Cahill for Congress

Resources for Teachers

I still can’t imagine a better way to teach students about government than having them manage a real political campaign. We obviously can’t all run for office, but there are plenty of other creative ways to make civics lessons exciting. The challenge is finding the ones that will work with you and your kids, and then making those ideas your own. And doing that year after year can be, well, taxing. That’s why I’m starting this blog. I’m hoping that in addition to reading about whatever ideas I come up with, you will write about what has worked—or is working—for you when you teach civics in your classrooms. That way we can inspire and feed each other. Think of this blog as an idea bank, where you can make withdrawals as well as deposits, thereby enriching us all. So send me an email with your thoughts, lesson plans, or whatever else you want to share and I’ll make sure it gets posted.

When I ran for office, my students lived much of the campaign firsthand and the rest vicariously. Either way, it prompted unending discussion. I hope that my book Ms. Cahill for Congress does the same. For additional topics to bring up in the classroom, this PDF of the book’s “Teacher’s Guide” may prove helpful.

VOTE