Meet the Candidates!
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PUBLIC AWARENESS TEAM

THE CANDIDATES
OBAMA BIDEN Mccain palin
BARACK OBAMA
JOE BIDEN-VP CANDIDATE
JOHN MCCAIN
SARAH PALIN-VP CANDIDATE

 

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:

Just the Facts! Write a Newspaper Article

Your first assignment is to educate the public about the background of your Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates.  You will become an investigative reporter and write up a newspaper article about your assigned candidate.

  1. Go to Time For Kids and read the article on how to write a good biography.
  2. Use the resources provided to the right to research your candidate. Put your data in the graphic organizer. You should divide up the work so that some of you are researching the presidential candidate and some of you are researching the vice presidential candidate. Make a listof who is responsible for each part of the organizer.  However, please meet together after the team is finished researching to record all of your presidential data on one fact sheet and all of your vice presidential data on another. Then, using Microsoft Word or Google Documents, write your biographical article. Refer back to the model paper you downloaded. When you have finished writing it, check it against the checklist you downloaded. Have your teacher approve it.
  3. Next, go to the newspaper generator and copy your article into the 'news story' text box. Don't forget to name your newspaper, give it a short headline and put in the date. Click on "generate" and then save your newspaper clipping. Once saved, the clipping will be uploaded into our wiki.

 

CANDIDATE FACT SHEETS:

RESOURCES:

Week 2:

Jigsaw time!

Members of each team will mix together to share research from previous week (15 minutes). Then continue with your Newspaper Article.

 

 

Weeks 3-6:

 

Why Vote?

Many people today think voting is the most important right Americans have!   Your job is to create public awareness of the importance of voting.  Your team will create a vodcast or podcast educating the public on the importance of voting.

Part I:

  • Go to the PBS site, Inside the Voting Booth to learn about the history of voting rights by playing the "Could You Vote?" game.
    • QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT: (answer these questions on note cards, paper, or on the computer)
      • WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VOTE?
      • HOW CAN ONE VOTE CHANGE HISTORY?
      • WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT ISSUES THE PUBLIC SHOULD THINK ABOUT?
  • Find out how to register to vote in your state.
  • Create a community survey to determine local voter participation in the last presidential election using surveymonkey.
    • Your survey should collect basic demographic data (male/female, age); information about voting behaviors ("Did you vote in the last election? If not, why?”---consider reasons why a person might not vote).  What other questions do you think you should include?
  • Next, as a group, you are to compose a letter (we will email it to our school's staff) which is to be distributed to all of the school staff and your parents.  The letter should explain that you are taking a community survey to determine local voter participation in the last presidential election. You should include the web address of the survey and a deadline for filling it out.  Your letter should inform the reader that the survey is anonymous.

Part II:

  • Check the survey results at SurveyMonkey. Can you draw any conclusions from your results? For example, did more men or women vote?  What reasons were given for not voting?
  • Prepare your storyboard for your podcast or vodcast.
    • If you create a podcast you may use GCast or Podomatic.
    • If you create a vodcast, you may use VoiceThread or PhotoStory.
    • You may gather audio and images from Discovery Education (Searingtown students) or any other resource your teacher provides.
    • Be sure to visit the rubric page to know what is expected of you!
  • Create your Public Awareness Broadcast.  Remember, your job is to convince the public how important it is to vote!  This is your opportunity to put together all you have learned about this important right that we have as Americans. Include an example of how one vote changed history and mention an issue that is important to Americans. Be sure to include your survey results and information on how to register.

     

  

RESOURCES:

 

 

WORKSHEETS: