Standard: 4. Civics: Analyze and practice rights, roles, and responsibilities of citizens

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1 Title of Lesson: Local Elections and Local Media Level: Middle level- 8 th grade Short Overview: Students will apply what they learned in Local Elections and Current Events when analyzing local elections through various forms of election media. Students are bombarded with election media whether it is in the form of TV ads, flyers, bumper stickers, lawn signs, telephone surveys/calls, etc. and will use this highly visual piece of local elections to analyze and identify local elections and issues. Length: One 60-minute class period (depending on the curriculum, this lesson can be extended to investigate and analyze multiple forms of election media). Standard: 4. Civics: Analyze and practice rights, roles, and responsibilities of citizens Evidence Outcome: d. Evaluate the result of various strategies for political change over time f. Examine ways citizens may effectively voice opinion, monitor government, and bring about change nationally Preparation: familiarity with advertising techniques, computer with internet hookup, several links of local political campaign ads, computer projector, speakers, field trip permission from administration and students guardians, copies for each student of the following handouts: Election Media and School Walking Tour. This list of campaign ad techniques may be helpful. Activities/Procedures: Warm-up (5-10 minutes): Have students answer the following questions: What was the last advertisement you saw? What was it advertising? Were you persuaded to buy the product or do whatever the advertisement was telling you to do? Why/Why not? o When students are finished answering the questions, facilitate a whole class discussion about the answers. Main activity (~45 minutes): Inform students they will be applying what they learned in local elections through current events to election media and begin a conversation about advertising, focusing on what advertising techniques work. (5-10 minutes) o Bandwagon mentality, sex appeal, facts, testimonial, etc. 1

2 Pass out handout Election Media organizer. Inform students they will be watching a few political campaign ads and will need to fill in the organizer for each one. The length of this activity and handout can be changed depending on the amount of campaign ads. (~15 minutes) School neighborhood walking tour/field trip: Inform students they will be taking a short field trip/walk around the school looking for examples of election media. These could be lawn or window signs, bumper stickers, etc. Students need to fill out the handout School Walking Tour. When you have returned, have students share their answers. (15-20 minutes) Closing activity (5 minutes): Have students complete this ticket to leave: Do you think positive or negative campaign ads are more effective? Why or why not? Possible extensions and homework: Have students walk around their neighborhood (with guardian permission) and record how many campaign lawn signs (have them write down the issues and candidates) they see. Then have students research and write up a short summary on each issue/candidate they see. Have students watch 30 minutes of T.V. and record how many ads they see on T.V. Have students write down what each ad is advertisingissue/candidate. Record whether the ad is positive or negative. Then have students research and write up a short summary on each issue/candidate they see. Students could design a campaign to increase voter turnout at local elections in your community. They could include written materials, posters, campaign slogans, ratio and/or T.V. ads, and any other devices you think might be helpful. They could present their project to the class, a public meeting, etc. Keywords: local elections, election media, issues, media, T.V., advertisements, campaign, neighborhood, middle level, eighth grade 2

3 Local Elections Through Election Media Handouts Election Media pg. 2-3 School Walking Tour pg. 4 3

4 Election Media Name: date: period: Ad #1 Ad #2 4

5 Ad #3 Ad #4 5

6 School Walking Tour Name: date: period: Fill in the chart below on our walking tour. Type of advertisement Ex. Lawn sign 1. What it is advertising (issue or candidate) John Smith (candidate) Positive or Negative? Neither; it just says Vote John Smith! Symbol or picture on the advertisement Box with a check through it