The American Vote
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Cold War RealignmentAll 5 grade bands · K-2 through APFree download

1984

Lesson plan.
Ronald Reagan vs Walter Mondale — Reagan won a massive re-election landslide, carrying 49 states with the 'Morning in America' campaign amid robust economic recovery. Walter Mondale, Carter's VP, made history by choosing Geraldine Ferraro as the first female VP nominee of a major party. Mondale's straightforward promise to raise taxes damaged his campaign. Reagan won 525 electoral votes, the most ever won by a candidate in an election with a major-party opponent. Mondale carried only his home state of Minnesota (by 3,761 votes) and DC.
What is in each packet
Contents of each grade band’s packet
BandReadingVocabularyQuestionsDiscussionAlso
K-2433 words4 terms31 promptimage, answer key
3-51351 words5 terms41 promptanswer key
6-8740 words7 terms62 promptsprimary source, answer key
9-12545 words7 terms72 promptsprimary source, answer key
AP639 words9 terms81 promptprimary source, second source, long essay, answer key
Primary sources quoted
  • "Morning in America" 1984 Campaign Ad Transcript
    Reagan-Bush 1984 Campaign (Tuesday Team), September 1984 · 6-8
    Reagan-Bush 1984 Campaign, "Prouder, Stronger, Better" (Tuesday Team production, September 1984). Fair use under 17 USC §107 — educational excerpt of public political advertisement, ≤150 words.
  • "Morning in America" 1984 Campaign Ad Transcript
    Reagan-Bush 1984 Campaign (Tuesday Team), September 1984 · 9-12, AP
    Reagan-Bush 1984 Campaign, "Prouder, Stronger, Better" (Tuesday Team production, September 1984). Fair use under 17 USC §107 — educational excerpt of public political speech, ≤150 words.
  • Second Reagan-Mondale Debate (Age Joke)
    Ronald Reagan, October 21, 1984 · AP
    Reagan, "Second Reagan-Mondale Debate" (Kansas City, October 21, 1984). Fair use under 17 USC §107 — educational excerpt of public political debate, ≤150 words.
Quick quiz

Five questions on 1984

Every answer here is read off the 1984 returns — the same rows the packets below are built from.

  1. Who won the 1984 presidential election?

    • AJimmy Carter
    • BWalter Mondale
    • CGeorge H. W. Bush
    • DRonald Reagan

  2. Which party did the winner of the 1984 election represent?

    • ALiberal Republican
    • BProgressive
    • CRepublican
    • DDemocratic

  3. How many electoral votes did Ronald Reagan win in 1984?

    • A13
    • B489
    • C270
    • D525

  4. Which of these states did Ronald Reagan lose in 1984?

    • AVermont
    • BUtah
    • CIdaho
    • DMinnesota

  5. Which era of American politics does the 1984 election belong to?

    • ANew Deal Coalition
    • BEra of Good Feelings
    • CRoaring Twenties
    • DCold War Realignment

Not yet fact-checked. This packet was drafted with AI tools and has not been checked claim by claim. Please verify its facts before teaching from it. Tell us about an error.

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