Who to Choose - 2008 Presidential Election

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Click to download Learning Experience as a .doc format
Additional Resources:
Student Work High
Student Work Medium
Student Work Low

Author: Chris Normile

School District: Brasher Falls Central

Intended Audience:
Content Area: Social Studies
Course Title: Intermediate American History
Grade Level: 8

Technology Integration:
Technology Hardware: CPS, Smartboard, Computer Lab
Technology Software: CPS Powerpoint, Microsoft Word, Internet
Internet Resources:

Other Content Areas for STEM Integration:

Content Area: Technology
Standard 5: Students will: Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.
Key Idea: MST5.CT3: Computers, as tools for design, modeling, information processing, communication, and system control, have greatly increased human productivity and knowledge.

Performance Indicators–Students will: MST5.I.CT3B: use a computer system to connect to and access needed information from various Internet sites

STEM PEER REVIEW PROCESS

New York State Learning Standards and Performance Indicators Addressed by this Learning Experience:
Include the full wording of the standard(s) and specific performance indicator(s).

Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Key Idea 3: Central to civics and citizenship is an understanding of the roles of the citizen within American constitutional democracy and the scope of a citizen’s rights and responsibilities.

Performance indicator: SS5.I.3C: Discuss the role of an informed citizen in today’s changing world

Problem Statement:
This should be posed as a problem that students will be addressing. This will be the focus of the learning experience.

With all the political advertising out there, how do I know who should be president?

Essential Question:
This is one focus question that promotes inquiry based learning and allows for multiple solutions and processes

When I’m 18 what type of person will I want to be president?

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this learning experience students will be able to:

Analyze contemporary issues and candidates to learn who best suits my political values.

Necessary Resources:
List all materials that the teacher or students need to complete this learning experience.

Textbook(s), Workbook(s): None
Reference Book(s): None
Handout(s): Included
Other: None

Steps for Implementing Learning Experience:
List the actions that take place during this learning experience.

Day 1 Time spent on Election 2008 Unit – Approx. 10 minutes
Today the election will be briefly introduced in a current events discussion
►Bell ringer Cartoon # 1
►Students will get 5 minutes to compete the bell ringer. Teacher circulates
►The teacher will then go over the sheet choosing volunteers and discussing answers.
►Key points:
→Cartoonist love to use caricatures to grab the reader’s attention.
►Bell Ringers will be collected
►At this point we a done with election material for today. We will switch to whatever we have
been studying from the 8th grade curriculum.
Homework:
→Students will take home some homework for their parents (Labeled Election 2008!) in
which their parents will be asked top complete a survey about what they believe are the
most important three issue of the election.
→Students will be encouraged to “go over” the assignment and discuss it to insure it is
done.

Day 2 Time spent on Election 2008 Unit – Approx. 10 minutes
We will build on the previous day’s discussion about elections and politics
►Bell Ringer Cartoon #2
►Students will get 5 minutes to compete the bell ringer. Teacher circulates
►The teacher will then go over the sheet choosing volunteers and discussing answers.
►Key points:
→Cartoonist use many symbols including the Republican elephant and the Democrat’s
donkey
→As the election draws near both sides are nervous in an important election
►Homework is collected to insure it has been completed.
►If not, students will be “highly encouraged” to get they sheet completed.
*If students have a real problem getting apparent to complete it they will
be allowed to go to another respected adult (or teacher). They will be
encouraged to discuss issues with that adult.
►Bell Ringers will be collected
►At this point we a done with election material for today. We will switch to whatever we have
been studying from the 8th grade curriculum.

Day 3 Time spent on Election 2008 Unit – Approx. 90 minutes
►Students will get their parent’s homework back
►By using the CPS hardware/software each class will report (anonymously) what issues were
rated as most important to their parents.
►Through classroom discussion and CPS verbal questions we will discuss whether or not the
students:
→share the same concerns
→rank the concerns like their parents do
→understand the issue
►Students will take a political quiz in class. (Labeled Liberal / Conservative Quiz)
→The teacher will read some “which of the following do you prefer” questions.
→Student answer according to their own opinions. Students are encouraged to ask to have
issues they are unfamiliar with explained.
→at the end of the quiz students are told how to score their quizzes and told how their
corresponds to political philosophy. (liberal / conservative / middle of the road)
→ Students are encouraged to take and extra copy home to quiz their parents (hoping for
discussion at home)

Day 4 In Computer Lab. Time spent on Election 2008 Unit – Approx. 90 minutes
Bell Ringer Cartoon #3
►Students will get 5 minutes to compete the bell ringer. Teacher circulates
►The teacher will then go over the sheet choosing volunteers and discussing answers
►Key points:
→Republicans and Democrat’s are today’s main political parties
►Students will complete a web quest (labeled WEBQUEST 2008 ) which
includes two on-line political quizzes. The purpose is to see if the results are consistent. with the
previous quiz. The web quest also direct students to research the position of the two
presidential candidates on various issues.
►Web quests are collected the end of class.

Day 5 and 6 In Computer Lab Time spent on Election 2008 Unit – Approx. 180 minutes (two full double periods
►Students will be given a handout detailing their final project in which they create a
PowerPoint summarizing each candidate in terms of
→his running mate
→his family
→his experience
→his background prior to politics
►Students will also investigate where the candidates stand on their choice of 2 issues taken from
day 1 and include their findings on the PowerPoint.
►Finally students will state who they think should be elected as 44th Presidnet of the USA

Day 7 Presentations Time spent on Election 2008 Unit: 1 double period (Approx. 90 minutes)
►Students have the opportunity to present their PowerPoint

Day 8 Wrap-up Time spent on Election 2008 Unit: 1 double period
►The entire middle school (grade 5-6) will go to the polls in an actual voting machine
►8th graders will be taught how one votes and will then be in charge of teaching students in
younger grades during their social studies classes.
►Results to be announced before going home.
►The ballot appears below

President Senator House of Representative New York Governor
(Vice-President)
Republican John McCain
Sara Palin Sponge Bob Garfield Batman
Democrat Barack Obama
Joe Biden Dora the Explorer Scooby Doo Spiderman

Instructional Modifications:
List all modifications to the classroom setting as well as those used to enhance learning for all students.

Students with learning disabilities will have either a teacher’s aide or resource room teacher available.

Students who have sever disabilities will have their assignment reduced in terms of the number of tasks required. This will be done with the help of his/her consultant teacher.

Time used for Planning:
Time spent without students to prepare.

Approximately 3 hours.

Time for Implementation & Assessment:
List each day that the learning experience occurs along with the timeframe of the day in minutes.

See “Election 2008 Calandar”

Assessment Tools:
List all forms of assessment for the learning experience.

Rubric attached

Reflection
Share the pros and cons of the learning experience. State any modifications that you would make next time this lesson is implemented.

This was a worthwhile unit. Setting up the web quests and designing the final project requirements did not take long. In terms of effort, I found that I was busiest when students were in the computer lab. Students had many questions about political issues that they were unfamiliar with such as NCLB. I spent a lot of time going form one student to the next explaining these issues. Even though I repeated the same information a hundred times those days, they were teachable moments and students did seem benefit.

Student Work:
Attach one sample of student work that demonstrates a mastery, average, or below average level.

Provide Supporting Information to Validate the Quadrant in Which This Learning Experience is Located

The quadrant that applies best to this project is Quadrant B - Application. Students are required to gather bits of information, but then have to go beyond acquisition by creating a multi-media presentation in which not only Social Studies knowledge is needed, but also technology. The choosing of President is as real world as it gets in Social Studies.