Student Web Activity Lesson Plans

Chapter 16: Political Parties

Introduction
Do your students know which political party they favor? In this activity, they will learn about the history and platforms of the two major parties in American politics.

Lesson Description
Students will explore two Web sites: the Democratic Party Web site, and the Republican National Party Web site. They will answer four questions about the history of the parties, and then read the party platforms to decide which party is most appealing.

Instructional Objectives

Learners will trace the history of the Democratic and Republican parties.
Learners will examine the party platforms of both parties.
Learners will decide which political party platform appeals the most to them and why.

Student Web Activity Answers

Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic Party in 1792 as a congressional caucus to fight for the Bill of Rights and against the elitist Federalist Party.
Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton
Abraham Lincoln
Individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home.
Essays will vary. Encourage students to provide excerpts from the party platform they most agree with.