UbD Template 2.0

Stage 1 Desired Results
ESTABLISHED GOALS
/ Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to…
Apply knowledge of political and social systems to participate actively as an informed citizen of a democracy and influence those around them to participate actively as well.
Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS
U1 – Specific individuals can have a profound impact on how a country is governed.
U2 – Voting is one of the many ways for citizens to engage in the political process.
U4 – Bias hinders objectivity in the political process.
U6 – Active political participation brings about change. / ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Q1 – Why does voting matter?
Q4 – How does the media influence elections?
Q6 – Should voting be required?
Acquisition
Students will know…
The candidates for president and Massachusetts senator and their stances on the issues.
The major issues of this election
The content and intent of the 3 ballot initiatives on the Massachusetts ballot in 2012.
How the electoral process works in the United States.
The role of political parties in elections.
The role of campaign advertisements and how to identify the bias in those advertisements.
Various methods for students to have their voice heard by their government.
Key Vocabulary: Citizen, Democracy, Candidate, Campaign, Electorate, Popular vote, Electoral College, Debate, Political Party, Democrat, Republican, Third Party / Students will be skilled at…
Analyzing primary and secondary documents for purpose, main idea and significance.
Evaluating passive and aggressive behaviors
Identifying and analyzing opposing points of view
Writing persuasively
Recognizing bias and mis-truths.
Recognize, define and use key vocabulary in context
Identify main idea and details
Determining cause and effect
Identifying sources as credible evidence
Stage 2 - Evidence
Evaluative Criteria / Assessment Evidence
Explanation
Interpretation
Application
Perspective
Empathy
Self-Knowledge
Social studies specific, technology / TRANSFER TASK(S):
Curriculum Embedded Performance Assessment – Stump Speech for a presidential candidate on one of the major issues of this presidential election.
Goal: Students will understand where both major presidential candidates stand on the major issues facing our nation today.
Role: Student will be playing a speechwriter to one of the two major presidential candidates and will be preparing that candidate to give a stump speech on assigned issue to a group of undecided voters.
Audience: The class will represent undecided voters who will determine who they support based upon each speech.
Situation: The students will be giving the speech as if they are the candidate. In doing so students must also take into account what their candidate’s opponent might say in response to their candidate’s viewpoint.
Performance: The speech will be given to the class in which he or she proves that his/her assigned point of view on the issue is the one that an undecided voter should agree with.
Resource: The candidates and the issues – www.insertinternetlinkhere.com
Students will be split into 9 groups of 2-4 depending on class size. Each of these groups will be assigned one of the nine issues from the internet resource accessible at the link above.
Students will review where both candidates stand on assigned. In these small groups students discuss both sides of the issues, both viewpoints, identify misconceptions, and identify things that surprise them. The within those groups students will choose the candidate for whom they’ll be writing a speech by picking out of a hat.
Every student must then write a stump speech in which they explain their candidate’s point of view and explain why their opponent is incorrect on his stance. Speeches should be 30 seconds – 1 minute long when read aloud.
Students present their stump speeches on their issues to the class. As the rest of the class listens they decide which viewpoint they personally agree with and keep track of each so as to have a scorecard to determine for whom they should vote in the 2012 Mock Election.
Participate in 2012 MHS Mock Election
Secondary/Ancillary Assessments:
Debate analysis and fact check.
Recognizing Bias in Media exercise/activity
Analysis of Campaign tactics and what is most successful
OTHER EVIDENCE:
Quiz on key terms
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction
Lesson Plans to include:
Lesson 1: The role of the citizen in democracy
Lesson 2: The candidates and the issues
Lesson 3: The media and how the public gets its information
Lesson 4: Analyzing debates and statements of candidates
Lesson 5: The electoral process and voting
Lesson 6: Preparing to vote and encouraging others to vote
Lessons 1 – The role of the citizen in democracy
·  Who has a voice in this country?
·  Which people have a say in how the country is run?
·  Contrast different forms of democracy and different forms of civic participation in a country’s government.
·  Define a citizen (Frayer Model)
·  What civic responsibilities do citizens have to their country? (example of civic responsibility – jury duty)
·  What civic responsibilities do citizens have to their fellow citizens?
Lesson 2 – The candidates and the issues
·  This lesson is well suited to go with the CEPA above.
·  Identify who are the candidates for President and where they stand on the issues
·  Identify candidates for US Senate and where they stand on the issues: http://www.youthleadership.net/central/lesson_plans/584?_yli_session=5679cc38417d2d4cd998394894fbcfb2
·  Identify and explore the issues surrounding the three ballot questions.
Lesson 3 – The media and how the public gets its information
·  Where do people get information about the world around them?
·  Review a political mailing, newspaper op-ed, political commercial -> evaluate the best sources of information
·  Read two news article on an event that occurs during the campaign process (For example Romney’s 47% comment, or Obama’s “You didn’t make it all on your own” comment). Select articles from two sources who have different biases (for example MSNBC and Fox News, or New York Times and Wall Street Journal). Identify differences between the two and discuss why there are differences in news reporting on the same event.
·  YLI Lesson on Campaign Advertisements - http://www.youthleadership.net/central/lesson_plans/385?_yli_session=5679cc38417d2d4cd998394894fbcfb2
Lesson 4 – Analyzing debates and statements of candidates
·  This lesson is based upon the following lesson provided by YLI: http://www.youthleadership.net/central/lesson_plans/389?_yli_session=5679cc38417d2d4cd998394894fbcfb2
·  Silly debate: which is better, Coke or Pepsi?
·  Students identify what makes a candidate seem stronger in a debate - is it factual truth or audience’s perception of the candidate?
·  Should there be a third choice that is allowed to participate in this debate?
·  Students read the following article and identify the four major parts of debating in politics: http://hurleyapusgopo.wikispaces.com/Debate+Lesson+Resources
·  Students can then watch re-runs of any previous presidential debate (can be found on youtube) to practice filling out the Debate Viewing Guide found here: http://hurleyapusgopo.wikispaces.com/Debate+Lesson+Resources
·  Watch the debate on October 24, 2012 and complete Debate Viewing Guide while watching.
·  Additional resources:
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/teaching-with-the-presidential-debates/
www.factcheck.org
Lesson 5 – The electoral process and voting
·  Should voting be mandatory? http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/11/07/should-voting-in-the-us-be-mandatory-14
·  Fill out voter registration forms
·  Why is winning states more important than winning highest number of votes in Presidential race?
·  What is a swing state? Why does New Hampshire matter more for Presidential elections when Massachusetts has far more people and electoral votes? What are the other swing states?
·  What happens if a presidential candidate gets more votes, but wins fewer states/electoral votes?
·  What problems can arise from improper ballot use?
Lesson 6 – Preparing to vote and encouraging others to vote
·  What does a ballot look like? How do you fill them out? Have photocopies of old ballots (Florida in 2000, Mass in 2008) and have students practice filling them out.
·  Florida ballot from 2000 Presidential Election: http://www.jimdobyns.com/images/ballot2.jpg
·  Massachusetts sample ballot from Malden, 2010: http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/57dd98565a6ce4f1f36658806b3174d0
·  Participate in school-wide mock election
·  Create an ad campaign (poster, website) that will encourage others to vote