It’s already been an unusual election year in the U.S.A., with the later Democratic primaries cancelled because of Covid and delayed party conventions held online. As the virus continues to progress in the U.S.A., what are the possible consequences for the election? The parties are continuing as near to normal as they can. The focus, … Continue reading “U.S. Elections: the Year of the Unknowns”
On 8 April Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, effectively opening to road to Joe Biden to become the party’s official candidate for the White House in November’s election. The two men were the surviving candidates in the primary campaign, but Mr Sanders’ delegate numbers were looking weak before the disruption … Continue reading “Bye-bye Bernie”
From a diverse field of almost thirty candidates, the campaign to find the Democratic candidate to oppose Donald Trump in November’s election has narrowed to a choice between frontrunners representing the left and the right of the party. The 2016 Democratic primary season started with just three candidates, including two rather atypical frontrunners: Hillary Clinton, … Continue reading “Getting Closer to the White House”
The race to the White House is heating up, but there’s still a long way to go to the 3 November election. Because in this year’s election the incumbent President, Republican Donald Trump, is standing again, most of the focus so far has been on the campaign to become the Democratic candidate. Some hopefuls declared … Continue reading “U.S. Presidential Marathon”
It’s a January fixture in the U.S. calendar: the President’s State of the Union speech, delivered to the joint houses of Congress, and broadcast directly to the nation. This year’s was scheduled for 29 January but has been postponed because of the federal shutdown resulting from the struggle between President Trump and Congress over the … Continue reading “The Union: What a State”
If you want to discuss Thanksgiving with your class, there are some really useful sites and online resources. This site has lots of pictures and information about the first Thanksgiving in the U.S.A., in 1621, when British colonists, or Pilgrims, invited the Wampanoag Native Americans to a big meal to thank them for teaching them … Continue reading “Thanksgiving on the Web”
In 2017, the U.S.A. has been commemorating the hundredth anniversary of John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s birth. In this B1-B2 sequence, pupils view a short, downloadable animated slideshow giving basic facts about JFK’s life. They will then work in groups to expand their knowledge before preparing a presentation in the Bac oral format. Language and structures John … Continue reading “President Kennedy Slideshow”
The centennial of John F Kennedy’s birth in 1917, and the recent film about Jackie Kennedy have put this short-lived but much-admired President back in the headlines. Here are some resources that will allow you introduce JFK into your classroom. The JFK Centennial site has a nice section on the President’s legacy. There is a … Continue reading “President Kennedy Webpicks”
John F. Kennedy was born 100 years ago in Brookline, Massachusetts. JFK was the 35th President of the United States (1961-1963) and the youngest man elected to the office. He was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963 and became the forever-young president… A political and cultural icon Born in 1917, John Fitzgerald Kennedy would … Continue reading “JFK, a 20th Century American Political Icon”
Once every four years, a U.S. President is inaugurated. This video gives a succinct summary of the significance of this ritualised event. The video was prepared before Barack Obama’s second inaugural ceremony in 2013, but it gives a good overview of the Inauguration as a U.S. political institution. The second minute, where a historian wonders … Continue reading “Presidential Inaugurations: Video”
