Teaching U.S. Government: History of Political Parties Lesson Plan

This blog is part of a series on Shaped providing teachers of Grades 6–12 with downloadable social studies classroom resources and discussion topics.

You can provide your students with historical context on how the federal government works. The Republican and Democratic National Conventions convene ahead of the presidential election every four years. If you are teaching middle or high school social studies, the election may become a topic of conversation in your classroom—either as part of the curriculum or in conversation among students.

The history of U.S. political parties since 1800 can be divided into four eras, as your students will learn in the activities below. For most of that time, the United States' political system has been dominated by only two parties: the Democrats and the Republicans. However, third parties—the Green Party, the Socialist Workers Party, and the People's Party, to name just a few—have also played a role in the country's political history.

Political Parties Lesson and Activities

Download this history of political parties lesson plan to teach your students about this topic in the classroom. The lesson includes a background on the different party eras, a timeline showing the major political parties and third parties, and a supplemental worksheet.
 

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This blog post, originally published in 2020, has been updated for 2024.

Learn more about HMH Social Studies, which presents the rich, endlessly inventive story of our world, challenging students to dig deep into the past.