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Close Up's FREE Educational Resources

 

Close Up’s free educational resources help students and teachers investigate current events, research pressing issues using reliable sources, and develop real-world skills for effective community engagement.

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New Congress, New Ideas?

Post | January 4, 2021

The 117th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2021.1 This is the most diverse Congress ever,2 with a record number of women and LGBTQ members, a slim Democratic majority in the House, and a Senate that is still up for grabs due to runoff elections taking place this week in Georgia.3 READ MORE: “Here’s […]


Norms, Rules, and Tradition

Post | December 15, 2020

As journalists, historians, and political commentators reflect on the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump, one word keeps coming up: norms. To his critics, this is cause for concern. But President Trump’s supporters sometimes see his norm-breaking actions as efforts to change the political culture of Washington. Here, we will offer definitions and examples of […]


COVID-19 Vaccines, A Harsh Winter, and Economic Relief

Post | December 4, 2020

Public health officials are offering good long-term news about the prospects of making a COVID-19 vaccine widely available during the first half of next year,1 but they are also cautioning Americans that this winter could be very “rough.”2 In addition to having worries about illness, death, and social isolation, many people are also feeling significant […]


A Bumpy Transition: Where Do We Go From Here?

Post | November 17, 2020

On Saturday, November 7, most major media outlets declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election.1 While the Biden team has already begun its informal transition, it has not yet been granted access to intelligence briefings, office space, or other elements of a formal transition.2 This formal transition cannot happen until the General […]


Election 2020: The Electoral College – Wise or Outdated?

Post | October 15, 2020

What is the Electoral College?  In 2016, more than 138 million people voted in the general election, but only 538 of them directly voted for president and vice president.1 The reason that both of these statements can be true is the existence of the Electoral College. The Constitution says that rather than voting directly for […]


Political Violence and the 2020 Election

Post | October 13, 2020

Journaling Task: Reflecting On Political Violence On October 8, the FBI announced that it had thwarted a plot led by a right-wing militia to kidnap and potentially assassinate Governor Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich.1 Whitmer, in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, laid some of the blame at the feet of President Donald Trump, writing: I’m […]


Trump and Biden

Election 2020: Guides for Watching and Discussing the Debates

Post | September 23, 2020

There are three presidential debates scheduled for September 29, October 15, and October 22, as well as a vice presidential debate taking place on October 7. For many voters, the debates are the best chance to see the differences between the candidates as they decide how to cast their vote in November. Campaigns put a […]


Summer Round-Up #3: Protests, Police Reform, and Civil Unrest

Post | September 9, 2020

This summer has been more dramatic and more tumultuous than any other in recent memory. To help teachers and students explore key issues from this summer, we have done a series of summer round-up articles including developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and our review of the 2020 campaigns and conventions. In our third and […]


Summer Round-Up #2: Campaigns, Conventions, and the Race to Election Day

Post | August 31, 2020

Over the course of the summer, the 2020 election has taken shape. Most primaries for congressional office have concluded, and the parties and presidential candidates were able to showcase their respective visions during their conventions. In this second summer round-up, we take a look at the state of the 2020 election. Our first summer round-up […]


The Pandemic, Schools and The Economy

Summer Round-Up #1: The Pandemic, Schools, and The Economy

Post | August 26, 2020

The summer of 2020 has been unlike any other. Schools across the country did not finish the end of the academic year in person, and many will not be seeing students in person once again this fall. Major events have been canceled or moved online, and we are in the midst of a presidential election […]


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