Meet the Candidates!
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POLICY RESEARCH TEAM

Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and work?  In the next few weeks you have some major tasks to accomplish! Teamwork and cooperation will help make the job easier. At the end of each class, if you have spare time, go to Scholastic's Election Blog and keep current with what's happening in the real campaign!

 

Week 1-2:

Inside the Issues

How does your candidate stand on the issues? Using the links  to the right, divide up your team members to investigate how your candidate stands on the following issues:

  • Education

  • Environment

  • Health Care

  • Iraq

  • Jobs & the Economy

  • Terrorism and National Security

When you are finished, you will print out your notes and hang it on our "Inside the Issues" class chart.  This chart will hang in the library or your classroom throughout the duration of our election project so that others can refer to it. 

 

RESOURCES

 

 

 

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS FOR NOTE-TAKING:

OBAMA ISSUES ANALYSIS - Will open in Google Docs.

MCCAIN ISSUES ANALYSIS - Will open in Google Docs.

Please follow saving instructions on the document. You will need a gmail account to edit the document. Your team will be able to work on the document at the same time!

(If you are NOT using Google Docs, make a list of the issues (listed on the left) and fill in the information there.

 

 

Week 2:

Jigsaw time!

Members of each team will mix together to share research from previous week (15 minutes).

Next, create a poll using Polldaddy or SurveyMonkey - (your teacher will set up an account for you). Your poll should ask the question, "Which of the following issues will be most important to you when you decide how to vote for president in the upcoming election?" Then list the issues in your poll. Have your teacher help you insert your poll into your wiki (or your class website or blog). For homework, please have your parents take the poll.You may also invite teachers in your school to take the survey.

You should assign someone from your team to collect the data and turn it into a pie chart using Excel or other graphing software; the graph should be added to your election wiki.)

Finish work on issues.

  

Weeks 3-6:

Promises, Promises!

Now that you understand the issues that are important to you and the American public, you must decide what your candidate will promise the people.  Candidates make tons of promises...what do you think they should promise?  Your team will create a 30 second or 60 second political commercial (or you may choose to do a 60 second talk show interview format) based on the issues you have chosen.

  • First, watch the slide show to the right on Political Ads with your teacher.
  • Next, watch and analyze a news report on some real Obama/McCain political commercials with your teacher.
  • Answer the questions on the handout - Scholastic's Campaign Ad-Venture.
  This slideshow is also available online.

 

 

(This video is available online.)

McCain Ad Mocks Obama's Fame. 31 July 2008. YouTube. CBS. 5 Sep. 2008 .

Scholastic's Campaign Ad-Venture
  • Now get your group together and make a list of things you noticed about political commercials. 
  • Brainstorm together about the commercial you would like to produce. Think about the questions listed to the right.
  • Print out the handouts listed to the right.  These handouts will guide you through the process of creating your commercial.
  • Be sure to visit the rubric page to know what is expected of you!

 

 

 
  1. Who are you? (Are you qualified to be President? What is your political background? --- check with the MARKETING TEAM).
  2. Choose 3 important issues to your candidate from your previous research.  What will you, as President, do about these issues?
  3. Why should America vote for you?  What makes you the better candidate?
  • Helpful Website: Go to the PBS site, The Savvy Voter and read about the 10 top persuasive tools that are used in political ads.  See how many you can include in your ad!
  • Go to Video With Professor Monkey and read about storyboards and scripts.

 

PRINT OUT THESE HANDOUTS: