Election Webquest

Task

You will do a study of the election process, the candidates, and the issues and present your information to other students in the building.

Introduction

Americans are fortunate to live in a Democratic society. Because of democracy, we have the ability to express our opinions on issues and make choices when it comes to our country’s leadership. On November 2, 2004, adults all over our nation will go to the polls and vote for a candidate they think best represents the ideals and interests of the American people. The two leading candidates are John Kerry (Democrat) and current president George Bush (Republican). Although you are unable to vote in this election, your opinions and ideas as the youth of America are considered important and valuable in the eyes of the candidates and of your parents. It is also useful for you to understand the election process and know about the candidates and the issues so you can make educated decisions when trying to choose the best candidate to represent you. Therefore, we will do a study of the election process, the candidates, and the issues and present your information to other students in the building. After you present the information we will have a vote among the different classes in the building and determine who the Dennett students would select as the next president of the United States.

Process

Biographer: Generate at least ten questions to find the most important information about the presidential candidates’ life stories. Then, research each of the candidates to find the answers to your questions. Assignment: Write a short paper or create a trading card for each candidate.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/election_kidscover/

www.timeforkids.com/TFK/election04/candidates.html

http://kerry.senate.gov/

www.georgewbush.com/Bios/GeorgeWBush.aspx

Electoral Process Educator: Research how a candidate is elected to the presidential office. What are electoral votes? How many electoral votes does each state have? How does each individual vote count? Assignment: Create a step by step guide to the electoral process. Use media/ technology (cameras or the computer) or illustrations to show the different steps involved.

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/6-8/election/electoral.html

www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/

Elections: All About the Electoral College http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/sec/ele/elecoll/collidx.htm

The Electoral College—Federal Election Commission http://www.fec.gov/pages/ecmenu2.htm

Only the Issues: Your job is to research the issues and show where each candidate stands in regard to them. You will be sharing this information with other students. Consider your audience and focus on issues that directly effect children. You should choose at least three issues. Assignment: Create a chart or graphic organizer to show what each candidate thinks about the different issues.