1. ETE 335 Elementary Social Studies Lesson deBono’s Thinking Hats

2. ETE 335 Elementary Social Studies Lesson deBono’s Thinking Hats Andrew Turner U.S. Government 9 th Grade The Presidential Election Process

3. ETE 335 Elementary Social Studies Lesson deBono’s Thinking Hats Goals: Students will be able to understand how the President of the United States is elected and the process in which they are elected. Students will be able Objectives: Content/Knowledge: Students will have to be able to identify terms related to Presidential elections. They will be able to understand their meaning and the relation to the election. Process/Skills: Students will be able to understand numbers and figures related to the Presidential election. Students will be able to decipher these numbers and relate them to what they have learned. Students will also learn and practice public speaking skills. Values/Dispositions: Students will learn the importance of their participation in the Presidential election. By learning about the election process, they will learn about the role that every individual plays in shaping the future of their country.

4. ETE 335 Elementary Social Studies Lesson deBono’s Thinking Hats Rationale: This lesson will teach students how the presidential election works and why it is important to them. Through this lesson they will learn about how an election works, the issues that are involved, and the role that an individuals plays in electing the president of the United States. Standards: State – Illinois Common Core or Learning Standards 14.C.4 Describe the meaning of par­ticipatory citizenship (e.g., volunteerism, voting) at all levels of government and society in the United States. National – NCSS Themes III: How Does the Government Established by the Constitution Embody the Purposes, Values, and Principles of American Democracy? E. How does the American political system provide for choice and opportunities for participation? V: What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy? C. What are the responsibilities of citizens?

5. Objective

6. Students will be given detailed results of the previous Presidential election from 2008. From this information students will have to determine how many electoral votes each candidate received from each state. This activity will help students understand the role that the Electoral College plays in the election and how their votes are determined. Objective

7. Intuitive

8. Students will write a brief journal entry about their feelings on the Presidential election. They will include what they have learned in class and also what they have experienced in their own life. This activity will help students develop a personal connection with the election process. Intuitive

9. Positive/Strengths

10. Positive/Strengths Students will conduct a debate based on the Democrat, Republican, and third party platforms for the 2012 election. Students will be split into three groups and they will research their candidates stances on a few major issues. For this part of the activity the students will identify the candidates strengths on these issues. They will discuss these strengths and the reason why they feel that they will be effective.

11. Negatives/Weaknesses

12. This will continue the activity from before, but this time students will discuss any negative issues related to the candidates. Students will again identify any weaknesses and why they view them that way. Negatives/Weaknesses

13. Creative

14. Creative In the final part of this activity the groups will create their own platform based on what they would hope to accomplish if they were running for President. They would address the positives and negatives that they have already discussed and they would also include their own feelings on the topic. After they have created their platform, they will create a video, brochure, poster, or PowerPoint to express what they have learned.

15. Thinking About Thinking

16. The students will present what they have learned during a debate between the three groups. Students will discuss the positives and negatives of their group and also what they would hope to accomplish. They will then present their product (video, brochure, poster, powerpoint) to the class. This activity will conclude with the students privately voting for a group other than their own. Each group will represent a state with corresponding Electoral College votes. When the students votes are tallied they will be announced to the students by the instructor.

17. ETE 335 Elementary Social Studies Lesson deBono’s Thinking Hats Visual Learning, Assessment, and Online Resources: Visual Learning: Assessment: 1. The students will be assessed on their final presentation. During the group work portion of the class they will be given checklist and rubrics to follow when they are creating their final product. Online Resources: http://delicious.com/stacks/view/NOzF6b