Reaganomics 101

When Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, the country was in the midst of, in his words, the "worst economic mess since the Great Depression." Unemployment was at 7.5%, and 8 million people were looking for jobs. Inflation was at its highest point in decades, nearly 15% in March of 1980. Marginal tax rates were as high as 70%, and economic growth was stagnant. 

Now, thanks to a partnership with the California Council for Economic Education, we've developed a set of interactive, primary source based lessons that allow students to learn the story of President Reagan’s approach to fixing America’s economic woes. His vision, his policies, and their impact have come to be known as Reaganomics. 

Civics and Citizenship

Unit 1: Civics and Citizenship explores both the rights guaranteed to Americans as well as the attendant responsibilities that come with those rights. Ultimately, the unit culminates with students writing, producing, and sharing a Public Service Announcement that defines, shows, and advocates for civic engagement.

Executive Power in Times of Crisis

This lesson explores the use of executive power in times of crisis in relation to both the Constitution and the legislation of the time.

The Appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor

In this lesson, students will examine the appointment of one particular Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, who was also the first female Justice in the 191-year history of the Court to that point in time. Students will examine the process by which a President makes the appointment selection and the steps that lead to that person being confirmed by the Senate (or not).

Letters to the President

In this lesson, students will learn both to be informed and to be engaged as they learn about an issue that is important to them, and communicate their thoughts on the issue to the President of the United States.

Midterm Elections Matter

This lesson is intended to help students understand that midterm elections (whether they be for congressional candidates, governor, state representatives, or state initiatives) are equally as important as the presidential race every four years.

Election 2020: The Road to the White House

These units (K-5 and 6-12) are designed to teach students about presidential elections. It is not a collection of facts, diagrams, and explanations of processes. It is an interactive, project based unit that invites the student to fully engage in the process of an election while also informing students about how elections work.

Cold War Document Based Question

Utilizing primary source documents from the archives of Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, and Reagan, this piece of curriculum is modeled after the Advanced Placement Document Based Questions.