Elect Me! Creating a Campaign Platform and Video Commercial

Engage

Do you know what major event takes place on the first Tuesday in November? This is commonly referred to as Election Day in the United States. Every two years, American citizens cast their vote for candidates running for the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.

In the U.S., most of our elected officials come from either the Democratic or the Republican party. Although both parties differ in their political views, they both share the job of making and amending laws.

Revisit what you already know about Democrats, Republicans and the election process. What are some similarities and differences between the two parties? How do the citizens learn the political platforms of the candidates running for office? What role do campaign managers play in elections?

In this lesson, you will have the opportunity to run for a seat in the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate or to be the campaign manager of the candidate. You will research and identify the political views of the Democratic and Republican Party. Moreover, you and your campaign manager will choose a party and create a 3-5 minute campaign commercial that will be viewed by your classmates.

Explore

You and your partner will begin your exploration by researching the parties. Keep the following questions in mind:

• What are the major political views of each party?
• What are the qualifications for election to the U.S. House of Representatives?
• What are the qualifications for election to the U.S. Senate?
• Which party fits best with your political views?
• What are some effective campaign strategies current or prior officeholders have used?
• What is the role of a campaign manager?
• What types of political ads do candidates create when running for office?
• What forms of propaganda do they use?

The following video will help you get started in your search:

Discovering the Internet,


The following websites will help you get started in your investigation:

Congress Link
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress for Kids
The Democratic Party
The Republican Party
United States Library of Congress
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate

Explain

1. With your partner, discuss the information you found during the research process.
2. Next, decide which of you will be the candidate and which will be the campaign manager. Keep in mind that the campaign manager is equally as important as the candidate. He or she is an extremely visible leader for the candidate. The campaign manager should help the candidate in all areas of the lesson.
3. If you are the candidate, decide which party you want to represent, which office you would like to hold and three to five possible issues that would be concerns for the voters.
4. Which voters will you appeal to?
5. Decide what type of propaganda you will use in your commercial.
6. Create a list of possible issues to share with your audience. Remember to use content that will grab their attention and persuade them to vote for you.
7. Once you have made your decisions, view the following videos at Nortel LearniT to help you produce your campaign commercial.

• Video Preproduction,
• Imaging,

8. Storyboard your ideas using the storyboard template below.
9. Decide where and when you will shoot your commercial.
10. Schedule a meeting with your teacher to discuss your plans.

Elaborate

1. Use the information you collected to create a 3-5 minute campaign commercial encouraging voters to elect you to office.
2. Review the videos on Video Production and Post Production
3. Use images and video clips found on the Internet to produce a professional campaign commercial. An editing program, such as Windows Movie Maker2, can be used to aid in the production. It can be downloaded free.  
4. When you decide what images, sounds or text that you want to use in your production, be sure to check for copyright notices. Some websites want you to use their materials for educational projects while others do not. A good practice for you should be to look for an email on the web page you want to use materials from and use it to send a request for permission to use it in your class production.  In addition, it is important that you cite materials you use in your production. The format that is typically used is as follows:
   Last Name, First Name of Author (if known). “Title of work/article/page.” Title of complete Document (if applicable). Date last modified. URL (date visited).
5. Make sure you have all the necessary equipment needed for your production. Use the checklist below to help you gather the equipment. The checklist can also be found on the Nortel LearniT web site.
6. Shoot your campaign commercial.
7. Edit your commercial using editing software, such as the one listed above. In addition, use the editing tips listed below to aid your process.
8. Share your recorded commercial with your class.

Evaluate

Your campaign commercial will be assessed using the evaluation rubric found on the Nortel LearniT website. It can be downloaded to use at your convenience.

Self-evaluation: Evaluate your own progress and accomplishments on this project. Include what you have learned, what you contributed to the presentation, what you could improve and how you might use this knowledge with future events or projects.

Extend

Consider these suggestions for extending the lesson.

1. Show your commercial to your family and friends. Describe their responses to the commercial. Did they agree or disagree with your platform and ideas?
2. Conduct a similar project on the state level. How are the state and federal levels of Congress different?
3. Create a class website that features your commercials.
4. In addition to commercials, have a mock debate with other candidates. Then, set up a mock election and let your school vote. "

Related Resources:

Congress Link
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress for Kids
The Democratic Party
The Republican Party
United States Library of Congress
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate