WebQuest Title:

Uncle Sam Wants You…

Created by: Ginger Hoit, Jane Dailey, Deborah Rivera, and Mary Lenz

Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Teacher Page

Introduction

Uncle Sam Wants You…

§ To know all about the Presidential election process.

§ To be informed about the 2004 Presidential election.

§ To decide whom you would vote for in the next election/vote

Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Teacher Page

Task

1. You will create a power point presentation concerning the 2004 Presidential election.

2. You will list qualifications to vote in an election in the U.S.

3. You will list the qualifications needed to become President of the U.S.

4. You will list issues and platforms of the parties.

5. You will locate campaign editorial political cartoons and explain the issue being illustrated in each.

Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Teacher Page

Process

The class will be divided into five groups. Each group will be assigned a specific task related to the campaign process in the 2004 Presidential election. The group will research the topic using the listed resources and present the information in a power point slide show.

Group 1: “This is Your Life”

Your task will be to create a presentation about the qualifications needed to vote, the qualifications to become president, and the background of each candidate in the Republican Party, Democratic Party and a third party (eg. Libertarian)

Groups 2, 3, and 4: “On the Trail”

Each group will be assigned a different Political party to research. Your presentation will be about your party’s platforms. You must list and describe at least four campaign issues for your party and its stance on the issue.

Group 5: “A Funny Thing Happened”

You will locate campaign related editorial cartoons about the various platforms of the major party’s candidates. Your presentation will include the cartoon and a brief paragraph to explain the point being made by the cartoonist. You will include one cartoon for at least three different issues on each candidate.

Available Websites:

Ben’s “Guide to U.S. Government for Kids”

Terrific Websites Just for Middle School

“Welcome to the American Presidency”

USA Today

Mobile Press Register

Republicans

Greenparty.com

Democrats

Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Teacher Page

Evaluation

Power Point Presentation Rubric

	Beginner: 1 point	Novice: 2 Points	Intermediate: 3 points	Expert: 4 points	Self Evaluation	Teacher Evaluation
Topic/Content	Includes little essential information and one or two facts	Includes some essential information with few facts.	Includes essential information. Includes enough elaboration to give readers an understanding of the topic.	Covers topic completely and in depth. Encourages readers to know more.
Technical Requirements (To be filled in by teacher)	Presentation contains one or no slides.	Presentation contains at least two slides.	Presentation contains at least three slides.	Presentation contains four or more slides.
Mechanics	Includes more than 5 grammatical errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, etc.	Includes 3-4 grammatical errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, etc.	Includes 2-3 grammatical errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, etc.	Grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization are correct. No errors in the text.
Cooperative Group Work	Cannot work with others in most situations. Cannot share decisions or responsibilities.	Works with others, but has difficulty sharing decisions and responsibilities.	Works well with others. Takes part in most decisions and contributes fair share to group.	Works well with others. Assumes a clear role and related responsibilities. Motivates others to do their best.
Oral Presentation Skills	Great difficulty communicating ideas. Poor voice projection. Little preparation or incomplete work.	Some difficulty communicating ideas, due to voice projection, lack of preparation, or incomplete work	Communicates ideas with proper voice projection. Adequate preparation and delivery.	Communicates ideas with enthusiasm, proper voice projection, appropriate language, and clear delivery.
Scale: 18 - 20=Expert 15 - 17=Intermediate 10 - 14=Novice 6 - 9=Beginner				Total Points

Conclusion

In conclusion each group will present their power point to the class. Individual students should be able to reflect on the voting process as he or she actually votes in the 2012 election.