In
The Classroom
School-aged children watch an average of 4 hours of television a day.
Watch any commercial TV channel before an election, and we cannot
escape the barrage of election propaganda. These ads, interviews and
debates have been carefully orchestrated to influence us. How can
teachers help students wade through all this to become responsible
voters and empowered citizens? In a few years your students will be
of voting age. While the right to vote has become a given, and words
such as "Initiative" and "Proposition" are common terminology, many
voters do not stop and think about the impact election results will
have on their lives. We have specifically selected the following curricula
for their focus on election-related materials, many with a media literacy
focus, to critique and analyze election information.
"Bay
Window: Initiative On Trial"
Topically the program and its accompanying website address the following:
(National Standards cited)
What
are civic life, politics and government? NSS-C.9-12.1
NSS-C.9-12.5
How
can citizens take part in civic life. NSS-C.9-12.5
What
are the roles of a Citizen? NSS-C.K-4.5
How
does the American political system provide for choice opportunities
for participation. NSS-C.9-12.3
How
does the government established by the Constitution embody the purposes,
values, and principles of American democracy? NSS-C.9-12.3
NSS-C.K-4.3
What
is the place of law in the American constitutional system? NSS-C.9-12.3
How
does the contemporary United States function? NSS-USH.9-12.10
The
Program and Website are Suitable for Use In Courses Such As:
-
Civics - Student Government - Community Service - Service Learning
Teachers
Can Find the Following Resources On This Website
Pictorial
history of the initiative
How
to write your own initiative
Links
to Lessons On Media Literacy
Campaign
Ad Critique. Students analyze current campaign TV ads and literature.
They identify the ad by "type." They learn to look beyond the ad
to understand its intended purposes and its real content.
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2091.shtml
How
are candidates using political ads to present their messages? What
emotional buttons are they trying to push to influence you? Learn
what it takes to dissect an ad and be a savvy voter.
http://www.pbs.org/democracy/readbetweenthelines/index.html
Students
will view current political ads and learn how they make use of various
commercial ad appeals. Students will also develop familiarity with
basic videography terms. http://www.pbs.org/democracy/buildyourowncampaign/lesson_plan12.html
Students
explore the impact the news media have on shaping perceptions and
opinions in general and in their coverage of the presidential campaign.
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2106.shtml
For
an analysis of Spin Doctoring. http://www.pbs.org/democracy/buildyourowncampaign/whats_the_spin.html
Links
to Election-Related Lessons
Lesson
on importance of voting
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2087.shtml
How to run an school-wide election http://www.pbs.org/democracy/buildyourowncampaign/lesson_plan15.html
A
lesson about election-related words and terms
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2094.shtml
Lesson
plan on the important issues of a current campaign
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2093.shtml
Lesson
plan on a discussion/debate of the election process
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2092.shtml
Other
Election-Related Resources
Youth
E Vote
http://www.youthevote.net
PBS
Democracy Project
http://www.pbs.org/democracy
Education-world
- Civics and citizenship Center
http://www.education-world.com/soc_sci/civics/index.shtml
Airs
on KQED TV9 DT30
October 27, 2000 at 9:30pm
October 28, 2000 at 5:30pm
November 10, 2000 at 11:00am
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