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The goal of 08 ELECTION News is to provide students a wide array of various news articles to read and inform themselves of the upcoming Election. Too often in our TV/internet age we settle for a sound bite or a 30 second TV commercial for getting to know the people and policies of those who ask for our vote. That’s not enough. We need to inform ourselves. Hopefully this site will help take you one more step towards that goal.

Also – you have an opportunity with every article posted, for extra credit. Each article will be accompanied by a question. Answer the question (according Blogging Guidelines) and you may earn up to five points extra credit to be applied to future blog assignments.

I will post articles. You can submit articles for me to post or you may link your own posts here. I ask that you choose reputable news sources so that we are exchanging facts, not gossip. Feel free to use this site to debate this election or these articles with your colleagues. Youtube links are also welcomed.

In the end it must be our goal to become informed. If you are eligible to vote – then do so proudly anchored in the knowledge of personal research. If you can’t yet vote – help others to “wake up”. And if you know citizens who will vote – and do not pay attention to the issues that guide their decision – push them. Make them feel uncomfortable that they don’t know the facts, and still may be deciding not only their fate, but yours as well for the next eight years. Do whatever you can to help your fellow citizens to turn off the 30 second TV commercials and to truly inform themselves before they walk into that Election booth on November 4, 2008.

New York Times – Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends and Lashed Foes

Question: This question is open – talk to me about the article.

In the next eight weeks, Mr. Wood’s Senior Current Issues Class will attempt to provide to the students of Oakridge High School a running dialogue on the 2008 Presidential Election. By updating the Electoral Map in room 112 and discussing the current polls, by providing student chosen news articles and extra credit assignments, we hope that the student body will join us in “waking up” to this significant National Election.

SCI Student Presentation Guidelines noted here.

The following tasks will be repeated each week:

1. Map. A weekly update of the 2008 United States Electoral Map.
2. Podcast. A weekly podcast by Senior Current Issues students explaining how that map breaks down.
3. News. A weekly news article selected by SCI students to provide added insight to the election.
4. Assignment. A weekly assignment created by SCI students that will coincide with the above news article.
5. Grade. SCI students will grade and record assignment – if you choose to do it for extra credit.

All OHS students are encouraged to post their questions and opinions in response to our efforts.

Any student who is in Mr. Wood’s Social Studies classes, or who is in Mr. Barry’s current government classes (and will be in Mr. Wood’s Economic class next semester) may choose to do “The VOTE” assignments for extra credit. Students may earn up to 5 points extra credit per assignment to be added to their blog totals for the Marking Period. If you will be enrolled in Mr. Wood’s second semester Econ class your extra credit blog points will be added to your Econ class blog assignments in the second semester.

All student’s are encouraged to drop by room 112 to check out our National Electoral Map at the back at the room. To learn more about the history of the Electoral College and how it will affect this election please go to the following link.

All of our polling information comes from Real Clear Politics.

Student Assigned Schedules for this assignment are noted below:

• M Sept 15 – Mr Wood
• T Sept 23 – Tyler D, Myranda SP, Josh D – (82% – B)
  
• T Sept 30 – Jamie M, Brittany W, Courtney, Susan B – (83% – B)
  
• T Oct 7 – Nick, Joe, Becca – (91% – A-)
  
• T Oct 14 – Sam, Brittany, Lexi, Kaylee (74% – C)
• T Oct 21 – Sophelia, Sam S, Crystal, Rhea
• T Oct 28 – Angelina, Britt, Chad, Kyle
• M Nov 3 – Corey, Ed, Charity, Geoff

ELECTION – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2008

For Senior Current Issues Students:

This assignment will be completed by groups of four students. We will organize groups on Monday September 15. Make sure all group members sign up on the calendar adjacent to the Electoral College Map at the back of the room. Student sign ups are noted online here.

This is a 100 point project grade. Student grades will be divided into five parts (20 pts per).

1. Electoral Map update, online post, and classroom presentation.
2. Podcast of the current Electoral Map breakdown.
3. News article assignment link
4. Assignment to go with above news article
5. Student group grades of student assignments.

1 – Update, Post, and Presentation – 20 pts.
OK – first of all update the map according to Real News Politics as of the day prior to your presentation. Secondly take a photo and post it online. Third you must provide a thorough group presentation of the current state of the Electoral Map. This will probably be a five minute look, and should include forward thinking, and changes from previous electoral layout (s). Provide predictions and reasoning. You will be graded on the quality of the presentation.

2 – Podcast – 20 pts.
Come in before or after school. Or at lunch. You’ll need to post the pod cast by the end of the day of your scheduled presentation. All group members must be present for the podcast in order for the group to earn full credit. The podcast has specific guidelines. You will be graded on the quality of the pod cast.

• Provide the date of your podcast and the names of students in the group
• Length should not run more than three to five minutes
• Talk about the same issues that you did in the class presentation.
• Remember your audience – fellow students – provide guidance as to the election outcome.

3 – News Article – 20 pts.
Find a good news article on the Election. Post a link to that news article along with the title and the source. The news article must be current, it must come from a reliable source, it should be an interesting look at some facet of the Election. You may run ideas by me prior to the posting…but generally choose an article that interests you and sheds light on the events of the Election of 2008. You will be graded on quality and depth of the article, as well as the quality of the source, and the fact that the news is current. Article must be linked by the end of your presentation day.

4 – News Article Question – 20 pts.
Group must prepare and post a question that relates to the above news article. Students will blog their answers. The question needs to be thought provoking and one that can be responded to in a blog. Think hard about the issues that you want students to consider when reading your news selection. You will be graded on the depth of your question. It must be posted by the end of your presentation day.

5 – Grade em – 20 pts.
Mr. Wood will run copies of all student posts. Due date for posts is Friday of your presentation. You may cut and paste your own copies of student posts as well. Either way you need to follow Blogging Guideline rules for grades. This includes spelling error subtractions. Make comments on the separate copies, provide scores out of twenty, and hand in all to Mr. Wood. He will enter your group comments into the blog. You will be graded on how thorough and fair you are in your grading, and by the quality of feedback that you provide students on their blog assignments.

FINAL THOUGHT
Mr. Wood will provide group grade and comments in each of the above categories (100 pts total. )  Since we held a draft for group leaders, and since every single person has had the option of moving out of their perspective group – group leaders will also assign an effort grade for each individual’s personal contribution to the project.  

Here’s what we’ll be doing:

While students will learn the basic terminology for the study of Economics, they will do so within a real world context. Since we live in a global economic environment, and because the world is so interdependent economically, politically, environmentally and culturally, we will focus our study on those connections. We will not ignore the role that history and government play in this study of economics. Finally, personal economics, how and why the choices each individual student should be prepared for as they move forward into future will be a course concentration.

Please check here for the entire Economics Syllabus.

One of the teachers at our seminar in Philly – made a video roaming around the statues of the signers in the Constitution Center in Philly. It’s pretty good – take a look.