The U.S. presidential election is in full swing and the Library’s education team is excited to share an updated resource for teaching about U.S. presidential elections and voting!
This presentation explores aspects of presidential elections in U.S. history, as well as how the right to vote has changed over time. Designed with student inquiry in mind, the presentation features primary sources from the Library of Congress that can reveal key ideas, overarching themes, and new questions about nominating presidential candidates, the general election campaign, and how voters have expanded and protected the right to vote.
The resource also includes background information, source analysis questions, and prompts for students to consider when forming their own conclusions about the questions presented.
Teachers are invited to use the full resource, take a section that aligns best with a particular unit or lesson, or pick and choose individual sources to explore further. The presentation is made up of three main sections, each framed by a big question.
- Nominating Candidates: How has the process for nominating candidates changed?
- General Election Campaign: How have candidates, parties, and organizations tried to reach voters?
- Voters and Voting Rights: How have different groups won and protected the right to vote?
We hope this resource will be a helpful tool for teaching and learning about U.S. presidential elections. In the coming weeks we’ll do some deeper dives into the presentation by looking at each section, the question it asks, and the sources that are featured. Stay tuned!
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