| Teaching
Guide
So You
Want To Be President?
produced by
Sandra
Rhodes
Web Institute for Teachers, Summer, 2004
Menu
Introduction
Aim
Rationale
Goals
and Objectives
Audience
Prerequisites
Subject-Matter
Instructional Plan
Materials
Assessment and Evaluation
Implementation Guide
Resources
Glossary
Introduction
This lesson is about the United States Presidential Election process,
and choosing a candidate to support.
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Aim
The aim of this lesson is for elementary school students
to understand an election process, and to evaluate information
available on current election issues.
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Rationale
Through the study of the election process used in
the United States, and viewing materials stating candidates' positions,
students will develop the skills and knowledge that they need to be
contributing citizens in the future.
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Goals and Objectives
Social Studies - State Goal 14:
Understand political systems, with an emphasis on the United
States. The students will summarize and generalize
information. The students will apply this knowledge .
English Language Arts-State Goal 1:
Read with understanding and fluency. Students will read
and clarify the meanings of unfamiliar words using context and
various resources. The students will apply knowledge to
summarize and generalize information. The
students will make and support inferences from a variety of
sources. Students will sequence viewpoints by rank. Students will produce two examples of propaganda.
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Audience
The intended audience is 4th and 5th grade students.
It could be adapted for use for students in grades 6-8.
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Prerequisites
Students should have a basic knowledge of how to operate
a computer, and how to search the Web.
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Subject-Matter
Social Studies: U.S. Government: Election
Process
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Instructional Plan
The students will research and read information about
the U.S. Presidential Election process. Then they will summarize
and generalize this information. The students will
demonstrate knowledge of vocabulary terms relating to elections. The
students will make and support inferences concerning the views of the
Presidential candidates. Students will use the
Similarities and Differences
sheet to do this. These viewpoints will be sequenced by rank, in
order of importance to themselves. The students will complete the
Ordering by Rank sheet to do this. Two examples of propaganda
involving the students' Presidential choice will be produced. Actual
election results will be reported on and discussed.
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Materials
Computer, printer, lined paper, pencil, highlighter,
construction paper, Similarities and Differences sheet, Ordering by Rank
sheet, poster board, art supplies, tape recorder, blank tapes, video
camera (optional), supplemental books, magazines.
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Assessment and
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated informally by teacher
observation, and amount of participation.
Students will be evaluated
formally on the number and quality of activities completed.
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Implementation Guide
In order to successfully complete this WebQuest, I will need to sign
up 2-3 weeks in advance for time on my school's Computer Lab
Schedule. The Computer Lab has at least 30 Internet-linked
computers, and I will need to use 4-7 of them each session.
My 4th and 5th Grade Reading Resource
students may not have much experience using the Internet for research
purposes. Before going into the Lab, I will go over the WebQuest
activities, plus my expectations for the project and also for their conduct.
The first time in the Lab, I will use the LCD projector to help students
find the site and navigate through it. I will seat less experienced
students next to someone more knowledgeable. I will also provide
handouts of how to perform basic computer functions (as needed).
Since my WebQuest deals with the 2004
Presidential Election, I will schedule computer time starting the
beginning of October, 2004. I will reserve time for 6-8 sessions of 30-45
minutes each, per class group. I will provide each student with a computer
disc on which to save information.
I will contact our district's Technology
Support Staff in advance to help me make sure my WebQuest runs properly.
I will ask them to be available to assist me with possible technological
problems, to help provide the Internet skills handouts, and to suggest
back-up sites and activities.
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Resources
1. Similarities and Differences, and Ordering by Rank sheets
reproduced from Graphic Templates for Structured Thinking Skills,
Volume 1
Copyright, 2003 Ventures Education Systems Corporation
2. Images are from Famous Clipart
www.wondersmith.com/clipart/license.htm
Glossary
Developed
by Janet Gray-McKennis based on previous versions created by Craig Cunningham,
Mecca Murphy, Nenette Luarca, Nicole Zumpano, and Linda Dernbach.
Last updated on May 10, 2003. |
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