Nixon’s Rise to the Presidency

Richard Nixon rose swiftly in the political sphere. Using the timeline layout, have students detail Nixon’s rise to the presidential office. Students will be able to explain and analyze how Nixon rose to the executive office, as well as what major events contributed to his eventual election. Students should highlight both his political successes and failures, as well as what positions Nixon held before becoming president. Students should also be made aware of what issues constructed Nixon’s platform as president, as well as what influenced his ideas and policies.

For an alternative to the timeline layout, have students create a timeline poster to incorporate into a presentation or gallery walk. You can add more than one template to this assignment to give students lots of options, and update the instructions accordingly.

Extended Activity

Have students create a timeline of Nixon’s actions as vice president under Dwight D. Eisenhower. This will give students a more expansive look at Nixon before he became president. Furthermore, it will allow students to go deeper into his political background and what influenced his actions in the future as president.

Student Instructions

Create a timeline detailing Richard Nixon's rise to presidency.

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Identify important events and policies in the life of Richard Nixon.
3. Describe the events and policies in the description box.
4. Create an illustration using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
5. Save and exit when you're done.