share what they know about the candidates and issues of the day.Ask: What forms of media were available and popular during the time period? What are some ways a candidate could garner support?Divide students into six groups, one for each episode in the series. Have each group conduct its research on its assigned election by going to scholastic.com/raceforthe whitehouse and other sources listed under Resources. Have each group present a brief summary of the campaign to the class.

2. Research, Watch, and AnalyzeStudents have varying levels of interest and understanding when it comes to US history and politics. Get students on the same page with the Reporter’s Notepad. Photocopy and distribute the notepad. Have students write the answers on a separate sheet of paper as they research and view each election on scholastic.com /raceforthewhitehouse or on television. Discuss their answers as a class.

3. Discussion and Extension ActivitiesSelect any of the discussion and extension activities below that you think would help foster your students’ learning about and engagement with the US political process:

a. Ask: What were the pros and cons of candidates taking a stance on a controversial topic? What were the pros and cons of being an unknown candidate (the “underdog”)? Discuss as a class.

b. Ask: Who were some of the historians and experts featured in the episode? What qualifies them to provide commentary and/or analysis on this campaign in particular? Does he or she reveal any partiality? If so, how and when? Have students work in small groups to discuss and use the Internet to research an expert’s qualifications. Discuss key findings as a class.

c. Working as a class, identify primary sources featured in the episode. Have students research one of the identified sources. Ask: What role, if any, did the source play in the campaign—and in the Race for the White House episode? Why might the documentarians have selected the source for the program? How, if at all, has the source’s meaning changed over time?

d. Divide students into small groups to represent each major candidate featured in the episode of Race for the White House as well as to represent the campaign in general. Have groups create political cartoons to present their views as they consider the questions: What role did the media play in the campaign? Did they influence or sway people’s views? If so, how and why? How might that message come across today?

e. Using a main candidate’s messaging, create a Facebook or Twitter account to feature his or her views.

f. Divide students into groups, one for each of the following forms of media: traveling tour, newspaper ad, television ad, Facebook campaign, and Twitter campaign. Ask: What dramatic effects, if any, were included to make the story more compelling? For example: music, lighting, volume, etc. How might the episode be different without those elements?

Teacher Instructions “An informed citizenry is at the heart of a dynamic democracy.”

—Thomas Jefferson

scholastic.com/raceforthewhitehouse

Pho

to: ©

Thi

nkst

ock.

The First Televised Presidential Debate

➤ Ask: What are some ways a candidate can be convincing or appealing to voters? What are some ways to keep a person on the offensive?

➤ On September 26, 1960, about 70 million Americans tuned in to watch Kennedy and Nixon in the first televised presidential debate. Millions of others listened to the debate on the radio. Divide students into two groups. Have one group view an excerpt of the debate online at bit.ly/1PYdKVb. Have the other group listen to the exchange. Ask each group which candidate won the debate and why. Did the two groups come to different conclusions? Discuss as a class why some historians say television dictated the outcome of the 1960 election.

Trains, False Claims, and the Polls

➤ Ask: What did public opinion polls indicate about the potential outcome of the election? Did the polls contribute to Truman’s victory—if so, how? Would a “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline be as shocking today? Why or why not?

➤ Have students create a social media campaign for Truman using primary sources as well as techniques employed along his Whistle Stop Tour.

Race for the White House ActivitiesStudents will be asked to complete six activities,

one for each episode pertaining to each particular election.

Race for the White House debuts Sunday, March 6, 2016, at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.The series will regularly air Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. #RaceForWH

EPISOdE: “John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon” (1960)

(Continued on back page)Pho

tos:

Am

eric

an f

amily

, © G

etty

Imag

es; A

bra

ham

Lin

coln

, Co

urte

sy o

f Li

bra

ry o

f C

ong

ress

; 198

8 p

resi

den

tial d

ebat

e, ©

AP

Imag

es; H

arry

S. T

rum

an, ©

AP

Imag

es.

EPISOdE: “Harry S. Truman vs. Thomas E. Dewey” (1948)

A Speech About Slavery Leads to a Seat at the White House

➤ Ask: What were some of the key issues in the United States in 1860? What role did strategy play in the campaign? What tactics were employed by Lincoln’s campaign? Were they effective? Explain.

➤ Some historians say Lincoln’s speech at Cooper Union in New York City paved the way to his presidency. Have students listen to actor Sam Waterston deliver the speech at Cooper Union (bit.ly/1Rm82jo, beginning at 1:27:51). Have students follow the speech while reading the transcript, available at bit.ly/1REvysa. Ask students to listen for the speech’s three major points and its conclusion. Ask: Would such a speech be as effective today? Why or why not?

Television Advertising Hits the Campaign Trail

➤ Ask: What role did television ads play in this race? How might the campaign have been different without television advertisements—and without “negative campaigning” in particular? Why did the “Willie Horton” ad resonate with American voters at the time?

➤ Divide students into two groups, one for Michael Dukakis, the other for George H. W. Bush. Have each group create a positive ad for its candidate—and a negative ad for its opponent. Use evidence from Race for the White House to create the ads.

EPISOdE: “Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen A. Douglas” (1860)

EPISOdE: “George H. W. Bush vs. Michael Dukakis” (1988)

RAcE for the WHiTE HouSE Reporter’s NotebookRace for the White House ActivitiesStudents will be asked to complete six activities,

one for each episode pertaining to each particular election.

Reporter’s Notepad: Research, Watch, and AnalyzeWrite the answers to the questions on a separate sheet of paper as you research each election and watch each episode on television. The first episode airs on CNN Sunday, March 6, 2016, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

In which year does the election take place? Who are the major candidates?

List some of the important issues in the campaign.

What is each candidate’s stance on the issues?

List each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.

Do the candidates convey their messages to potential voters?

Do the media help or harm each candidate?

How does this campaign differ from prior presidential campaigns?

What impact will this campaign have on future elections?

scholastic.com/raceforthewhitehouse

(Continued from previous page)

Jackson’s Victory Ushers in the Two-Party System

➤ Ask: How did the Jackson and Adams race lead to the formation of the modern two-party system in place today? Did winning the popular vote—yet losing the electoral vote—against John Quincy Adams in 1824 affect Andrew Jackson’s campaign strategy against Adams in 1828?

➤ Have students create a timeline of US political parties leading up to the 1828 election. Ask: What events led to the creation of the Democratic Party? What role did Martin Van Buren play in the election?

A Third-Party Candidate Enters the First Town Hall Debate

➤ Ask: What role did third-party candidate Ross Perot play in the campaign? How did he affect the race’s outcome? Why might third-party candidates have an impact on some elections but not others?

➤ The format for the 1992 debates varied and included the first town hall–style debate in presidential history. What are some of the pros and cons of this format? How did this format work to Clinton’s advantage?

EPISOdE: “William J. clinton vs. George H. W. Bush” (1992)

EPISOdE: “Andrew Jackson vs. John Quincy Adams” (1828)

Pho

tos:

Vot

e b

allo

t, ©

Thi

nkst

ock;

199

2 p

resi

den

tial d

ebat

e, ©

AP

Imag

es.