DESTINATION:INAUGURATION2016-2017AmericanGovernmentPBLEntryPacketforInterestGroups

DrivingQuestion:WhatcanyoudotobepartoftheprocessofelectingthepresidentoftheUnitedStates?Explanation:Electionsareessentialtoourrepresentativedemocracy.Studentswillunderstandhowpeoplewhoareelectedintopowerfulpositioninoursocietygettothosepositions.HabitsofMind:Certainbehaviorsareindicativeoftheefficient,effectiveproblemsolver.Habitsofmindareimportantcharacteristicsthatyouneedtohavetobecomeeffectivethinkers.Duringthisprojectwewillbefocusingonthinkinginterdependently.Goodproblemsolversrealizethatallofustogetheraremorepowerful,intellectuallyandphysically,thananyoneindividual.Problemsolvinghasbecomesocomplexthatnoonehasaccesstoallthedataneededtomakecriticaldecisions.Noonepersoncanconsiderasmanyalternativesasseveralpeoplecan.

EastTechTenets:• ContentKnowledge

o TheElectionProcess• Technology

o Research,campaignoptions• WrittenCommunication

o TaskList,positionpapers,portfolioproposals

• ProblemSolvingo Workingtogethertocreatefinalproduct–studentsmustdecidewhowilldowhat,andhowto

EVENLYdistributethework.• Collaboration

o Studentswillworktogethertocompletefinalproductsandcompeteintheelectionprocess.• PresentationSkills

o Studentswilldeliverspeechesandparticipateindebates.MainTopicsforthisElection:

• Immigration• IncomeTax• Abortion• SexualOrientation• Poverty• Defense• CivilRights• DeathPenalty• HealthCare• Guns

StudentRoles:

• InterestGroupso InterestGroupRepresentative

§ Eachinterestgroupwillbemadeupofoneortwostudents.EachInterestGroupwillselectanissuetodevelopaposition.Ifgroupsnaturallywanttosplitintotwoseparateinterestgroupsduetodifferenceofopinionitwillbeallowed.

§ Eachgroupwillberesponsibleforsubmittingoneportionoftheclasses’InterestGroupPortfolio.Eachgroup’ssectionwillinclude,PositionArticle,AwarenessProducts,Questions,EvaluationArticles,andaCoalitionReport.

ProjectDescriptions:• Contract

o Studentswillcollaborativelywriteagroupcontractthatallmembersagreeupon.Thiscontractwillbeapprovedbytheteacherandusedwhenconsideringgradingindividualandgroupportionsoftheproject.

§ Allcontractsmustinclude• Contactinfo• Specificconsequences• Processforhowconsequenceswillbegiven

o Groupmustphysicallydocumentandkeepteacherinformed• Mustbetyped

o Oneperinterestgroup.

• TaskList/PortfolioProposalo Studentsmaywanttolookatrequirementsforportfoliobeforewritingtheirportfolioproposal.o PortfolioProposalSectionDescription:

§ PositionArticle• Writeabriefoutlineshowingyourkeypointsregardingtheissue.

§ AwarenessProducts• Sketchouttwoproductsyouwillactuallycreateforthiscampaign.

§ Questions

• Eachgroupmustpreparetwomainquestionswithtwofollowupquestionsforbothcandidateforbothofthedebates.

• Actuallywritethequestionsyouwilluseinthedebates.§ EvaluationArticles

• Eachgroupmustwritetheirexpectationsfrombothcandidatesrelatingtotheirissue.

§ CoalitionReport• Youmustwritetheirexpectationsforhowtheyplantobuildacoalitionwith

bothoroneofthecandidatescampaignteams.• Getasmuchaccomplishedforyourissuesashumanlypossible• Hint:Findcommonground

• Portfolio

o Studentswillcompletea300pointportfolioshowinghowtheyrantheircampaign.ItincludesallsectionsdescribedintheTaskList/PortfolioProposal:

o OverallRequirements§ Allsectionsmustbetyped§ Mustdoublespaced§ Use12pointfont§ Selectonlyonestyleoffont§ Eachdocumentmustincludeatitleatthetopofthepage(maybelargerandbold,

shouldbeuniformforentireportfolio)o Eachinterestgroupwillhaveonesectionoftheportfolio.o Studentswillcompleteaportfolioshowinghowtheyattemptedorsuccessfullytriedtocontrol

componentsofthecandidate(s)inthecampaign.§ PositionArticle

• Atwohundredwordessay(minimum)describingtheirstanceontheissue.• Mustincludein-textcitationsandonesource

§ AwarenessProducts• Theyshouldcreatetwoproductstheattempttoinfluencethepublicinto

agreeingwiththeirstanceontheissueathand.(Thesecanbecarriedaroundduringelectionday)

• Althoughyouwillactuallycreatethemyoushouldhaveapicturesorprofessionalsketchesinthissectionoftheportfolio.

o Eachsketchandpictureshouldhaveadescriptionwrittenaboutit§ Questions

• Eachgroupmustpreparetwomainquestionswithtwofollowupquestionsforbothcandidatesforbothofthedebates.

§ EvaluationArticles• Eachgroupmustwriteanevaluationarticleof150-200wordsforthecaucus

andeachofthedebates.o Eachevaluationshouldbewrittenasanindividualdocument

• Areyouhappywithhowyourissuewasdiscussedduringtheelection?• Hint:Makesureyourtopicisdiscussedinthedebate

§ CoalitionReport• Youmustwriteareportshowingthedealingswithcandidatesthatinclude

contractdeals,andmoneyexchanged.• Areyouhappywithhowthecoalitionhighlightedyourissue?

• ClassroomElectiono StudentswilllearnabouttheElectoralCollegebyvotingforthenextpresidentoftheUnited

States(thispersonwillbethepresidentinafuturePBL).Everystudentwillhavetheoptiontovote.

• LectureHall(ElectionSimulation)o Thetwopresidentialnomineesfromeachclassperiodwillrunagain,thistimeagainstthe

winnersfromtheotherAmericanGovernmentclassroomwinners.Theywillcompeteagaininacaucus,debate,andelection.Everystudentwillhavetheoptiontovote.

• StudentWorkEthico Studentswillevaluatetheirownteamsperformancethoughttheelectionprocess.

• SelfEvaluationo StudentswillevaluatetheirownperformanceforthisPBL.

• TeacherAssignedStudentWorkEthico TheteacherwillbeevaluatingyourworkethicthroughoutthePBL.o

• ProjectTimeline&DueDatesforthe2ndQuarter:

Date Assignment ValueA-Day:10/31B-Day:11/1

PoliticalSpectrumTestRollthediceforfuturecomponentsofPBL,ProjectIntro,DiscussIssues,Announce

A-Day:11/2B-Day:11/3

Speeches&Caucus&NationalConventionget$,Getentrypackets,getintogroups,getroughdraftnomineepackets

A-Day:11/4B-Day:11/7 CompleteContract&PortfolioProposal

A-Day:11/9B-Day:11/10

ConferencewithTeacherStudentsalsoreceiveUnit3MainIdeaPacket /150

A-Day:11/14B-Day:11/15

Lecture/DiscussionChapter5:PoliticalPartiesThenitisaworkday /50

A-Day:11/16B-Day:11/17

Lecture/DiscussionChapter6:VoterBehaviorThenitisaworkday /70

A-Day:11/18B-Day:11/28

Lecture/DiscussionChapter7:TheElectoralProcessThenitisaworkday /40

A-Day:11/29B-Day:11/30

ResearchDayinLibraryYouhavealotofworktodo!

A-Day:12/1B-Day:12/2

Lecture/DiscussionChapter8:MassMedia/PublicOpinionThenitisaworkday

/20

A-Day:12/5B-Day:12/6

PresidentialSpeech&VicePresidentialDebateThenitisaworkday

/25Attendance

Required

A-Day:12/7B-Day:12/8

Lecture/DiscussionChapter9:InterestGroupsThenitisaworkday /20

A-Day:12/9B-Day:12/12

ResearchDayinLibraryYouhavealotofworktodo!

A-Day:12/13B-Day:12/14

PresidentialDebateThenitisaworkday

/25Attendance

Required

A-Day:12/15B-Day:12/16

ResearchDayinLibraryYouhavealotofworktodo!

A-Day:1/3B-Day:1/4

ClassroomElectionElectoralCollege

/25Attendance

Required

A-Day:1/5B-Day:1/6

TakeUnit3TestPortfoliosareduetomorrow!!! /40

A-Day:1/9B-Day:1/10

Portfolioisdue!(Youmaynotturninanyofitlate)Teacherexplainshownextclasswillwork,finalteammeetings /300

A-Day:1/11B-Day:1/12

LectureHall:NevadaPresidentialElectionSimulationEachGovernmentclasspresidentialnomineescompeteagainsteachother

/100Attendance

RequiredUNTIL

SEMESTERENDSON1/20

Review&SemesterExams&ProjectDebriefStudentWorkEthicPoints,StudentSelfReflection(Wefollowexamscheduleinplanner) /100

TOTALPOINTS /965

*Datesaresubjecttochangeattheteacher’sdiscretion.