Curriculum Connection

BrainPOP and iCivics: Political Parties

Posted by jglassman on

It’s a party… but not the kind with ice cream and cake! Remind students that a political party is an organized group of people who share similar views on issues, such as taxes, healthcare, and climate change, and work to influence the government in support of those views. Political parties compete to gain political power by having their candidates elected to office. Parties exist at every level of government, from your neighborhood to national. 

As the 2020 election gears up, your students will hear more and more about the political parties and their platforms through the news and campaign messaging of the next presidential hopefuls. Here are some resources to use to help students better understand political parties and the presidential campaign process. 

Explore BrainPOP’s Political Parties Resources

*Political Parties 

Discover the origins of and differences between Democrats and Republicans, plus the party affiliations of our most famous presidents. 

*Political Party Origins

Meet the Founding Fathers and discover their roles in the establishment of America’s two-party system. 

*Primaries and Caucuses

The road to the White House begins long before Election Day. Learn about primaries and caucuses—the elections before the election! 

Play the iCivics’ Newly Updated Win the White House Game 

In iCivics’ newly updated game, Win the White House, students take on the role of a presidential candidate from the primary season all the way through to the general election. Students create their own candidate, select a political party that aligns with their candidate’s beliefs, campaign for issues that are important to them, and strategically manage their time and resources to gain control of as many electoral votes.

 

NOTE: The campaign issues have been updated for 2020 and beyond, making them relevant for your students. Explore the updates in the trailer before your students play.

Teaching Support: Win the White House Game Guide, From Primary to General Election Lesson Plan: Win the White HouseYou can also explore iCivics’ One Big Party Lesson in which students can take a deep dive into the role of political parties in the U.S. NOTE: This lesson does not cover political party ideologies.