March 5, 2008...12:39 pm
Update by Lillian
Obama, Clinton, McCain and Huckabee. These are the names we have been hearing a lot lately in Windsor Seven. In social studies and language arts, we have been learning about the primaries, caucuses and debates that will determine who our party representatives will be for the 2008 presidential election. Learning about the election is important because it teaches us how our democratic process works. Some students went to the Democratic and Republican caucuses that took place last month. Students that went to these exciting events felt that they were more involved in the election process.
In social studies we have been keeping track of this exciting race with maps of the U.S. highlighting the states that the remaining candidates have won. We sure did have a lot to fill in on Super Tuesday! Now almost all of the states are filled in. We also researched the Democratic and Republican National Parties, the backgrounds of three candidates of each party, and the issues that are important to them. After we gathered this information, our study tables decided on a candidate that we would vote for as if we were delegates.
In language arts, we made our own political ads for the candidate of our choice using the propaganda techniques that we learned earlier in the trimester. They could be a poster, a slideshow, or a video. When we were making the ads there was a lot of talk of who we would vote for. Most of the students said that they would vote for, but some said that they were more on Clinton’s side, and virtually no one would vote for a Republican. The best three ads got a free reading journal pass. Lucky! The students voted on their favorite ads to determine the winners. Also, in language arts we read political cartoons to help us learn to find evidence of the artist’s opinion through color, the words, and symbols that they used. Many of the cartoons were about the election and the candidates in it.
As a result, the students of Windsor Seven have gotten more involved in the election, by spreading flyers, following the news and the debates, and having our own debates at the lunch tables amongst friends. These skills will come very helpful when we’re able to vote for who we think will be the best president when it comes our time to vote.
7 Comments
March 9, 2008 at 4:52 pm
We are doing a lot in Social Studies and Language Arts class that has to do with the election. This is one of the topics that really interests me. I haven’t chose a candidate that I want to be president yet because of everything that I learned from those two classes. I don’t what to think! I like some ideas from each candidate. Great article I would love to hear more updates from you.
~Drew
March 10, 2008 at 9:56 am
Great article Lilly! Did you know in the 1930’s when Franklin Delanor Roosevelt was running for reelection there was one of the first telephone polls, that said his opponent was winning. But since only the wealthy could afford phones, and the wealthy mainly vote Republican. Roosevelt won by a landslide.
March 10, 2008 at 10:48 am
Hi Lilly,
Your article got me thinking about the voting instinct and how it is linked so strongly to discussions among informed people. I have been wondering about something this last week and maybe you have an opinion. Do you think that TV shows, such as American Idol, that have a viewer voting element to them are helping to make Americans more interested in voting in public elections?
March 10, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Yes I do because there are alot of political ads during those types of shows and they sometimes discuss it too.
March 10, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Hi Lilly,
Great update! You did an excellent job capturing the election fever taking place in Windsor 7. After the primaries last week it looks like we will be following the “race for the presidency” for weeks to come. I liked Kate’s interesting fact so I found one for you to think about. Did you know that a political cartoon in 1879 by Thomas Nast was the first to show a donkey and an elephant as party symbols.
March 10, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I really liked Mrs. Leclair and Kates fun facts about the election. It seems like everyone that I ask wants a democrat to win. Is there a reason for that? I am really excited to see who finally wins the election. Even though John McCain won the republican party by a landslide it is a close one between Obama and Clinton. They are both neck and neck. We will have to wait until November! Keep making updates you write great articles!
March 14, 2008 at 9:34 am
I wanted to have a fact too. Grover Cleveland was the only president to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms.
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