US Election Study Plans

[Ethel Mertz]

I'm planning a US Election Study for DS (8th grade) this fall and wondered what others are doing?

 

Here's what I have so far: I figure we have about 9 weeks from the day after Labor Day to the election and we'll do half an hour a week - so we really won't have a long plan. DS watches CNN Student News every day, so there will be some coverage there. I'm also going to have him watch the debates (which, of course, will add more time to the study). I thought I would assign him two short essays - or maybe even three: one on why one should vote for the republican candidate, why one should vote for the democratic candidate, and why one should vote for one of the independent candidates. Also, I thought I would have DS listen to the new Jim Weiss cd on "Electoral Apocalypses."

 

DS already knows a fair amount about the Electoral College, so we won't have to spend much time on that. And then, of course, he'll watch Election Night coverage and we'll spend some time the next day processing what happened.

 

Any other ideas? I'll cross-post on the Middle School Board as well.

 

[kolamum]

HSITW New Election Study. :D

[3 ladybugs]

I would normally be gun ho over teaching my son on the election process but this year I feel is not a teachable moment. The only thing we as a country are united behind is that we all hate the candidates. My son is younger then your son so I have time. However you have time as well. I was in 6th grade in 1988 when Bush won. I remember turning on the TV to "watch" election results so I could fall asleep (it worked very well). My father and step mother were at a birthing class. 4 years later, I was begging my father to let me stay home from school so I could watch the Clinton inauguration as I didn't have a history class. I have been hooked on politics ever since. 

 

Personally, I don't know that this is a year I would highlight this mess.... unless you want to show what should have happened or the like. 

 

If you wanted to do something like this, I would use a good election that you liked, and compare and contrast. 

[MEmama]

^^^ I think this is a great year for compare/contrast, and for at least attempting to see the "other side", whichever that might be for you. For us, we are super excited about "our" candidate and so afraid of the other it will be really, really difficult. But there's so much to learn in that exercise, especially when the differences are so stark.

 

Plus, it's so easy to compare some of what's going on with recent history. All those questions asked in hindsight (how could they have elected...X...?) happening again in front of our own eyes. It's kind of remarkable, really.

[Ethel Mertz]

I would normally be gun ho over teaching my son on the election process but this year I feel is not a teachable moment. The only thing we as a country are united behind is that we all hate the candidates. My son is younger then your son so I have time. However you have time as well. I was in 6th grade in 1988 when Bush won. I remember turning on the TV to "watch" election results so I could fall asleep (it worked very well). My father and step mother were at a birthing class. 4 years later, I was begging my father to let me stay home from school so I could watch the Clinton inauguration as I didn't have a history class. I have been hooked on politics ever since. 

 

Personally, I don't know that this is a year I would highlight this mess.... unless you want to show what should have happened or the like. 

 

If you wanted to do something like this, I would use a good election that you liked, and compare and contrast. 

 

It's a tough year for sure, but DS (who turns 14 today!) will be able to vote in the next election, so we're sort of out of time. He'll be watching the debates and I guess I will too. I like the idea about comparing and contrasting. I was in junior high when we had a mock election the year Nixon was re-elected. Made a big impression - and then we had the mess of the Watergate Hearings and his impeachment. 

^^^ I think this is a great year for compare/contrast, and for at least attempting to see the "other side", whichever that might be for you. For us, we are super excited about "our" candidate and so afraid of the other it will be really, really difficult. But there's so much to learn in that exercise, especially when the differences are so stark.

 

Plus, it's so easy to compare some of what's going on with recent history. All those questions asked in hindsight (how could they have elected...X...?) happening again in front of our own eyes. It's kind of remarkable, really.

Definitely a fascinating time!

 

Here's a link to the PBS Ed site: http://pbseduelectioncentral.com/ - I'm going through my email to see what else I stored away.

[Ethel Mertz]

Another link:

 

Elections from 1960-2012

[Alte Veste Academy]

For me, the most important thing to teach is how to figure out how you align with a candidate on the issues. For the presidential election, we have enjoyed all the conversations we've had based on results from isidewith.org. Fascinating stuff! Breaks it down by each issue. During the primaries, we went over all of the questions/sections over a period of several weeks. We would read each question and discuss background knowledge, nuances in the possible responses, our sometimes ambivalent feelings, what candidates had said about the issue (spent some time at Politifact as well), and, for some issues, whether our personal opinions should dictate policy on the issue or whether we could feel one way but vote another recognizing that other reasonable people could feel differently.

 

Skirting specific political opinions here, LOL, so this is getting tricky!

 

The point is that procedures take a back seat to the issues for us here, and I think that is particularly helpful for this election if people can't stomach talking about the candidates. Although that is a conversation too, I suppose, if you agree with someone you actually find repugnant for some reason, what is more important? To vote by issue or by gut?

 

It is of paramount importance to me that my kids learn to dig to form their own opinions, not just echo mine. Also, I want them to be able to calmly and clearly express and defend their positions, but with humility, with an open mind and empathetic heart. We had a great discussion about one issue in particular for which I had always thought one way because I only had superficial knowledge. After reading more than a dozen stories on the topic over the past year, I completely changed my pov and view the issue much more seriously now. It's been great for the kids to see me confess my ignorance, dig deeper myself (for life, not school), and cite articles as examples of my own research and deeper thinking.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Alte Veste Academy

[....]

I felt like this was a great year to study government, too.  We're reading through Barron's Painless American Government and doing the quizzes together.  We're also reading the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, etc.  I think we're even reading the Magna Carta (Lol).  

 

Have you seen the Self-Evident Truth series from Royal Fireworks Press?  I was thinking about buying that series at some point, too.

 

Doing those quizzes from Barron's - it's amazing how much *I* don't know!!   :ohmy:

[Ethel Mertz]

For me, the most important thing to teach is how to figure out how you align with a candidate on the issues. For the presidential election, we have enjoyed all the conversations we've had based on results from isidewith.org. Fascinating stuff! Breaks it down by each issue. During the primaries, we went over all of the questions/sections over a period of several weeks. We would read each question and discuss background knowledge, nuances in the possible responses, our sometimes ambivalent feelings, what candidates had said about the issue (spent some time at Politifact as well), and, for some issues, whether our personal opinions should dictate policy on the issue or whether we could feel one way but vote another recognizing that other reasonable people could feel differently.

 

Skirting specific political opinions here, LOL, so this is getting tricky!

 

 

 

Thanks for those websites! And also for talking about your process!

 

I felt like this was a great year to study government, too.  We're reading through Barron's Painless American Government and doing the quizzes together.  We're also reading the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, etc.  I think we're even reading the Magna Carta (Lol).  

 

Have you seen the Self-Evident Truth series from Royal Fireworks Press?  I was thinking about buying that series at some point, too.

 

Doing those quizzes from Barron's - it's amazing how much *I* don't know!!   :ohmy:

 

Thanks for the reminder about the Self-Evident Truth series. I think I have it on my shelves.

[Ethel Mertz]

Finally, here is my 8 session plan for DS14. Note that many denominations/faith traditions have policy on voting and elections. You might want to investigate that as a resource if that applies to you. Please pardon the font problems...

 

Websites:

 

http://www.isidewith.org

http://www.politifact.com/

http://pbseduelectioncentral.com/

http://www.4president.org/

http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/EpiscopaliansVote

 

In general: watch daily news coverage, debates, and speeches as they occur (or at least find the recordings on a timely basis). Write an essay on each candidate (Democratic and Republican candidates) stating why someone would vote for them. Extra credit: write an essay on a 3^rd party candidate.

 

1.     Explore the section on the election process and discuss. http://pbseduelectioncentral.com/election-process

Homework: Listen to the Jim Weiss cd on "Electoral Apocalypses."

 

2.    Explore the Episcopal Church’s stance on voting. http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/EpiscopaliansVote and compare two elections in history. http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/EpiscopaliansVote

Homework: continue watching news coverage and any debates or speeches as they occur. Take notes as needed.

 

3.    Take the “I Side With” quiz: http://www.isidewith.org and discuss.

Homework:  continue watching election coverage from two different news sources (e.g., MSNBC and Fox News). Outline your essay on the candidate hardest for you to write about. You may use that candidate's website.

 

4.    Explore  http://www.politifact.com/ and discuss; continue using this resource throughout the fall.

Homework: watch election coverage and finish your essay.

 

5.    Explore the section on debates of http://pbseduelectioncentral.com/ and discuss. Discuss any debates you have watched.

Homework: continue watching election coverage and outline your second essay. You may use that candidate’s website to support your essay of why one should vote for that candidate.

 

6.     Watch a speech by each Candidate. Fact check it.

Homework: Finish writing your 2nd essay. Continue watching election coverage, using more than one news source.

 

7.     Examine the latest polls. What do you think the outcome will be? If you were able to vote, who would you vote for and why? Discuss.

Homework: Eat popcorn and watch Election Night Coverage

 

8.     Debrief the election result.

 

Edited August 25, 2016 by Ethel Mertz

[jjeepa]

Great thread!  I am planning on doing the same with my 8th grade dd, but hadn't started pulling any resources together yet. Yes, getting down to the wire   :001_smile:  So, thank you for sharing your plan!

[Dmmetler]

My DD got to do a workshop with Jim Weiss this past summer on Elections, and one thing he really highlighted was just how contentious and how extreme past elections have been, with an eye to helping kids out this one in perspective with all the fear and angst surrounding it. DD found it very reassuring, as a kid who tends to anxiety who found the primaries quite stressful. (The funny thing was that she commented afterwards that "he seems really familiar, but I don't know why!"). The WTM store has recordings on the topic, and I'd definitely include them.

[Pronghorn]

Check out the book Anything for a Vote by Joseph Cummins. It is a fun history f all past elections for president.