First Party SystemAll 5 grade bands · K-2 through APFree download
1812
Lesson plan.
James Madison vs DeWitt Clinton — Madison won re-election during the early stages of the War of 1812 against Britain. His challenger, DeWitt Clinton of New York, ran as a fusion candidate backed by both anti-war Democratic-Republicans and Federalists. The election was competitive, with Clinton carrying most of New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Madison's victory ensured continuation of the war effort, though the conflict would ultimately end in a draw with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814.
What is in each packet
Cover
Cycle metadata + band eyebrow
Lesson plan
Instructor — timing, materials, standards
Reading
Sized to grade band (K-2: ~250 words → AP: ~650)
Background
Curated cycles — 5-7 vocab terms + primary-source excerpt
Student worksheet
K-2: 3 questions → AP: 8, mixed format
Answer key
Instructor — rationale on every item
Discussion prompts
3 prompts tied to era
DBQ (AP only)
Long-essay + 5-point rubric + second source