( CNN Student News ) -- Students will learn about political parties in the United States . Procedure . Ask students : What is a political party ? What role do political parties play in the U.S. presidential election process ? Point out that although the Democratic and Republican parties currently dominate the political scene , other parties have nominated individuals for president throughout U.S. history . Have students select a political party that has nominated a candidate for president at any point in U.S. history . Students may want to consider parties such as the Libertarian party , the Whig party , the Green party , and the Bull Moose party . Next , hand out copies of the Political Party Profile Worksheet . Direct students to fill in the worksheet , using their textbooks or online resources to research their chosen parties . Using his or her findings , each student should compose a one-minute speech for a presidential candidate from the party . The speech should touch on major points of the party 's history and where it stands on the issues . Extension : . Challenge your students to use original video , music , animation and other production elements to create their own `` Talking Democracy '' iReports that explain or demonstrate the concept of political parties . The videos should be three minutes or less in length and can be submitted here . The best videos may appear on CNN Student News ! Correlated Standards . CIVICS . 9-12 Content Standards . I . What Are Civic Life , Politics , And Government ? 1 . Defining civic life , politics , and government . 2 . Necessity of politics and government . III . How Does The Government Established By The Constitution Embody The Purposes , Values , And Principles Of American Democracy ? 14 . Political parties , campaigns , and elections . V. What Are The Roles Of The Citizen In American Democracy ? 14 . The relationship between politics and the attainment of individual and public goals . 15 . The difference between political and social participation . 16 . Forms of political participation . 17 . Political leadership and careers in public service . 18 . Knowledge and participation . The National Standards for Civics and Government ( http : //www.civiced.org/index.php ? page=stds ) are published by the Center for Civic Education ( http : //www.civiced.org/ ) . Keywords . Republican , Democrat , politics , party platforms E-mail to a friend .
Students will learn about political parties in the United States .