| My fourth and fifth grade students at Fern Avenue School in Torrance were extremely interested in this year’s presidential election. As a class, we followed the campaigns, watched the debates, studied the responsibilities of the president, and so on. My class this year is an extremely outgoing group. So, in an effort to create a final project for the unit, I sought an assignment that would encompass different interests and the general desire to be in the spotlight. I decided upon an election night news show that would showcase all we had learned, as well as be timely to national events. Following an application process, I assigned the students to the various positions below, and they worked on the project in and out of class for two weeks. On November 7 at 6:30 pm, the students presented their newscast to an enthusiastic audience of approximately 80 friends and family members.
The final product included interviews with Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy discussing their views on current politics, a visit from Franklin D. Roosevelt who informed the audience of the presidential duties, and a video of students around the school giving their political views as filmed by our Fern Polling Committee. We also had analysts pick apart Bush and Gore TV commericals, stylists analyze their wardrobes, and reports on a variety of third party candidates. Our electoral map team gave a detailed explanation of the electoral process and voting patterns in the United States. Our anchors reported on the various campaigns, the various candidates involved, and the exchanges between Bush and Gore in the television debates. I was very pleased with how involved the students became with this project, and I would use a similar strategy again to cover other parts of the curriculum. The kids took this assignment and ran with it. It was a rewarding experience for us all.
Overview of Positions
Producers (2-4 people)
- Watch and analyze 3 episodes of TV news programs.
- Coordinate the planning of the entire show, and prepare the line-up.
- Plan room arrangement, decorations, and invitations.
Anchors (3-4 people)
- Watch and analyze 3 episodes of TV news programs.
- Host the TV news show. Introduce segments and present top stories.
- Write anchor scripts for the entire show, including one feature story.
Historical Analysts (3-4 people)
- Research 2 past presidents and their political views & decisions.
- Write a script in which the 2 past presidents are interviewed by modern day interviewers.
- Prepare costumes for presidents.
Issue Analysts (1-3 people)
- Research the 2 sides of the political issue you choose.
- Present an overview of the political issue showing both sides.
- Create a poster or display to strengthen your presentation.
Presidential Report (1-2 people)
- Research what the constitution states as requirements for the president and what the president does in office.
- Dress as Bill Clinton and describe the duties of the president.
Electoral Map Team (1-2 people)
- Research the electoral map and the electoral process.
- Write a presentation in which you explain how the electoral process works, which states are strongly Democrat or Republican, and which states are most likely to influence this election.
- Construct a map of the United States denoting the electoral votes.
Gore Family Report (2-3 people)
- Research Al Gore’s life.
- Create costumes for the Gore family.
- Dress up as the Gore family and describe Gore’s childhood, college years, and working years.
Bush Family Report (2-3 people)
- Research George Bush’s life.
- Create costumes for the Bush family.
- Dress up as the Bush family and describe Bush’s childhood, college years, and working years.
Third Party Candidate Report (1-4 people)
- Research third party candidates and their parties.
- Present information on third party candidates and why they are not featured in media coverage of the election.
Fern Polling Committee (2-4 people)
- Take a poll of students on their political views and preferences.
- Videotape and present student opinions. (Someone in this group needs a video camera that they can bring to school.)
- Create charts to display the results of your poll.
- On November 7, host an election in our classroom.
Stylists (2-3 people)
- Record TV segments of Bush and Gore on the campaign trail.
- Read articles analyzing their clothing choices and the reasons for those choices. Find out who chooses their wardrobe.
- Give a presentation explaining the different fashion choices of the candidates and the reasons behind them.
- Create posters to strengthen your presentation.
Commercial Analysts - Candidates (2-3 people)
- Record the TV commercials of Bush and Gore.
- Present an analysis of their similarities and differences along with motivation for the types of commercials.
- Create a chart to strengthen your presentation.
Commergcial Analysts - Proposition 38 (2-3 people)
- Record the TV commercials for and against school vouchers.
- Present an analysis of their similarities and differences along with motivation for the types of commercials.
- Create a chart to strengthen your presentation.
Kristy Cooper teaches 4th and 5th grade at Fern Avenue Elementary School in Torrance.
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