Lesson
Primaries and Caucuses
Guiding question
What is a primary election?
What factors influence voter participation?
Guiding Questions
- What is a primary election?
- What is a caucus?
- How are the two similar and different?
Objectives
- Students will compare primaries and caucuses based on their purpose, function, similarities, and differences.
Materials
Student Resources
Lesson Components
ActivityPrimary Elections and Caucuses: Fact, Choice, Defend
Learn about primary and caucus features while deciding and defending if they should stay or go.
ActivityTheodore Roosevelt’s New Nationalism Speech Primary Source
The text pf Theodore Roosevelt's "New Nationalism" speech from 1910 and questions to guide students in examining how it influenced American political thought.
EssayHow Primary Campaigns Have Helped Polarize Politics Case Study
Help students understand how the primary system has shaped modern political dynamics.
Lesson plan
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More Information
Facilitation Notes
- This activity will fit best in a larger sequence of lessons. It is meant to be used as a supplement to help students deepen their understanding of the specifics of primaries and caucuses as they relate to nominations, voting processes, political parties, or other political activities.
- A working definition of primary election is an organized statewide event put on by the state government where voters cast a secret ballot for the candidate of their choosing. Whomever receives a majority of the votes is the winner.
- A working definition of caucus is a meeting of supporters of a specific political party who gather to elect delegates to choose whom they believe should be the candidate in a given election.