Title of Todays Lesson: What is a Two-Party System?

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Your Name:
Mr. Kyle Geiss
Grade Level:
12
Subject/Course:
American Government
# of students:
25 Max
Unit Topic
Political Parties
Class Duration:
40 Minutes
Date:
11/12/13
Day ? of ?
2 of 5

Unit Essential Question/Central Focus
EQ 1: How does the 2-party system influence American Politics?
EQ 2: Is a 2-party system the best way to conduct politics in America?

Lesson Summary and Rationale
The purpose of this lesson is to teach the students about WHY we have two political parties
and not more of them. The rationale is to show them why it is the way it is and what can be
done to change the system or keep it in place.

Standards
Strand Topic (Content) Content Statement
American
Government
Civic Involvement 2. Political parties, interest groups and the
media provide opportunities for civic
involvement through various means.

Strand Topic (Skill) Content Statement
American
Government
Civic Participation and
Skills
3. Issues can be analyzed through the critical
use of information from public records,
surveys, research data and policy positions of
advocacy groups.

Lesson Objectives (KUDos)
Know (Academic Language) Understand Be able to do
- Two party system - There are multiple factors - Critique or Justify the two-



Title of Todays Lesson: What is a Two-Party System?

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- plurality
- bipartisan
- single member districts
- pluralistic society
- multi-party
- coalition
- one party systems
which have led the US to
having a two-party political
system and not something
else.
party political system in the
United States, using the
Show-my-Thinking Chart


Planned Assessments
Pre- Formative Summative
N/A - Fun Quiz About Political
Parties for a bell-ringer.
- Show-my-Thinking Chart
N/A

Differentiated Instructional Strategies
Information that is stated by the teacher will also be available up on the presentation
screen. Students who need to see the information again can request a hard copy of
the presentation.
Guided notes for all of the students, useful for the hands on learners.
Prezi as a visual aide for the visual learners.
Show-my-Thinking Chart as a visual and hands on means for students to convey
their thoughts

Resources
Prezi
http://prezi.com/3aa4hukeekss/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0
share
Presentation about the two-party system.
Chapter 5 guided notes
Fun Quiz
Writing Utensils (Pencil, Blue/Black Pen)
Show-my-Thinking Chart

Procedures

Readiness/Motivation Allotted Time: 5 -



Title of Todays Lesson: What is a Two-Party System?

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Students will come in and complete the Fun Quiz quickly
and quietly (its only 10 questions)
Teacher: Please sit down quietly and complete the Fun
Quiz.
Teacher will then collect the quiz after 5 -7 minutes is up
and begin with todays lesson.
7 minutes
Development
PREZI SLIDE 2
Teacher: Can anybody tell me why the United
States has two major political parties and not one or
more?
America has two-political parties because we have
a two-party system.
This system discourages minor parties.
PREZI SLIDE 3
Teacher: We can trace the history of the two-party
system in the United States all the way back to the
founding of our country.
The Birth and history of the 2 party system, goes
back to the ratification of the US constitution.
1st Parties
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
PREZI SLIDE 4
Inadvertently created a 2 party system
PREZI SLIDE 5
Teacher: So let me put it bluntly, Americans are
stubborn, and their stubbornness is one of the
reasons we currently have a two-party system.
Americans are notorious for being opposed to
dramatic change.
American Ideology is also another reason for the
two party system
Hard to change tradition
Most people are moderate anyways
PREZI SLIDE 6
Political Bell Curve - important, make sure students
copy this down.
Teacher: This political bell curve is very important,
it shows where the majority of Americans lie in
terms of the political spectrum (middle) as opposed
to where everyone thinks they may lay.
PREZI SLIDE 7, 8, 9
The electoral system is set up in such a way as to
keep and preserve the two party system.
Allotted Time: 15
minutes



Title of Todays Lesson: What is a Two-Party System?

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Teacher: Election laws are made up in conjunction
with both Democrats and Republicans and they like
to work together in order to form laws which will
preserve and enhance the two-party system for their
own benefit at the expense of other parties.
Republicans and Democrats work together to
preserve it.
Processing
During this time period, after the notes about the two-party
system, students will begin filling out the Show-my-Thinking
Chart.
The Show-my-Thinking Chart will allow students to
plot their ideas around their opinion on the answer
to the following prompt, Is the two-party system the
best way to conduct politics in America?
The teacher will model an example of a partially filled out
Show-my-Thinking Chart for the students to gain a better
understanding of how the chart and thinking process works.
What the students do not finish in class, will be done for
homework. The students are free to add information to the
chart as we move forward through the next lessons.
Will be due on the 6th day, when the short 3-
paragraph essay about their opinion is due.
Allotted Time: 15
minutes +
HOMEWORK
Closure
Teacher: Any questions?
*answers students questions*
Teacher: Keep this information about the two-party system
and why we have it as we move forward through
tomorrows lesson. Have a good day!
Allotted Time: 5
minutes