1. Unit 6, Lesson 2 Political Parties
Essential Questions: What can I do to impact my government and community?
Learning Target: IWBAT identify America’s current political parties and illustrate their ideas about government.
Formative Assessment(s): Choose the political party you most agree with and make a flowchart. Flowchart should go from political party to the aspect you most agree with to why you most agree with that aspect.
Homework: Vocabulary
Daily Rubric: 4 – I fully understand
the learning target and I am ready to move on
3 – I feel like I have a good understanding of the learning target but I need to cover it a little more
2 – I feel kind of lost on the learning target and I need a lot of review before I can move on
1 – I am completely lost and feel like I need to completely cover this learning target over

2. Flashback
(3.13) The US Constitution outlines rights in the Bill of Rights. Where can an outline of individual rights be found in the Florida Constitution?
a. Article II
b. Declaration of Rights
c. Preamble
d. Article IV

3. Preview Political Parties on Jobs
Compare these two texts from the Republican and Democrat Parties about Jobs. How do Republicans plan to increase jobs in the US? How do Democrats plan to increase jobs in the US?
“The best jobs program is economic growth. We do not offer yet another made-in-Washington package of subsidies and spending to create temporary or artificial jobs. ... Republicans will pursue free market policies that are the surest way to boost employment and create job growth and economic prosperity for all.”
-2012 Republican Party Platform
“The Republican Party has turned its back on the middle class Americans who built this country. Our opponents believe we should go back to the top-down economic policies of the last decade. …They argue that if we help corporations and wealthy investors maximize their profits by whatever means necessary, whether through layoffs or outsourcing, it will automatically translate into jobs and prosperity that benefits us all. … But we've tried their policies—and we've all suffered when they failed.”
-2012 Democrat Party Platform

4. Vocabulary Political party: Nominate: Candidate: Political spectrum:
Two-party system:
Multi-party system:
Coalition:
One-party system:
Third parties:

5. Vocabulary
Political party: an organization of citizens who have similar views on issues and who work to put their ideas into effect through government action
Nominate: to select candidates to run for public office
Candidate: a person who runs for election to public office
Political spectrum: the differences in political views held by different political parties
Two-party system: a political system with two strong political parties
Multi-party system: a political system in which many political parties play a role in government
Coalition: an agreement between two or more political parties to work together to run a government
One-party system: political system in which a single political party controls the government, and all other parties are banned
Third parties: minor political parties in a 2-party system

6. Activity Democrat/Republican worksheet
Make a chart like the one below:
As we read through the issues, add a tally to the party that you agree with most. When we are done, we will see which political party you belong in!
Party A
Party B

7. Formative Assessment
Choose the political party you most agree with and make a flowchart. Flowchart should go from political party to the aspect you most agree with to why you most agree with that aspect.
Answer comes from pages