What are political action committees, or PACs, and how are they different from Super PACs? Can you watch a campaign ad and determine whether it was paid for by the candidate or funded by a Super PAC? This PACs and Super PACs Article & Review contains an engaging reading passage, review, and internet activity for Civics and American Government students studying how PACs and Super PACs fund campaigns and influence U.S. elections!
✯ Aligned to the Florida State Standard for Middle School Civics, SS.7.CG.2.8:
Influencing the Government, this resource includes:
✯ A one-page What Are PACs and Super PACs? reading passage
Content covers:
- Political Action Committees, or PACs
- Citizens United Supreme Court ruling and its influence on Super PACs
- Super PACs
- How to tell if a Super PAC funded a campaign ad
- The amount of money political campaigns and PACs raise during elections.
✯ A PACs and Super PACs Review worksheet, which asks for vocabulary definitions and the summation of key concepts from the article. Questions include:
- What is the purpose of a political action committee, or PAC?
- How much money can a PAC raise for a candidate?
- Explain the difference between a PAC and a Super PAC.
The review also asks students to read three actions and determine whether they were the work of a PAC or a Super PAC.
- A presidential candidate uses money donated from Citizens Against Drunk Driving to fund a campaign advertisement. (PAC)
✯ An optional Campaign Ad Internet activity that requires internet access and district access to YouTube. QR codes and URLs are given to three presidential campaign ads, two from 2016 and one from 2012. Students are asked to watch each ad, pay attention to the narration, and determine whether it was funded by the campaign or a Super PAC.
If you do not have internet access in your classroom, this third activity can absolutely be omitted. The article and review stand alone! It’s just a little fun extra enrichment. You could also play the videos for your class and have them fill out the worksheet as a class activity. Whatever works for you and your students!
This resource comes as a non-editable, printable PDF and includes an Answer Key. There is also a digital version available through TPT Easel, which can be assigned directly to Google Classroom or shared with your students via a link!
What other teachers are saying about this resource:
“Informative and visually appealing”
Just what I was looking for! My students “love a cute worksheet” and this fits the bill. The resource is both informative and visually appealing. My student really enjoyed it!
★ ★ ★ ★
— Yamilza R.
“A seller that I trust!”
This is a topic students often struggle to understand in my class, so it was nice to have a prepared lesson to implement from a seller that I trust!
★ ★ ★ ★
— Rachel S.
“I will definitely use it again next year.”
My students were able to easily use the resource. I will definitely use it again next year.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Christina C.
More Happy Teacher Products You Might Enjoy:
✩ What Is an Interest Group? Article & Review | Voting & Elections for Civics
✩ Who Can Run? Qualifications for Political Office Article & Review for Civics
✩ Interest Groups Matching Activity | U.S. Elections for Civics
Become a happy teacher — join the email list!
Never miss a new product or a sale by signing up for an email subscription! I send monthly emails recapping new products, updates, and upcoming sales.
You can also follow Happy Teacher Resources on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest
