TITLE: INVITING CANDIDATES TO CLASS AUTHOR: Ronald W. Ryckman; Meade High School, Meade, KS GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 9-12; Law Related OVERVIEW: Many students do not know their state legislators or the candidates running for office. They do not understand the power of being informed and the influence they can have on an election. PURPOSE: The purpose of having candidates speak is to show that politicians are people and that the students are old enough to decide who they want to represent them in the legislature. The best citizen is the best informed one. OBJECTIVE(s): As a result of having the candidate speak to our class, the students will: 1. Become more informed about the political process and their candidates position on the issues and learn more about the candidates personalities. 2. Carry on a more intelligent conversation with others about the candidates and the issues. 3. Understand more the power of the vote and why there are different views on some issues. 4. See that candidates are real people whom they can talk to. This should make it easier for students to write or call them to express a concern when a candidate gets elected. RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED: The candidate must be contacted to speak and must be told to have mostly question and answer time. Students need access to newspapers and registered voters sheets for the polling. ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES: 1. Before the candidates speak to the class, the students contact parents, friends, neighbors, other teachers, administrators, and staff for information about the candidates and/or issues. Students then compile a list of questions. 2. Students make an election notebook from newspaper clippings, magazines, and campaign literature. After the election, the students turn in the notebooks with the major issues written down, the results of the election, and their opinion as to why someone would vote for the candidates. 3. A student will video tape the candidate's 15-minute speech and 45- minute question and answer time. This tape is shown over the TV cable channel and a copy is given to each candidate. 4. Students volunteer to conduct a phone survey of registered voters in the county. The poll is done one night, the results tabulated and sent to the candidates, local newspapers, and the Republican and Democratic headquarters. 5. Students are encouraged to campaign for any candidate. It could be in the form of passing out literature or stuffing envelopes to conduct surveys. 6. Students tape TV ads and show them to class. They look for name calling, rumor mongering, loaded statements, guilt by association, catchwords, baiting, passing the blame, and evading real issues. They are asked what they learned about the candidate from the ad. How important was the setting and script? Was it aimed at a certain group? 7. Students run a mock election for the school and publicize the results. 8. Students encourage get-out-to-vote drive for eligible students. 9. We have an election night party at the teacher's house or school and call the election center for local results. TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: 1. Elections can be a fun exciting process, so let's all get involved and have some fun. 2. The students write why they thought each candidate won. 3. What are some reasons for people not voting and how valid are the reasons? What can be done to help encourage higher voter participation? 4. When we go to the state capitol, we meet and eat with our representatives. We discuss with them the issues and lobby our position on the issues.
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org