Election Issues '08

•“Imagine that you are an adult (you decide how old you are), and you are applying for a job in one of the presidential candidates’ campaigns as an advisor on policy issues. Your role is to advise the presidential candidate on issues to insure the candidate is well informed. In preparation for your job interview, you need to become knowledgeable about the various issues and decide on two for which you will be an expert. The candidates need experts to help them be informed on the issues.”

•You are a presidential candidate and you and your campaign manager are interviewing applicants for advisors on various policy issues. You want the best people for the job because you know that the campaign is heating up and you need advice on how to respond to difficult issues facing the nation. Who will work for you?”

•“You are a campaign manager. A campaign manager is the chief advisor to the presidential candidate on how to organize the campaign and respond to issues that arise. You will assist the presidential candidate in selecting advisors to the campaign. You will want the best people for the job.”

Have students imagine that they are applying for the advisor job or interviewing applicants for the job of advisor. At this point you are going to have to determine who will be applying for jobs and who will be the presidential candidates and their campaign managers. Students will need to complete a biography blending facts with their imagination to create a believable role. Depending on the number of students organize the class into the following roles:

•The presidential candidates (one student for each candidate)

•Campaign managers for each of the candidates (one student for each presidential candidate)

•National issues experts/advisors—two issues per student. Organize students to research the seven issues. You may want them to work with a partner or in small groups. Having students work with a partner or small group will increase the likelihood that students will delve into the issues.

2. Have students complete the appropriate information that follows.

Presidential Candidate

Complete the following information. Check out the candidate’s website to locate the following information.

Candidate’s name:
Age:
Educational background:
Work experiences:
Important life experiences that led you to run for president: (You can imagine what factors might have happened to the candidate to seek the office of president—blend facts with your imagination. Identify at least four experiences.)

Campaign Manager to ______________________

(Presidential Candidate) On a sheet of paper complete the following information (Use your imagination but make the role believable):
Student’s name:
Age:
Educational background:
Work experiences:
Important life experiences that led you to become a campaign manager to the presidential candidate—include at least four experiences:

National Issues Expert/Advisor

On a sheet of paper complete the following information (Use your imagination but make the role believable):
Student’s name:
Age:
Areas of specialty (list at least two):
Educational background:
Work experiences:
Important life experiences that led you to become knowledgeable about these areas of specialty—include at least four experiences:

3. Introduce the video, Election Issues ’08. Explain that the video will help students become better acquainted with the national issues. Have students create a chart or other graphic organizer to help them identify the key points about the issues.

Issue     Main Ideas

The War in Iraq

Terrorism

Education

The Environment

Healthcare

The Economy

Immigration

Discuss with students the issues helping them identify key points. You may want to do this after each issue or watch the video more than once.

Encourage students applying to be presidential advisors to add more information about themselves now that they know something about the issues. This is where students can blend fact with imagination. For example, a student might explain that his/her family recently emigrated from Mexico and the hardships involved. They can also check out the presidential candidates’ websites for information on where they stand on the issues so they can increase the likelihood that they will be an attractive applicant to the president and the campaign manager.

The presidential candidates and their campaign managers should view the video and the appropriate candidate’s website to think about the questions they will ask the applicants so they get the best people for the job.

4. Have students work in teams according to the topics for which they will specialize.

For example, the immigration issue should form one team to determine what questions the presidential candidate and campaign manager will ask and how they will respond. Depending on students’ skills, you may want to help them develop the questions. Likewise the presidential candidate and campaign manager will need to review the issues to decide what questions they want to ask the applicants to determine if they will be knowledgeable and helpful to their campaign.
Students can elaborate on their chart by adding more columns to represent the presidential candidates’ positions on the issues. If students haven’t had many experiences with role-plays, it helps if you demonstrate with carefully selected students a brief scenario. Remember a little drama on your part goes a long way to helping students get into role.

5. Allow adequate time for researching the issues as well as time for students to discuss the issues before beginning the role-plays.

6. Arrange for job interviews.

While the interviews are being conducted you can send news alerts about new issues that have surfaced—taken from current events. Have students prepare responses to the current events while others wait to be interviewed—students can be interviewed in teams.

7. Students will need to be hired for the jobs.

You will want to facilitate the hiring process to ensure that everyone has a job. Students may be disappointed they don’t get to work for their candidate of choice but remind them their salaries range from $4000 to $5000 per month and that most likely will appease their concerns. Additionally if their candidate wins, they might get a full time job!

8. Depending on your timeframe, you can continue this experience based on the current events that emerge around the presidential candidates.

9. Reflect on the learning:

•What did we learn from this experience?
•Why is it important to understand the national issues when voting for president?
•What challenges do you think the presidential candidates face when running for office?
•Why do you think it is important for people to vote?

Assessment

Once you believe students have had an opportunity to learn about the candidates and where they stand on the issues, have them demonstrate their learning by selecting one of the three options:
•Create a poster to persuade voters to support the candidate of your choice. Include on the poster at least three national issues and describe where the candidate stands on the issue. Make your poster persuasive and attractive.
•Write a speech for the presidential candidate of your choice to persuade voters to support your candidate. Identify three national issues, where the candidate stands on the issues, and why voters should support your candidate.
•Write a campaign ballad. A ballad tells a story in a number of short stanzas often with a refrain. Select music to a song you know well and write the lyrics. In the ballad identify three national issues and tell where the candidate stands. In the refrain help voters think about why your candidate is the best choice.

Criteria for assessment:

•A candidate is selected and at least three national issues are identified.
•Each of the issues has at least two key points reflecting the candidate’s position and is based on research about the issues and the candidate’s position.
•Presentation of learning
oThe poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness. It clearly communicates the message.
oThe speech includes an introductory paragraph with a strong hook or attention grabber that is appropriate for the audience. There is a clear statement of the candidate’s positions on the issues. Includes three or more pieces of evidence (facts, statistics, examples, real-life experiences) that support the position statements.
oThe ballad’s stanzas sound natural and are easy-on-the-ear when read aloud. Each stanza is clear and has an obvious emphasis related to the issues. The refrain is catchy, easy to remember, and persuasive.

Teacher Tips

1. Too often students are asked to study the issues and select the candidate of their choice. This lesson puts a twist on this approach by asking students to take on the role of the presidential candidates and their advisors. Helping students imagine themselves in role and the tensions that surface in the race for the presidency can motivate students to learn more about the candidates and the issues. Therefore, you will want to introduce this lesson with a sense of drama and reinforce the competition aspect of “running the race for the presidency.”

2. The amount of time devoted to this learning experience will vary depending on the depth of research on the various issues. Depending on “what’s in the news,” weave in any current events to further heighten and connect students to the learning.

3. For students who would benefit from the visual aspect of creating their role as an applicant, campaign manager, or presidential candidate, have them make a paper doll replica of themselves—have them consider how they will look as adults and appropriate clothing for a job interview.

4. When conducting interviews, it’s great to have the room setup like a real interview room, or if possible, send students to another place to conduct the interviews.

5. A “news alert” over the intercom is a great way to introduce drama into the learning experience and motivate students in thinking about how to respond as candidates and advisors.

Margit McGuire
Seattle University