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The Mini Page — 2008 Activities
Election Day 2008
Issue 43
Oct. 25-31
This week's standards:
- Students identify key ideals of the United States¹ democratic republican form of government. (Social
Studies: Civic Ideals and Practices)
- Students understand the ideas, principles and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic. (Social
Studies: Civics)
Activities:
1. Make election trading cards for your state. Cut out newspaper pictures of candidates for local and state offices. Paste each candidate¹s picture on the front of a 3-by-5-inch card. On the back, put an interesting fact about the candidate.
2. Collect news stories about the presidential and vice presidential candidates. Put your stories in a notebook. Underline sentences in the stories that show how the candidate feels about different issues. If there is a Senate race in your state, collect news stories about the people running for the Senate and put them in your notebook, too.
3. Read letters to the editor that show how people in your community feel about a presidential candidate.
Then divide a piece of paper into two columns. In the first column, write the reasons people say they support the candidate. In the second column, write the reasons people say they won't vote for the candidate.
4. Which of the major candidates (a) was born in a U.S. territory, (b) grew up in Hawaii, (c) is the governor of Alaska, and (d) represents Delaware in the Senate?
5. Use the Internet to learn more about the presidential candidates. Select an issue to analyze, such as health care or education. Go to each candidate¹s Web site. Examine the candidate¹s position on your issue. Write a paragraph comparing the candidates' positions on your issue.
Standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
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