Watergate Scandal Lesson Plan

A very important lesson in American History is the Watergate Scandal and how it brought the US into the modern age. Today’s distrust of politicians and disillusionment in our government both stem from Richard Nixon and this devastating scandal.

I use this engaging lesson plan to teach my history students about it.

This great activity that you can download here, includes a PowerPoint overview with guided notes plus a primary source analysis activity!

The presentation begins with a bell-ringer then covers Nixon’s presidency from his election in 1968 to his resignation in 1974. It guides students through the complex Watergate scandal with simple, easy-to-follow notes on the key players, developments, and events of the Watergate Scandal.

The PowerPoint is visually engaging with each slide features powerful images from the period and relevant notes that students can place into an included guided notes graphic organizer.

For the next activity, students analyze an important primary source from the scandal.

The download includes images of the source along with a transcription, worksheet, and timeline of the events of the scandal.

A teacher directions page features links to videos plus steps on how to use each resource.

Finally, the download includes printable and Google Docs versions of the primary source activity! If you’ve gone paperless or want to integrate more digital resources, there’s a link to bring this resource into Google Classroom!

You can download it all for your classes here!

Students of History

Written by

Secondary History teacher dedicated to sharing the most engaging lessons possible for social studies!

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