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Reading level

Small Whale · Reading worksheet

1948 United States presidential election

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/1948-united-states-presidential-election

Step 2 · Questions

1. What is the election date?
2. What is the winning presidential candidate?
3. Who won the 1948 United States presidential election?
4. Why was the 1948 election considered a surprise?

Step 3 · Words to know

Write what each word means, using the article.

Incumbent
Nomination
Underdog
Upset

Step 4 · Two facts in your own words

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

1.

2.

Answer key (teacher copy)

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the election date?November 2, 1948
2. What is the winning presidential candidate?Harry S. Truman (Democrat)
3. Who won the 1948 United States presidential election?Harry S. Truman won the election, beating Thomas E. Dewey.
4. Why was the 1948 election considered a surprise?Most people thought Dewey would win, but Truman’s energetic campaign caught many voters off guard.

Incumbent: The person currently holding a political office, seeking re-election.
Nomination: The formal selection of a candidate by a political party for an election.
Underdog: A competitor or candidate considered unlikely to win.
Upset: An unexpected victory, often against favored opponents.