Resources for the State of the Union Address
by Mary Ellen Daneels, Civics Instructional Specialist
This week is a cornucopia of “teachable moments” for #CivicsInTheMiddle classrooms. The week begins with the Iowa Caucuses. Next, a vote in the Senate to conclude the impeachment proceedings against President Trump is expected midweek. A Democratic Debate in New Hampshire rounds out the week on Friday.
Tuesday will be marked by a Presidential address to the nation on the State of the Union. If you are looking for resources to help students understand the history and significance of the State of the Union address, here are a few resources to start with.
- Flocabulary has a State of the Union lesson plan that uses word clouds to understand the themes and content of the speech--past, and present.
- The Choices Program from Brown University has a curriculum around Surveying the State of the Union Addresses.
- PBS News Hour Extra has resources to help students understand the history and purpose of the State of the Union address, as well as tools to help analyze the speech.
- iCivics has lessons that incorporate the State of the Union including:
- A WebQuest where students learn about Being President
- A lesson plan about developing and executing a Presidential Agenda
- The Executive Command game where students learn the various roles of the Presidency.
- The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University has ideas for Using the State of the Union Address as a Civic Learning Opportunity.
- C-SPAN Classroom has several resources including a:
- Lesson: State of the Union Address (3 Clips)
- State of the Union Viewing Guide: Bingo Game
- State of the Union Viewing Guide: Note-Taking Chart
- Bell Ringer: State of the Union History (3:22)
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