Course: old_Demo US Election 2020

Topic outline

Welcome!

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U.S. Election Project 2020

Will our state go red or blue?

Course Forum

Election Lingo

Learner Texts

Project Journal
- This preview course is not connected to the Virtual Town Hall. To view the teaching notes for this course, you must be logged in. To use this course as an online course with your students, please request your own Moodle course copy. (Last course update: 2020-07-07)
- 'How to' videos, U.S. Election Project H5P
- TEACHING NOTES: U.S. Election Project Book
Introduction
- This course section introduces you to the U.S. Embassy School Election Project and your adopted U.S. state. In the next weeks, you will become a 'virtual citizen' of one U.S. state, an expert on its population, and predict how it is going to vote on Election Day.
- General Contents
- Announcements Forum
  
  General announcements for this course. Only teachers can post here. Posts are automatically forwarded to all students via email.
- SWAY: Course tutorial URL
  
  A slideshow introduction to this Moodle course.
- Getting Started
  
  Get a first impression of your adopted U.S. state and make a first prediction how it's going to vote.
- ★ TASK: Explore Your State Assignment
- TASK: Who Would You Vote For? Assignment
- POLL: Me, My State, and the Candidates Feedback
- FORUM: First Assumptions
- WARM UP: Political Vocabulary Word Search H5P
1. The Electoral System
- Section 1 introduces you to the electoral system of the U.S. Learn how the President of the U.S. is elected, what happens during the individual phases of the election campaign, and why it is necessary to focus on the individual states.
- The Electoral System—Basics
  
  Learn from a video and a viewing guide how the U.S. President is elected.
- ★ TASK: Electing the U.S. President Assignment
- Electing a US President in Plain English: Interactive Video with Comprehension Questions H5P
- Does Your Vote Count? The Electoral College Explained: Interactive Video with Comprehension Questions H5P
- The Electoral System—Step by Step
  
  Form expert groups and explore the individual phases of the election campaign in more detail.
- TASK: The Electoral System – Step by Step Assignment
- CHOICE: Electoral System Expert Groups
- QUIZ: The Electoral System
- QUIZ: Electing a U.S. President URL
  
  Take a quiz on the U.S. electoral system and compete against your classmates. One person (a classmate or your teacher) must set up the quiz and share the quiz code with the class. A registration is not required.
- Self-Reflection: "The Electoral College" H5P
2. The Candidates
- Section 2 is about the two candidates, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump. Learn about their biographical background, their public personas, and their perception by the American public. This includes different text types: political advertisements, campaign websites and social media, and political cartoons.
- Meet the Candidates
  
  Get to know the Republican and Democratic candidates for President of the U.S. - who they are and where they come from - and prepare a role play of their 'character whitnesses'.
- ★ TASK: Meet the Candidates Assignment
- Campaign Ads
  
  Understand how the candidates want to be seen by the public by analyzing their campaign advertisements.
- TASK: Campaign Ads Assignment
- TASK: The Candidates' Secret Playbook Assignment
- Understanding Political Cartoons
  
  Learn how the public and the media see the candidates by analyzing their depiction in political cartoons.
- TASK: What Are Political Cartoons? Assignment
- TASK: Writing a Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment
- GALLERY: Political Cartoons of the 2020 Campaign Glossary
- TASK: Working with Political Cartoons Creatively Assignment
3. The Campaign Issues
- Section 3 explores the topics and issues that American voters will be discussing this fall. This includes getting an overview of the 2020 campaign issues, researching select issues in more detail, and finding out where the candidates stand on these issues.
- The Campaign Issues
  
  Review the issues that might decide the election outcome and what the candidates say about them by conducting an online research and producing an 'issues chart'.
- ★ TASK: The Campaign Issues and Where the Candidates Stand Assignment
- TASK: Biden's and Trump’s Campaign Managers on the Ground Assignment
- TASK: Reaction to the Campaign Issues Assignment
4. The Election In Our State
- Section 4 is the most important section of the project: Here you will return to the focus on your adopted state, get to know its history, culture, population, and local news media. Is your state going to turn red or blue? Make a well-researched prediction and participate in the school competition.
- Predict Your State's Vote
  
  Dive into your adopted state - it's culture, voting history, political discourse, population statistics, economy, local media, and much more - to predict its vote on Election Day.
- ★ TASK: Predict the Election Outcome Assignment
- Participate in the Student Competition
  
  Make a prediction of your state's election outcome and create a well-researched and creative outcome to enter the nationwide school competition of the U.S. Embassy School Election Project 2020.
- TASK: Participate in the Student Competition Assignment
- The competition deadline is Sunday, October 25, 2020, at midnight (Central European Time).
- FILES: State fact sheets Folder
  
  Download your state fact sheet from here.
5. Tips and tools
Transatlantic collaboration
- FORUM: Teacher to Teacher
- Telecollaboration Manual: A Teachers' Guide (PDF) File
  
  Uploaded 15/07/20, 12:04
- Telecollaboration Manual: A Teachers' Guide File
  
  Uploaded 15/07/20, 12:03
- 1. Information exchange tasks
  
  Tasks in this category are intended for the first phase of your virtual exchange. These activities will help your students get to know each other, including their peers schools, home towns and states, and develop rapport and trust between both sides.
- TASK: Hi, my name is... Glossary
- TASK: What's it like in your town? Glossary
- WORD SEARCH: False Friends in German/English H5P
- PHOTO FLASHCARDS: Where is that celebrity from? H5P
- Record a Soundscape Assignment
- Impressions at school, home, and in the community Glossary
- 2. Comparison and analysis tasks
  
  Tasks in this category engage learners in going one step further and carrying out comparisons or analyses of cultural products from both cultures and exploring differences, similarities, and below-the-surface information about both sides.
- LESSON PLAN: American and German Cultural Differences URL
- A Deeper Look at How Corona Changed Our Community Assignment
- Fake News Manual: How to Avoid it, Recognise it, and Deal with it Assignment
- 3. Collaborative tasks
  
  Tasks in this category ask learners to work together to produce a joint product or conclusion, such as the prediction of the election outcome. These tasks involve a great deal of coordination and planning but also bring about substantial amounts of negotiation of meaning both on linguistic and cultural levels as learners strive to reach agreement on their final product.
- Assessment and reflection
  
  Activities and resources in this section provide some useful ideas for engaging your students in reflection about their virtual exchange and possible ways of including assessment in this teaching unit.

Topic outline

Welcome!

U.S. Election Project 2020

Will our state go red or blue?

Course Forum

Election Lingo

Learner Texts

Project Journal

Introduction

General Contents

Getting Started

1. The Electoral System

The Electoral System—Basics

The Electoral System—Step by Step

2. The Candidates

Meet the Candidates

Campaign Ads

Understanding Political Cartoons

3. The Campaign Issues

The Campaign Issues

4. The Election In Our State

Predict Your State's Vote

Participate in the Student Competition

5. Tips and tools

Transatlantic collaboration

1. Information exchange tasks

2. Comparison and analysis tasks

3. Collaborative tasks

Assessment and reflection