Get ready to debate!

Introduction

LOCATION: Presidio Middle School - San Francisco, CA, USA. 
Political Debate Club - Weekly Assembly

CLUB PRESIDENT: 

Hello and welcome to our weekly assembly. I hope you're all doing good and that you're not too tired because we have a lot on our plate this week! 

As you may know, some exchange students from Europe will be here next week. They will attend school and get the complete American experience. The headmaster has asked us all to give them a warm welcome but more especially, he has given us a special task. Here is a copy of his email. 

So, let's get ready to work! 

Task

CLUB PRESIDENT:

So, we will prepare informative posters to help educate our dear exchange students! 

They have to understand everything about American politics and the 2020 elections before they come and debate with us. I think we should divide the volunteers into groups. Then, each group will work on a different subject and prepare a poster with the most important information. How does that sound ? 

How many people are volunteering ? Let me count. 1, 2, 3... 27?

Perfect. Let's divide this in 12 groups of 2 and 1 group of 3. 

I have prepared the following topics, they're ranked according to difficulty: 1 is a normal topic, 2 a bit more difficult and 3 is for an expert level. But before we choose topics, let's brainstorm. 

Level   Subject
1   Joe Biden
1   Donald Trump
1   The Republican Party
1   The Democratic Party
1   The Constitution
2   The US Senate
2   The US Congress
2   What is an elector?
2/3   What are mid-term elections and why are them important?
2/3   Presidential debates
2/3   Issues that concerned the general public in the 2020 elections.
3   General vs Primary elections.
3   How does someone run for Presidency?

Use Tricider to brainstorm questions. You have 2 minutes to ask as many questions as you want. 

Choose a subject HERE and GET READY TO WORK! 

Process

RULES OF THE POLITICAL DEBATE CLUB: 

- Our common language is English, so speak it! 

- Only whisper when you do research so that every one can speak. 

- Work on politics or go join the Glee club! 

- Pay attention to the time: don't let yourself get caught up! That's the first rule of debate! 

 

Here are the questions that rose up in the brainstorm: 

Level Subject

Examples of important questions: 

You can use them or not to help you. 
1 Joe Biden

- Who is he (DOB, job, life details)

- Why did he want to be President? 

- Which Vice Candidate ? Which Party ?

- What does he want for America?
1 Donald Trump

- Who is he (DOB, job, life details)

- Why did he want to be President? 

- Which Vice Candidate ? Which Party ?

- What does he want for America?
1 The Republican Party

- What is the Republican Party ?

- Why is it important in America?

- What do Republicans believe in?
1 The Democratic Party

- What is the Democratic Party ?

- Why is it important in America?

- What do Democrats believe in?
1 The Constitution

- What is the Constitution about?

- Why is it important? 

- What does it say about the President?
2 The US Senate

- What is the US senate? 

- How does it work?
2 The US Congress

- What is the US senate? 

- How does it work?
2 What is an elector?

- What is an elector? 

- How are they elected?

- Why are electors important?
2/3 What are mid-term elections and why are them important?

- What are mid-term elections?

- Why are they important? 

- What do they represent?

- How are they organised?
2/3 Presidential debates

- What is a presidential debate? 

- Why are presidential debates important?

- How many presidential debates take place each election? 

- What is said in a presidential debate? 
2/3 Issues that concerned the general public in the 2020 elections.

- What subject were important for Americans? 

- Why? 
3 General vs Primary elections.

- What is the difference between the general election and the Primary elections? 

- How do the elections work ? How are they organised ?
3 How does someone run for Presidency?

- Can anyone run for Presidency ? 

- How does one become President?

- What needs to happen and when ? What is the process?

1/ Think about your subject ( 2 minutes)



- Tips to think:

What is important about your subject? What is important to you about your subject ? What do others need to know about your subject? 



2/ Look for information about your subject using the links provided to you (30') 

Note down important keywords and bits of information in your notebook. Answer your questions. 

Level Subject Useful links
1 Joe Biden
1 Donald Trump
1 The Republican Party

- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1353841/Kids-explains-differences-Republicans-Democrats.html

- https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Republican-Party/480446

- https://ballotpedia.org/Republican_Party
1 The Democratic Party

- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1353841/Kids-explains-differences-Republicans-Democrats.html

- https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Democratic-Party/480445

- https://ballotpedia.org/Democratic_Party
1 The Constitution

- https://www.coolkidfacts.com/us-constitution-facts/

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmwzK1Ba7v0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmwzK1Ba7v0

- https://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html
2 The US Senate

- https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_government/senate.php

- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLo-DFOAhts

- https://borgenproject.org/what-is-the-job-of-a-senator/
2 The US Congress

- https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_legislative_branch.php 

- https://walberg.house.gov/about/how-congress-works

- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv74iYjzh8M

 
2 What is an elector?

- https://www.usa.gov/election#item-36072

- Video in the NYT

- https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_government/electoral_college.php

- https://www.gallopade.com/client/electionsForKids/ElectoralCollege.html

- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI74UzQG2w0

 
2/3 What are mid-term elections and why are them important? - 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZy8CACTFOQ

- https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/935007d5-547d-439b-b1cb-702426e72550/why-midterm-elections-are-important-things-explained/#.YEWooi3pMWo

- https://globalnews.ca/news/4612531/us-midterm-elections-explainer/
2/3 Presidential debates

- https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/presidential-debates-explaining-them-to-kids/2012/09/27/47af1434-fea2-11e1-a31e-804fccb658f9_story.html

- https://gigglemagazine.com/presidential-and-vice-presidential-debates/

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_debates
2/3 Issues that concerned the general public in the 2020 elections.

- https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/08/13/important-issues-in-the-2020-election/

- https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2016/06/22/5-views-of-parties-positions-on-issues-ideologies/

- https://www.speakeasy-news.com/u-s-elections-the-year-of-the-unknowns/?…;
3 General vs Primary elections. - 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjnUSe2IDuk

- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOSCf2mBI3s

 

- https://study.com/academy/lesson/primary-election-versus-general-election-definition-differences.html

- http://socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/government/presidentialprimaries1.htm
3 How does someone run for Presidency?What is the process ?

- https://app-usa-modeast-prod-a01239f-ecas.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf6099%20%2…

- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48726642

- https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/presidential-election-process/requirements-for-the-president-of-the-united-states/

- 

 

3/ Take all your information and organize it. (10')

You can write, sketch, make a mindmap... just get ready to prepare your poster!  

You can make full sentences but you can also use bullet points for precise examples. 

4/ Use Canva to create your panel/poster. You can also decide to draw it by hand and scan it. It's up to you!

Save it as a PDF.

You can find the HOW-TO PDF in 'Communications'. Use the login you were given at the beginning of the class. 

 

5/ Upload your work on the collaborative wall. 

https://padlet.com/jgierervoynetbuffon/letsvote 

Password: vote

6/ You are almost done! Now, get ready to proof-read other people's work!