Election+2012

= **Presidential Election 2012** =




 * Essential Question: ** What are the important issues in the 2012 campaign and how does each candidate propose to address them?


 * Objectives: **
 * Students will identify the major issues in this campaign.
 * Students will research each candidate’s position on at least one issue.
 * Students will investigate any factual misrepresentations by both candidates

US History 1: Revolution to Reconstruction US History 2: 1877-2001 //Adapted from the Youth Leadership Initiative//
 * Massachusetts Curriculum Standards: **[[image:http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRTkqc9B_BeVFHxUAdfc2jIN2rsKK4FUngjNbKZX2q3RhU_zprbeQ align="left"]]
 * Basic Framework of Democracy and Concepts of American government
 * America’s Growing Role in International Relations
 * Contemporary America
 * Impact of Sectionalism on American Life and Politics
 * Explain the basic function of the government in the US economy
 * Government elective

START HERE!!!!  **DIRECTIONS**: Download the Classwork document and complete the Do Now question.

__** Do Now: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">"Which presidential candidate will you vote for in the school election on Friday: Obama or Romney? Why?" <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">//Complete the DO NOW Question in your Classwork document//

__** Activity 1 - ISideWith.com Survey **__ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">Take the following survey to see who you agree with: ISideWith //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">Complete the ACTIVITY 1 Questions in your Classwork document //

__** Activity 2 - Whose Job is it Anyway? **__

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">**BACKGROUND:** There are two men running for president of the United States: Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. But before you consider what they stand for, what do you think the job of government is? Each man has strong ideas about how to solve the problems our nation has. But they also have ideas about the job of the government itself.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">**DIRECTIONS:** Who should be responsible for fixing each of these problems? For each of the following issues, decide if it should be under the authority of the LOCAL, STATE or FEDERAL government, or, if you don’t think the government should get involved, put it in the NO GOVERNMENT column. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">//Type each problem under the appropriate column in your Classwork document//


 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">street repairs in front of your house
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">putting out fires
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">fighting wars against other countries
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">deciding on whether immigrants can enter the country
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">deciding what we learn in school
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">keeping our food safe
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">getting a license for your dog
 * 8) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">getting a license to drive a car
 * 9) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">making sure the shows on TV are appropriate
 * 10) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">punishing criminals

__** Activity 3 - Where do the Candidates Stand on Important Issues? **__

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">**BACKGROUND:** There are six major issues in this 2012 campaign:
 * ==== The Economy & Jobs ====
 * ==== Education ====
 * ==== Immigration ====
 * ==== Health Care ====
 * ==== National Security and Defense ====
 * ==== Energy and the Environment ====

Each candidate has their own point of view or position on each of these issues.

 * DIRECTIONS: **
 * Pick one Issue you'd like to focus on today.
 * Start with each candidate’s website and find out their official position on one of these issues. Type your findings in the appropriate column of your Classwork document
 * []
 * []


 * Using less ‘partisan’ sources (sources that belong to a political party), see if you can elaborate on (add more details to) these positions. Type your findings in the appropriate column of your classwork document.
 * []
 * []
 * []


 * __**FACT-CHECK!**__ Do you believe what the candidates say? Let's find out whether they ever misrepresent themselves by saying something that's not quite true. Check out the accuracy of their claims at the following links. //Complete the **Fact-Check** questions in your Classwork document//
 * [|Annenberg Political Fact Check] Non-partisan site offering reports and commentary on the accuracy of what is said by major political players in the media.
 * [|PolitiFact] Campaign fact checking by the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly.
 * [|Rhetorica] Analysis and commentary about the rhetoric, propaganda, and spin of journalism and politics.
 * [|SourceWatch] A wiki documenting the activities of public relations firms and professionals engaged in managing and manipulating public perception, opinion, and policy.
 * [|Snopes: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Politics] Urban legends circulating in rumors and e-mails.
 * []
 * []
 * http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker

__** ACTIVITY 4 - Reflection **__ **DIRECTIONS:** Now it's time to reflect on what you found out. Does this change how you will vote tomorrow? Complete the Reflection questions in your Classwork document.

Once you are finished, print your completed classwork and Turn it in to Ms. Ward-Bailey Don't forget to VOTE tomorrow!!!

__** MORE RESOURCES... **__

Encyclopedias & Almanacs
[|InfoPlease: U.S. Elections]

[|Wikipedia: Elections in the United States] Long article packed with information and links to more information.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">**Research Links: Broadcast News**
[|ABC News: Politics] and [|The Note]

[|BBC News: U.S. Elections 2012]

[|CBS News: Politics]

[|CNN: Politics]

[|C-SPAN: Politics]

[|Fox News: Election]

[|MSNBC: Politics]

[|NPR: Politics]

[|PBS]

[|Frontline: Government/Elections]

[|Online NewsHour: Politics]

**Issues**
[|About.com: U.S. Politics] Current news and analysis about election-related issues. [|Grist: Environmental News & Commentary: Politics] Environmental issues. [|Kaiser Family Foundation: Health Reform Source] Resources and information about health policy issues. [|E-Democracy] An organization that sponsors online "town halls" for communities. [|On the Issues] Non-partisan resource offering voters information on candidates' positions on issues. Information is gathered from newspapers, speeches, press releases, and the Internet. [|ProCon.org] The pros and cons on many issues. [|Vote-USA] Information on every public election including, primary elections, special elections, at the national, state, and local levels. Also guides to candidates' views on the issues.

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