President 2000 Web Assignment

Presidential Candidates
Designed by
Sharon Irby & Jay Thomas

Content Area and Grade Level

This lesson was developed for the middle school level but could easily be adapted for the high school level. In this lesson, students will examine the list presidential candidates choosing ONE candidate for their project. If the teacher chooses to take this lesson to the next level, students will then compare and contrast this candidate with a past president. Students will visit the sites listed below to gain information about the past presidents and the presidential candidates with a focus on: statistical information, platform issues, challenges, character traits, etc.

Curriculum Standards

Students will value the chance to research the candidates running for the office of president in the year, as well as, investigating he past presidents in US history. They should follow the suggested Internet sites to find appropriate information.

Social Studies Standards Addressed

SKILL IV: The learner will participate effectively in civic affairs.
Design and present an advertising campaign convincing citizens to vote.
Recognize the relationships among the various candidates and their platform.
Learn about the character traits, values, and beliefs of a political candidate.

Implementation Overview of lesson

This lesson will introduce students to the current list of presidential candidates, as well as, the past presidents of the US. At the Internet site: http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/links/preslink.html students should choose a candidate. Research on this candidate should involve:

List of Issues (candidate's platform)
State how this candidates stands on the PARTY issues
List past political history (experience)
Personal history (family background, career before running for president)
Character traits of this candidate
Educational background
Campaign slogan and campaign promises
Challenges at this point in the race for president
List any news worthy criticisms of this candidate
Write the candidate for information

Taking the lesson to the next level:

Have students make a comparison between this candidate and a past President of the US. (Compare and Contrast) http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/

Have students compare this candidate's character and philosophy with their own.

Have students write an essay entitled "If I Were President ..." Students identify current problems they would like to see resolved and explain possible ways they would go about correcting it. (Note: with parental permission, you might want to submit an outstanding student's writing to the local newspaper.)

Have students make a list of character traits they feel must be present in someone seeking the presidency. Discuss both positive and questionable actions the current president has taken which cause the students to assign or deny him the trails they listed.

Students should be creative with their presentation (written and oral). Desktop publishing, political campaign brochures, flyers, campaign buttons, slogans are some examples. Oral presentation should include some form of visual presentation (powerpoint, video, role-play, etc.)

Resources Needed

Computer lab with Internet access
Software available for word processing, presentation software available (i.e., Powerpoint), and desktop publishing
Color printer

Appropriate Websites for research information:

The American Presidential Links, Candidates for a Presidential Race, Political Parties, Commentary & News, Presidential History, Libraries & Parks
http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/links/preslink.html

Presidents in US history
(Full of facts and trivia about every President -- additional sites included)
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/
http://www.presidentsusa.net
This resource is full of interesting facts about every president in US history. Students click on the president of their choosing and then select from one of the many category links to learn more about specific areas of the presidents' lives. Also, included are highlighted Internet links to additional sites for those who wish to "dig deeper."

Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents
http://www.bartleby.com/124/index.html

The American President
http://www.grolier.com/presidents/preshome.html

Presidential Speeches
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/

More on "The American Presidents"
http://www.americanpresident.org/home6.htm

Presidential Libraries
http://www.nara.gov/nara/president/address.html

First Ladies' Libraries
http://www.firstladies.org/

Search Engines to use:

The History Channel
http://www.historychannel.com/

Yahoo
http://www.yahoo.com

Alta Vista
http://www.altavista.com/

Excite
http://www.excite.com

Yahooligans
http://www.yahooligans.com

Evaluation

Design a rubric.

Performance should be measured on the quality of the research (sites used should be listed), quality of the written document (desktop publishing with graphic imaging), oral presentation (supported with visual displays, i.e., posters, Powerpoint, video, etc.)

Possible Variations

Parts of this lesson can be eliminated if time does not permit the entire lesson. For example, this could be a unit only on the PAST presidents of the US (with students selecting one past president to focus on), or this could be a unit only on the current presidential candidates. This project could be done individually or in teams or 2 or 3.