Teaching the Elections - HNET

7/31/2019 Teaching the Elections - HNET

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http://www.hofstra.edu/Debate/index.html


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Debate 2012:

Teaching the 2012 Elections,an HNET Workshop

Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership

Hofstra University

October 1, 2012

Andrea S. Libresco


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What are the most important topicsto address when teaching

about the 2012 elections?How should we address them?

Content: Issues

Getting Elected & GoverningSkills:

Background information you have anopportunity to teach:

Principles guiding your instruction:

CHECK OUT SSYL
http://www.socialstudies.org/publications/ssylhttp://www.socialstudies.org/publications/ssyl


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Principles guiding your instruction

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, itexpects what never was and never will be.

-- Thomas Jefferson

We dont need more voters. We need moreinformedvoters. -- Dan Rather

To know is to care; to care is to act; to act is tomake a difference. -- Harry Chapin

A democracy is more than a form ofgovernment; it is primarily a mode of associatedliving, of conjoint communicated experience. -- John Dewey


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Principles guiding your instruction

In the 1956 presidential election, Adlai

Stevenson, former Governor of Illinois, was

running against President Dwight

Eisenhower, who had defeated him soundly

in 1952. At one gathering during the 56campaign, a woman rushed up to Stevenson

and said: Governor, this time you will

surely get the vote ofthinkingAmericans.

Stevenson responded: Thats not good

enough, Madam, Ill need a majority to win!


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What does meaningful instructionabout voting and elections look like

in primary classrooms?DOs

Conduct voting activities

that scaffold thinking: Different people havedifferent ideas.

My choice might not be

selected by the group, but I

abide by the outcome. Deliberation provides

knowledge before we make

a choice.

Future votes offer future

opportunities to campaignfor change.

DONTS Dontvote for actual

presidential candidates. Dontvote for favorite

flavor of ice cream.

Dontmake assumptions

about vocab knowledge(e.g., vote, majority,

most/least).

Dontallow children to

vote without giving a

rationale for their choice.


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in primary classrooms?Which block shape is best for building a tower up

to the ceiling?

Rectangular solid: Its big and you can stack itflat. Its larger and bigger. You could use it

for stairs.

Triangular solid: You can lay them on their

sides and go up. You can turn each one a

different way to make a design.

Cylinder: Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, as it crashed with

the third piece.


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in primary classrooms?

Votes are a kind of choice. Sometimes we

need to know more about something in

order to make a good choice.

"Tell, not yell."

Next time we can

When is the next vote?

Betty C. Mulrey, Ann T. Ackerman, and Patricia H. Howson


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Do you allow the candidates or themedia to set the issues agenda, or

do you research to decide whichissues are worthy of discussion?

Brainstorm issues; compare to news

Jobs and the Economy Health Care

Environment/Energy War in Afghanistan

Foreign Policy EducationImmigration Taxes/SocPrograms

Supreme Court justices National Debt

Poverty Income Inequality


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"What is the most important issue to youin deciding how you will vote for

president this year? (Conduct your own poll)(CBS/NYT 9/8-9/12, 1170 registered voters)

Economy and jobs 37%

Health care 11%

Budget deficit/National debt 4% The President/Barack Obama 4%

Education, Taxes 3% each

Abortion, Medicare/Medicaid 2% each

Women's issues, Misc. soc. iss. 2% each

Other 20%

Unsure 10%


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Are you able to avoid the horse race in

favor of thoughtful research anddiscussion of a few important issues?

Pairs research an issue: Pro/con

Fishbowl - Deliberative Discussion

Posing thoughtful questions

Using the Internet to locate information

Listening to other voices and other opinions

Trying on another persons viewpoint

Making deliberative and informed judgments

Forming an opinion and explaining it to others

orally and in writing
http://www.procon.org/http://www.procon.org/


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Is the media able to avoid the horse

race in favor of discussion of issues?

A study of local TV news by the Lear Center and theUniversity of Wisconsin found an alarming lack ofsubstantive policy coverage of the presidential election.

Monitoring 10,000 broadcasts from top-rated evening news

shows at 122 stations across the country for the sevenweeks before the 2004 election revealed that only 44percent had any campaign coverage of any kind. Of theshows that did cover elections, over half of the stories wereconfined to horse race and strategy pieces. In two thirds of

the stories, no candidate said a word, only the anchor or acommentator.

The average story was 89 seconds; within that 89 seconds,the average candidate sound bite was 12 seconds.(http://www.localnewsarchive.org/pdf/LCLNA110102.pdf)
http://www.localnewsarchive.org/pdf/LCLNA110102.pdfhttp://www.localnewsarchive.org/pdf/LCLNA110102.pdf


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Do students select candidates basedon their stands on issues?

Vote Chooser A 10-question quiz to find outwhich candidates views most closely match your own.

Vote Match QuizA 20-question quiz to find outwhich candidates views most closely match your own.

Candidate Match Game (USA Today) An 11-question quiz to find out which candidates views most

closely match your own. This quiz allows you to assign

a weight to each issue.
http://www.votechooser.com/http://www.votechooser.com/http://www.ontheissues.org/Quiz/Quiz2010.asp?quiz=Pres2012http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/candidate-match-gamehttp://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/candidate-match-gamehttp://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/candidate-match-gamehttp://www.ontheissues.org/Quiz/Quiz2010.asp?quiz=Pres2012http://www.votechooser.com/http://www.votechooser.com/


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Do students use a variety of sourcesto research candidates positions?

Candidates websites Romney Obama Green Party Jill Stein

News organizations websites

Party platforms websites Republicans Democrats

TFK

Debates
https://www.mittromney.com/donate/victory?cct_info=1|25219|7946991837|134331454|7668355054|b|25517383534|tc||g|||&cct_ver=3&cct_bk=romney&gclid=CP2uq5We4LICFcqj4Aod4jwAIAhttp://www.barackobama.com/?source=action-barhttp://www.jillstein.org/http://www.jillstein.org/http://www.jillstein.org/http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platformhttp://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platformhttp://www.timeforkids.com/news/understanding-issues/44461http://www.timeforkids.com/news/understanding-issues/44461http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platformhttp://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platformhttp://www.jillstein.org/http://www.jillstein.org/http://www.jillstein.org/http://www.jillstein.org/http://www.barackobama.com/?source=action-barhttps://www.mittromney.com/donate/victory?cct_info=1|25219|7946991837|134331454|7668355054|b|25517383534|tc||g|||&cct_ver=3&cct_bk=romney&gclid=CP2uq5We4LICFcqj4Aod4jwAIA


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Do students need help visualizingthe political spectrum?

Radicals Liberals Moderates Conservatives Reactionaries

Role of Government in Economics

------------------------

Role of Government in Social Issues


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Do students understandeconomics?

Economics is the power to choose

You fix the budget

What are your priorities?

What can Oreos tell us about priorities?
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.htmlhttp://nationalpriorities.org/en/interactive-data/trade-offs/http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/http://nationalpriorities.org/en/interactive-data/trade-offs/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html


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Do students approve of how theirparents taxes are allocated?

What do st dents need to


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What do students need to

engage in the election?

VOCAB: Brainstorm and post a list of vocabularythat students believe are connected to elections.Have different students define and illustrate thewords as they come up in research and discussion.

DOCS to PIQUE INTEREST: Use a current eventsdocument (political cartoon, letter to the editor,photo, op-ed essay, speech, graph, map, newsarticle, TV excerpt, political ad, comedy excerpt) atthe beginning of a lesson to raise questions.

CHALLENGES: Use two conflicting C.E. documentsto raise questions: Have one half of the class readone candidates claims, another half read anothercandidates claims, and have each side argue based

on what theyve read. Then switch articles, and seewhat students think. How can they find the truth?

H ill t d t fi d


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How will students find& understand the media?

Newspaper scavenger hunt Local, national, international news

Opinionseditorials, op-eds, letters, cartoons

Compelling photos

Polls Electoral maps

Read about the same event in a news article and inan editorial what are the differences?

Find 3 different types of pieces in the news thataddress the same issue.

TV news programs Which programs cover nationalelection news?

What information would you like to see that is largely

missing from the news?


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How can students analyze the media?

Compare coverage of the campaign headlines,amount of space given, level of factual information,nature of editorials, sources cited in the same timeframe. For newspapers, TV, or the Internet, youshould do a comparison the same day. Formagazines, the same week. Be sure to examine atleast 4 sources in the same medium. Present yourfindings to the class.

Display a variety of election data on an interactive

bulletin board, inviting students to respond withother data that supports or refutes claims.

Compare what you think of as the five mostimportant issues in the world today to those in the

newspapers over a week; assess their coverage.


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What is/was going on in Political Ads -Then and Now?

Use the stellar site, The Living Room Candidate, tosee what techniques were used in previous adsand whether they are used effectively today.

Great lesson plans (on language, film techniques,children in ads, evaluating information in 2012 ads,Internet ads, and how ads are produced) as wellfor HS teachers, but you can pick and choose for

elementary and middle.

(This is my favorite site!)
http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/


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How do you know if adsare accurate?

Check out a non-partisan site:

Factcheck.orgsponsored by the

Annenberg Center

Politifact.comsponsored by the Tampa

Bay Times
http://www.factcheck.org/http://www.politifact.com/http://www.politifact.com/http://www.factcheck.org/


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How much attention shouldwe pay to polls?

Swing state polls are the ones to checkNYT

Break down stats into different groupsGallup

And dont forget some quirky pollsinvolving Halloween masks, coffee cups,burrito bowls
http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/swing-state-pollshttp://www.gallup.com/poll/157799/obama-beats-romney-better-middle-income-americans.aspxhttp://www.npr.org/2012/09/17/161289850/6-quirky-tie-ins-to-the-2012-electionhttp://www.npr.org/2012/09/17/161289850/6-quirky-tie-ins-to-the-2012-electionhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/157799/obama-beats-romney-better-middle-income-americans.aspxhttp://elections.nytimes.com/2012/swing-state-polls


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What should be the role of the media?

Should the media repeat what both sides sayor investigate and report on the reliability ofeach campaigns statements?

Rob Corddry on the Daily Show

How fair and balanced are certain sources? Last week vs. This week at the end of the

Conventions on the Daily Show
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-23-2004/kerry-controversyhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/fri-september-7-2012/hope-and-change-2---last-week-this-weekhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/fri-september-7-2012/hope-and-change-2---last-week-this-weekhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/fri-september-7-2012/hope-and-change-2---last-week-this-weekhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/fri-september-7-2012/hope-and-change-2---last-week-this-weekhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-23-2004/kerry-controversyhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-23-2004/kerry-controversyhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-23-2004/kerry-controversyhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-23-2004/kerry-controversy


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What should be the role of the media?

JON STEWART:Heres what puzzles me most, Rob. John Kerrys record inVietnam is pretty much right there in the official records of the U.S. militaryand hasnt been disputed for 35 years.

ROB CORDDRY:Thats right, Jon, and thats certainly the spin youll behearing coming from the Kerry campaign over the next few days.

JS:Thats not a spin thing, thats a fact. Thats established.

RC: Exactly, Jon, and that established incontrovertible fact is one side ofthe story. JS: But isnt that the end of the story. I mean, youve seen the records,

havent you? Whats your opinion? RC: Im sorry, my opinion? I dont have opinions. Im a reporter, Jon, and

my job is to spend half the time repeating what one side says, and half thetime repeating the other. Little thing called objectivitymight want to look

it up some day. JS:Doesnt objectivity mean objectively weighing the evidence, and calling

out whats credible and what isnt? RC: Whoa-ho! Sounds like someone wants the media to act as a filter!

Listen buddy: not my job to stand between the people talking to me and thepeople listening to me.

Analyzing Political Cartoons


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Analyzing Political CartoonsWhat makes a cartoon effective?

Look through the newspaper and brainstormissues that you think a cartoonist might focus on,

about which people may have strong opinions.

Anticipate the people who might appear incartoons, find a photo of each person, and

determine which features of each person that

cartoonists might emphasize or caricature.

List symbols that might be depicted in cartoons

(e.g. America, peace, democracy, death, power,

justice, liberty, greed) and draw a picture to

represent each.

H h ld l


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How should we analyzePolitical Cartoons?

What do you see? Identify setting, people,symbols, words, action taking place

What does it mean? Connect what yousee to an issue in the news.

What is the cartoonists message aboutthe issue portrayed? Look for evidence inthe cartoon of how the cartoonist feels

about the issue.

What is your opinion? Do you agree ordisagree with the cartoonists position?

H h ld P li i l C ?


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How should we use Political Cartoons?

As DBQ prep: Students make up questions at differentlevels of Blooms taxonomy for cartoons, then exchange

with others and answer each others questions.As accountability for staying up on the news through

cartoons. Give weekly 10-minute cartoon quizzeswith a choice of 4 cartoons. Students must identify:

symbols

meaning refer to specific event cartoonists message give evidence from the cartoon

Have students draw political cartoons; their cartoonmay be on the quiz!

Come up with an issue that you care about. Decide what people and symbols you will use to address

the issue.

Create the setting for the cartoon.

Convey your opinion via drawing (expressions, size,

paradoxes) & captions


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Cartoon websites

Getting cartoons:

Cagle cartoons

Analyzing cartoons:

National Archives Sheets
http://www.cagle.com/http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/cartoon_analysis_worksheet.pdfhttp://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/cartoon_analysis_worksheet.pdfhttp://www.cagle.com/


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How to highlight the Voting Process?

Make a timeline of the election processfrom beginning to end illustrate it withpictures, political cartoons.

Collect articles about voter turnoutpredictions this year.

Collect articles about voter suppression.

Discuss whether convicted felons who haveserved their time should be reinstated to

the voter rolls.

Electoral College


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Electoral CollegeHow does it work?

Baseball analogy helps explain winner-take-all system (e.g.,you can score more runs overall in the playoffs [popular],but unless you win each game [electoral], you dont win the

overall series).

Most Runs Scored: Giants

Winner of the World Series: Angels

D

2002orld Series

GameOne

GameTwo

GameThree

GameFour

GameFive

GameSix

GameSeven

Total

AnaheimAngels

3 11 10 3 4 6 4 41

SFGiants

4 10 4 4 16 5 1 44


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Electoral CollegeHow has it worked in the past?

Check out and visualize historical results to

see how someone can get the highest

popular vote but not win the election

2000

1888

1876

1824
http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/


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Electoral CollegeWhy do Swing States matter?

Check out the NYT interactive map:

Number of electoral votes is based onpopulation.

Which states are swing states?

How can either candidate put together

a winning majority?
http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/electoral-maphttp://elections.nytimes.com/2012/electoral-map


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Electoral CollegeWhat to do the Day After?

On election night (and the next morning),make maps that illustrate the swing statesthat added up to victory.

Discuss:

Should the Electoral College be kept orabolished?

How likely a prospect is it that theElectoral College will be abolished?(Amendment process aint easy)


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How will you analyze the debates?

Avoid won/lost discussions in favor of issuesdiscussions: The Commission onPresidential Debates provides goodquestions.

What did you learn about the candidates orissues that you did not know prior to thedebate?

What topics or issues discussed in thedebates were most useful or informative?

Were there any issues raised that youconsidered irrelevant or unimportant?

What issues would you like to see discussedin subsequent debates?

How did you like the format?
http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=guide-to-hosting-a-debatewatchhttp://www.debates.org/index.php?page=guide-to-hosting-a-debatewatchhttp://www.debates.org/index.php?page=guide-to-hosting-a-debatewatchhttp://www.debates.org/index.php?page=guide-to-hosting-a-debatewatchhttp://www.debates.org/index.php?page=guide-to-hosting-a-debatewatchhttp://www.debates.org/index.php?page=guide-to-hosting-a-debatewatch


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How will you analyze the debates?

Assess reliability of information: What information do you think requires a

fact-check? Where can you go to assess the reliability of

information?

Assess leadership qualities: To what extent did the candidates exhibit

what you consider to be leadershipqualities?


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How will your students move beyond readingabout current events issues to actingon them?

Recommend certain sources to fellow students, tofamily members, to friends based on their accuracy.

Create your own op-ed pieces, cartoons and publishin or out of the school.

Write to candidates, legislators, newspapers, blogsabout your well-researched views.

Express your well-researched views in schoolforums.

Work for a candidate or cause based on yourresearch.


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Why dont election discussions

end when the election is over?

Analyze election results and statistics. Census data isamazing! Create graphs.

How was turnout compared to previous elections?

How did turnout vary according to race, class,gender, education, etc.?

For whom did various types of people (race, class,gender, region) vote?

Why do you think the candidates appealed to those

constituencies?
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2008/tables.htmlhttp://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2008/tables.html


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Why dont election discussions

end when the election is over?

Analyze the fairness and accuracy of election results.

Were there equitable numbers of voting machines inpopulous, poorer areas?

How long were the lines?

Any voter suppression issues?

Why should we analyze the


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Why should we analyze thepresidents first actions and

hold his feet to the fire?

Are the Cabinet appointments in keeping withcampaign promises?

Are the first acts in keeping with promises?(T-chart)

How does this presidents 1st hundred days(or 2ndterm) compare with other presidents[recent and the gold standard FDR] 1sthundred days (or 2nd terms)?

Background information you


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Background information youhave an opportunity to teach:

Democracy vs. dictatorship Parse democracy (the people rule).

Discuss the Thomas Paine quote, In the Old World, the

king is the law; in the New World, the law is king.

Discuss the social contract between rulers and ruledby examining Declaration of Independence language,consent of the governed, and right of rebellion.

Representative democracy Simulation Vote in your class to elect table leaders,

who will then vote represent their tables at a class

Congress.

B k d i f i


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3 branches of govt. - Checks & balances Simulation (holding a book with 1 pencil vs. 3

pencils) and Diagram

Look at newspaper headlines for examples ofeach branch exercising its powers

Be sure to discuss the role of the president in

appointing Supreme Court justices FOR LIFE, aswell as the age of the current justices.

Infer what qualities are needed in a presidentbased on the roles.

B k d i f i


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Civilian vs. military leadership

Photos of both

How to address President Washington

Your Highness? Your Excellency?General?

History of voting rights

Have different pairs of students read the

following timeline of voting rights inAmerican history to select what they thinkare the 8 most important advances invoting rights to research, illustrate, act

out, etc.

B k d i f ti
http://www.fairvote.org/righttovote/timeline.htmhttp://www.fairvote.org/righttovote/timeline.htm


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The (strategic?) location of all of the places theUnited States is militarily engaged

Have students play the interactive Middle East

map game during free time

Voting for legislation

Supermajority (60 votes) needed in Senate tostop a filibuster; effect on governance

How the U.S. goes to war

Read Art I, sec 8 Congress has power to declarewar Compare to Art II, sec 2 president shall beCommander in Chief of the Army/Navy of the

United States, and of Militia of the several States.
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/just_fun/games/mapgame.htmlhttp://www.rethinkingschools.org/just_fun/games/mapgame.htmlhttp://www.rethinkingschools.org/just_fun/games/mapgame.htmlhttp://www.rethinkingschools.org/just_fun/games/mapgame.html


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What skills did students employ?

Posing thoughtful questions Using the Internet to locate

information

Reading newspapers/magazines Assessing the accuracy of information

Distinguishing between fact and

opinion Categorizing information

Prioritizing information


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What skills did students employ?

Comparing and contrasting candidatesand parties positions, how different mediacover the same issues

Analyzing political cartoons

Analyzing and conducting polls

Forming an opinion

Being able to try on another viewpoint

Having a civil discussion Expressing a view orally & in writing

Making deliberative, informed judgments

Wh i lf d


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Why immerse yourself andyour students in the elections?

Youll still be teaching literacy and socialstudies and math, so you wont be missing

your Common Core curricular demands.

Just because you do not take an interest

in politics doesnt mean politics wont takean interest in you. -- Pericles

W k b


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Want to know about more programs

and resources like this?

Join HNET www.hofstra.edu/HNET subscribe

Our annual spring conference is March 2nd markyour calendars

Want to attend election programs at Hofstra?

Go to Hofstra homepage and click on Debate 2012,then Events.

Want more resources on elections and other primarysources?

Go to my website and click on web links:

http://people.hofstra.edu/andrea_s_libresco/

Democracy is not a
http://www.hofstra.edu/HNEThttp://people.hofstra.edu/andrea_s_libresco/http://people.hofstra.edu/andrea_s_libresco/http://www.hofstra.edu/HNET


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Democracy is not aspectator sport

Last day to register in New

York State is October 12th

To know is to care; to care isto act; to act is to make a

difference. -- Harry Chapin

Teaching the Elections - HNET

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