Know
your Candidate
- Instructional
Objectives: Students will acquire a more in-depth knowledge of the
candidates that affect them and their neighborhoods. Students will also gain
a greater understanding of the candidates’ positions on the issues that
directly and indirectly affect them.
- Time
Required: Open
- Advance
Preparation:
- Letters
should be written in advance inviting political leaders to visit the
school This should be done by the
students and include the issues that they are interested in. They should
mention that it is good publicity for them. Teachers should confirm with
the candidate two days in advance if the politician should agree to
visit. Teachers should notify local news if the politician confirms.
Students should have questions already elaborated before the politician
comes. (Teacher should revise student questions beforehand and discuss
proper behavior before the actual visit.) You may need to block out some
time in your auditorium for this activity as well as discussing this
with your principal. Remember to plan extra time to wrap up if you are
out of the regular classroom. You may also want to record local or
national newscasts to present to the students just in case you are
unable to get a politician or just in case they don’t show up. Have an
erasable marker handy, just in case you want to use the television
screen as your board. Students should have the most important issues for
them already defined. You need to know how much time you have allotted
beforehand to plan how much time you will give your activities.
- Materials
/ Resources Required: : (actual
candidates for city council or other positions could be invited on different
dates to speak to students.) If you are unable to obtain candidates to speak
to your students, then record local newscasts on the different candidates
positions on the issues, television and vcr.
- Vocabulary,
Concepts,
Focus Questions (and responses), Generalizations, Key Points:
issue, debate, platform, students should have a general idea regarding the
different political parties, if students are having difficulty formulating
questions, you may want to give leads such as: What is your position on …,
Do you believe that…., What should be done about…
- Procedures:
Teacher should introduce each
candidate, their political affiliation and what position they are nominated
for. Teacher may want to give the candidate some time to talk about their
background. The majority of the time should be dedicated to the student’s
questions. At the end, thank the candidate for their time and ask
students to do the same. If you are working with a recorded telecasts,
instead of having students ask questions, you can have students take
notes on what is the candidates position on the different issues.
- Activities:
Students may go to the candidates web page (http://savvyvoter.org
Savvy Voter site, This one is easier to navigate, is better organized, but
contains less information than http://politics1.com/ny.htm
The Politics 1site, is very in-depth, but not as user friendly as the Savvy
Voter site) and email them asking them to express their views on the issues
that they (students) are interested in.
- Extensions
or Follow-up: Students may
be asked to write about their opinion of the candidate after speaking with
them or listening to their platform. What points do they agree/disagree with
the candidate? You may also visit a Board of Elections Office. Go to
this link to find the office nearest to you http://ci.nyc.ny.us/html/vac/html/information_offices.html
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