Topic outline

  • Welcome!

  • 1. First Impressions of Your State & Who Would You Vote for? 

    • Discuss your ideas with your classmates (and potential American partners) in the Forum: First Assumptions.
    • Keep your ideas, impressions and hypotheses in mind while working on the project. You can take notes and document your work in the Project Journal.

      Refine your ideas gradually. At the end of this project, your task will be to make an informed prediction about how your state will vote on Election Day.


    • After submitting your answers, you will see a personalized result that indicates where you stand on the political spectrum and which candidate aligns most closely with your views. Fill in this anonymous poll to see who your class would vote for. 

      Finally, in small groups discuss …

        • your class result
        • striking statements: choose three statements (e.g. “…”) that were most striking to you. 
        • the tool: is the quiz an appropriate tool for deciding who you should vote for? (appropriate to decide who you should vote for)

      Of course you do not have to share your individual results. 


  • 2. The Candidates 

    Elefant and Donkey

    chayka1270 / pixabay

    • 🕵️‍♀️ Task 2 SWOT Analysis

      In this task, you and your classmates will take on the role of campaign managers for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. Your goal is to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the opposing candidate. 

      Imagine working side-by-side with Donald Trump or Kamala Harris...

      As their campaign manager, your job is to ensure their success in the upcoming election. You’ll make key decisions and guide the campaign’s direction. Analyzing the opponent's strengths and weaknesses is crucial. Think creatively and strategically about how to position your candidate for victory. Be thorough, professional, and respectful in your approach.

      Good luck, and may the best candidate win!

      This is what you need to do:

      1. Research: Gather information about the opposing candidate from various sources, including their campaign speeches, public appearances, media coverage, and voter sentiment.
      2. SWOT Analysis: Use the provided worksheet to analyze the opposing candidate's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Consider their background, policies, public image, and campaign strategy. 
      3. Presentation: Present your SWOT analysis to the class in a creative and engaging manner. Highlight key insights and strategic recommendations for your candidate's campaign.
      4. Discussion: Participate in a class discussion where each group shares their findings and strategies. Reflect on how understanding the opposing candidate's strengths and weaknesses can shape campaign decisions.


      📝 Individual Writing Task: Write a short text in which you reflect on the importance of strategic planning in political campaigns and the role of a campaign manager in shaping election outcomes. Explain how the SWOT analysis helped you understand the dynamics of the campaign and the competition.

  • 3. The Electoral System 

    grafic of US Election System

    Discover the full version of this captivating graphic, available for download here. To dive deeper into its fascinating details, we highly recommend watching the accompanying video explanation on YouTube

    • 🎥👀Task 3.1 Electing a US President

      In this task, you will learn about the election system in the United States through an interactive video and a partner activity. Follow the steps below to complete the assignment.

      1. Watch the video for an introduction to the electoral system of the United States of America.  
      2. As you watch, you will be asked questions and given a few tasks to complete. Take notes during the video to help you answer these questions. 
      🛟 You can adjust the speed of the video, pause it at any time, and of course you can always go back and review the information if needed. 
  • 4. The Campaign Issues 

    Grafic of people with puzzle and a question mark between them

    Source: webtechexperts/pixabay.com

    • 🇺🇸 Task 4.1 The Campaign Issues and Where the Candidates Stand

      In this activity, you will explore the key issues in the 2024 election and understand the stances of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on these topics. By researching and discussing these issues, you'll gain insights into the major concerns of American voters and how the candidates plan to address them.

  • 5. The US Elections and the Media 

    Grafic: with people and different Devices

    Source: WebTechExperts / Pixabay

    • 🎥👀 Task 5.1.1 Watching Old Campaign Ads
      • Watch the campaign ad videos above (about 5 min. in total). 
      • Based on these examples, what do you think makes a good campaign ad? Take detailed notes. 
      • Select one commercial you find particularly compelling to focus on in more detail. Watch it again and take notes on why you think it is effective.
    • 🤖 Task 5.2.1 What a Robocall with Former President Biden's AI-generated Voice Could Mean for the 2024 Election

      Imagine AI not just predicting election results, but also swaying who wins and loses. In the following task, you will listen to a radio interview with Miles Parker on NPR about how robocalls could influence the US election 2024. 

    • 🎥👀 Task 5.3.1 How Do Internet Memes Shape Our Politics?

      The following video addresses internet memes created and shared by candidates and voters in previous elections. 

      1. Watch the video learn more about memes and their impact on politics.  
      2. Throughout the video, interactive questions will pop up. These questions are designed to help you reflect on the key points discussed in the video. Take notes during the video to help you answer the questions.
      🛟 You can adjust the speed of the video, pause it at any time, and of course you can always go back and review the information if needed. 


  • 6. Predicting the Outcome of the Election in Your Adopted State 

    grafic: vote america

    Source: pixabay

    • Here you will find all the important information about the Student Competition. 

      IMPORTANT: You will also find the criteria for your product in this document. Please read it carefully. 

  • 📝 Election Lingo and Course Forum