My Ruler Rules: Historical Leaders Tackle Modern Day Campaigning

Name of Participants: Debra Favro, Jason Nisoff, Russell Puschak, Nancy Strack

Overview/Purpose: He wants to expand our empire. She wants to institute freedom of religion. My Ruler Rules is a focused inquiry-based learning unit designed to broader student participation in the learning process. This unit takes advantage of the current presidential election to engage students in researching and understanding choices in government, political positions, political challenges, campaign fund management and the elements of campaigning.

The candidates, however, won’t be McCain or Obama. Students will work on teams researching and constructing campaigns for figures from the grade six social studies curriculum. Teams will choose candidates by carefully assessing the qualifications, experience and personality of each.

For example, they may research Queen Elizabeth I, recording her achievements, policies and political shortcomings. They may construct a campaign against Julius Caesar, for example, using information about his reign over Rome. Campaigns will include the ingredients of a modern campaign: nomination, policies (manifesto), speeches, press releases, polling, rebuttal of opponent’s messages and budgeting resources. Students will use Internet, library and primary sources (when available).

They will utilize Six plus One Traits of Writing as they compose messages make campaign posters and debate from a slate of issues. Each team will be given a budget (public campaign financing) and a menu of costs for advertising media For example, posters are less expensive than an afternoon announcement, which is cheaper than a videotaped message or building a Web page. As a group they must decide the most effective and efficient means to advertise. Polling and elections will be held and analyzed, also incorporating mathematics.

Differentiation is inherent as students accept responsibilities within varied modalities, readiness levels, groups or individual efforts and scaffolding levels. My Ruler Rules ties together the disciplines of mathematics, English and social studies skills and provides authentic research, computer and presentation experiences. As diversity in our student population increases, we find ourselves seeking avenues to appropriately accommodate all our learners. The focused inquiry and authentic varied tasks in this unit will motivate the advanced learner, challenge the on grade learner and scaffold the struggling learner.

Unit Goal: The goal of this project is twofold, first to encourage our students to decide what they hope to learn and in the end to evaluate what they have learned. The second goal, through the mock election is to empower our students to take responsibility for their own learning then to motivate them with learning activities they find so exciting that they want to go on learning.

Length of instructional time: 3 weeks in late March/April

Grade/age level: Mid and upper elementary, middle, high school. The activities in this unit offer tremendous flexibility and may easily be adapted to many learners.

NYS Learning Standards Addressed:

ELA Standards:

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction

MST Standards:

Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
Standard 2:Information Systems
Standard 3: Mathematics
Standard 5: Technology
Standard 6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
Standard 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Social Studies Standards

Standard 2: World History
Standard 3: Geography
Standard 4: Economics
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government

PCSD Standards Addressed:
Lifelong Learner
Critical Thinker
Effective Communicator

Essential Questions:

How does student driven learning influence the educational process?
How can group members organize their individual strengths and experiences to work together productively?
What makes a fair campaign?

Content Knowledge:

Declarative

Students will understand the value of communicating ideas with clarity and precision.
Students will understand the importance of accurate research.
Students will understand writing as a method of learning.
Students will understand types of government.
Students will understand the importance of organizing key information.
Students will understand words and phrases pertinent to a campaign.
Students will understand the value of relaying information in an engaging manner.
Students will understand the value of organizing material to relate to a particular audience.
Students will understand the concept of a political cartoon.
Students will understand their roles as individual learners.
Students will understand their roles as learners in cooperative groups.
Students will understand the democratic electoral process.
Students will understand the role of mathematics in the electoral process.
Students will understand various types of voting methods.

Procedural

Students will be able to identify the elements of a campaign.
Students will be able to use technology to complete an electronic survey.
Students will create a political cartoon.
Students will be able to cite sources using MLA style.

Students will be able to glean information from a reference document.
Students will be able to use present information in multiple formats and modalities.
Students will be able to write a speech incorporating the elements of a presentation.
Students will be able to work independently and in small groups
Students will be able to maintain on-task behavior.
Students will be able to use mathematics to analyze results.
Students will be able to evaluate other team members.

Assessment Format: Assessments will vary, based on assignment and levels of readiness, but will include rubrics including, criterion-based student self-assessment, goal setting, peer assessments. Teacher observation and teacher criterion-based assessments will be used to assess student growth and participation.