Length of Time:   20 Minutes

Description

When the Constitution was adopted in 1789, there were no political parties. The framers were wary of political parties but somehow they have become one of the permanent fixtures of the political landscape. For a while, politics has been simplified into voter results as shown on maps, i.e. Red States and Blue States. The reality of both election results and party adherence is much more complicated.

Essential Questions

What role do political parties play in the election of a president?

Common Core Standards

English/Language Arts; History/Social Studies

Key Ideas and Details

RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

Content Standards

National Geography Standards

Standard 1: How to Use Maps and Other Geographic Representations, Tools, and Technologies to Acquire, Process, and Report Information from a Spatial Perspective

Standard 3: How to Analyze the Spatial Organization of People, Places, and Environments on Earth’s Surface

Standard 17: How to Apply Geography to Interpret the Past

Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks

US History 1

•  History and Geography
•  Interpret Graphs, Charts and Maps
• The Formation and Framework of American Democracy
• Historical and Intellectual Origins of the US during the Constitutional Era
• Basic Framework of American Democracy and Concepts of Government
• Political Democratization, 1790-1860