Modern PolarizationAll 5 grade bands · K-2 through APFree download
2004
Lesson plan.
George W. Bush vs John Kerry — Bush won re-election over Senator John Kerry by focusing on national security and the War on Terror following 9/11. The 'Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' campaign attacked Kerry's Vietnam War record, despite Kerry being a decorated veteran. Bush's narrow popular vote majority (first since 1988) was built on strong evangelical Christian turnout energized by ballot measures opposing same-sex marriage. Ohio was the decisive state, and Kerry conceded the next morning without legal challenges.
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