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Election Campaign Poster and Campaign Button

Lesson Author
Mulligan, David
Course(s)
U. S. History
Required Time Frame
2-3 days
Grade Level(s)
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Lesson Abstract
Students will choose a presidential candidate and construct a campaign poster and a lapel campaign button in support of that candidate.
Description
  • You will be making both a campaign poster & a lapel button for one of the candidates for President from your chosen election. You choose which one of the candidates and construct a campaign poster & a lapel campaign button in support of that candidate.
  • It is MOST important that you visit on line & use information from one or more of the thirteen presidential libraries located in the United States. You must spend at least one hour familiarizing yourself with, as well as researching information from that site. (A list of sites will be provided to you!

These websites provide valuable information for your research!

Rationale (why are you doing this?)

This assignment will provide the students with a “hands on” experience by making a poster & a campaign button in support of his/her favorite candidate.

Lesson Objectives - the student will
  • Understand, then demonstrate the major issues of his/her election, then transfer that information/ knowledge to the poster & button.                                                                                                 .
  • Hands on experience by creating a campaign poster & campaign button for your candidate.
District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met
  • Massachusetts Writing Standards in Literacy in History/Social Studies, grades 11-12
  • Massachusetts Reading Standards in Literacy in History/Social Studies, grades 11-12
Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed
  • Any secondary source ( book, journal, etc.) covering assigned election, or any person occupying a key role in that election.
Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed

Documents from any presidential website used.

Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?
  • The student will have chosen or been assigned a presidential contest from the 20th Century (1920-2000). Then, the student will write a term paper (for which he/she will be given 6-8 weeks to complete the entire 15-20 page assignment.

This part of the assignment will allow the students the opportunity to also produce a hands on visual of said assignment.

Assessment: fully explain the assessment method in detail or create and attach a scoring guide
  • The entire project is broken down into smaller units:

A)   A list of possible primary & secondary sources must be provided, now to include the Presidential Library websites

B)   An outline of their election

C)   An overview of their election of 1-2 pages.

D)   Rough draft of election

E)   Final draft.*

F)   NEW: Election campaign poster & lapel button

Grade for poster/button will count as a separate quiz grade: Grade will be based on the poster’s A) Accuracy historically B) Originality C) Neatness /Effort