LOOPING THROUGH THE POLITICAL PARTIES—8th Grade
Learning Objective(s): The student will
A. Review the role and development of political parties in US history.
TEKS: 8.5C
Materials Needed: A set of cards, cut apart
Teaching Strategy:
1. This activity is to be used as a review of the students’ understanding of ideas
and key people involved in the development of the political party system in
the United States.
2. Have the students find a partner and give each pair a card. Explain to the
students that their card has two sentences on it. The first is a statement
beginning with the words, “I have…..” The second sentence is a question that
begins with the words, “Who has…?”
Allow them time to read both
sentences. With the first sentence, they should brainstorm all of the
information they know about the person or subject. They may look it up to
verify they have the right information if necessary. This will help them when
they have to recognize the question this sentence answers. Next they need
to try and answer the question which is the second sentence on the card.
This will help them if they have to give clues during the exercise if no one
responds with the answer to their question. When the students have had time
to do both of these, the activity can begin.
3. The activity begins when one student designated by the teacher, reads the
QUESTION (2nd statement) aloud on his/her card. All of the other students
are to look at the first statement on their card to see if they have the answer
to the question. If they do, one in the pair should read the answer. Once that
is verified by the teacher, the student should then read the question on his/her
card. The process continues until the loop is back to the pair that began the
exercise when they give the final answer. During the exercise, if no one
volunteers an answer, then the pair who asked the question should prompt
the class with some additional clues.
4. To assure that all students are attentive during the complete exercise, the
teacher can have each pair keep an answer sheet to see how many of the
questions they can answer on their own.
Note: There are 15 cards. All cards must be passed out for the loop to
work, so it may be necessary for some groups to have more than one card for
smaller classes. The cards are in the correct order on the handout.
I have Thomas Jefferson.
Who has the Federalist
President who was so upset
when he lost the presidency
that he made sure the
Federalists controlled the
judiciary by appointing what
were called the “Midnight
Judges?”
I have William Henry Harrison.
Who has the Democratic
president,
nicknamed “Old Hickory,”
elected in 1828 campaigning
for the vote of the common
man?
I have Alexander Hamilton.
Who has the Secretary of State
in Washington’s
cabinet whose followers
became known as the
Democratic-Republicans to
oppose Hamilton’s
Federalists?
I have the Whigs.
Who has the man who became
the first Whig president in
1840, but served a short time
because he caught cold at his
inauguration and died shortly
after taking office?
Who has the term for the time
period in which there was only
party after the decline of the
Federalists?
I have Andrew Jackson.
Who has the political party that
developed in the 1830’s to
oppose Andrew Jackson and
supported tariffs, western
expansion, and government
sponsored building of roads,
canals, and bridges.
I have John Adams.
Who has the political party that
formed in 1854 with strong
support for stopping the
spread of slavery?
I have Henry Clay.
Who has the political party that
formed in 1852 primary in
opposition to the wave of
immigration into the United
States?
Who has the third major
opponent of Andrew Jackson
besides Henry Clay and John
Q. Adams who helped form the
Whig Party?
I have Abraham Lincoln.
Who has the man, nicknamed
the “Great Compromiser” who
tried to run for the presidency
four times, but was much
better known for his work in
Congress?
I have the Republican Party.
Who has the first president
elected from the Republican
party?
Who has the change that
prevented the election of a
president and vice-president
from different political
parties?
I have Daniel Webster.
I have the 12th Amendment.
I have the “Era of Good
Feelings.”
I have the Free-Soil Party.
Who has the party that created
the national convention for the
selection of presidential
candidates rather than letting
the states’ party leaders
select them?
I have the Know-Nothing Party.
Who has the political party that
formed to oppose
slavery being allowed into any
territory gained in the Mexican
American War?
Who has Washington’s
Secretary of the Treasury who
became the leader of the
Federalist Party to oppose the
policies of Thomas Jefferson?
I have the Democratic party.