how can critical thinking support your decisions?

Election day is almost here! We'll be spending the week digging into issues of the 2016 presidential campaign, learning about different angles and how they can help you make an informed decision. Civil discourse! Ready, go!

Module summary:

• build a Weebly site if you haven't yet done so
• research issues on the table for the 2016 presidential campaign
• choose one issue to research in depth and write a blog post about it

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essential questions

• How do you hold an audience's attention with online writing?
• Why is it important to consider the validity of a source when researching?
• How do you use critical thinking to inform your decisions?

goals

• Students will understand that online writing requires an effective hook and friendly - but still polished - voice.
• Students will understand that it is important to identify and evaluate the source of websites, especially when researching hot topics - and that, while bias is not inherently bad, it must be taken into account and the reasons behind bias must be based on facts.
• Students will understand that critical thinking involves considering a topic from multiple perspectives and drawing conclusions based on facts, not hearsay or assumptions.

activities

Monday:

• Mechanics warm-up
• Review basics of election process, political parties, and current presidential candidates
• Compile a list of resources that discuss issues and candidates' positions
  • E-mail your link to Christine with a sentence identifying the site and why it's a good one
• Explore and define five election issues

Tuesday, Wednesday:

• Discuss overview of issues based on initial research
• Review blog writing tips and techniques for adding photos and links
• Choose one issue to research in-depth
  • define the issue and explain why it's a hot topic
  • explain the historical background of the issue
  • choose two current presidential candidates and discuss their perspective on the issue: what they think and why

Thursday: 

• Write a blog post about your topic!
  • Separate the post into four sections: definition/overview, background, candidate positions, and your opinion
  • For each section, explain what you found through research and include at least one link per section that will direct readers to your sources
  • For the final section (your opinion), explain what you think based on your research and why
  • Add at least two images (photos and/or infographs) that are relevant to your topic. No stock images - they should add substance to your writing. Include a caption for each photo
• Proofread your post! No, like really. Read it. All the way through. Carefully. Then revise and edit. Also make sure your links work and that you have the lightbox feature turned on for your images (so they get bigger when you click on them from the published site)
• Send Christine a link of your published blog post

Friday:

• Conference with Christine about your blog post
• Choose a classmate's post to read and comment on
  • Your comment should be 4-6 thoughtful sentences about what they wrote and what you think about the topic
  • Be civil, respectful, and substantial. Even if you disagree philosophically, engage in meaningful discussion

c-tachs

Writing

• Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
• Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
• Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in flexible and dynamic ways (open to feedback, link to other information)
• Gather relevant information for multiple print and digital sources; assessing the credibility and accuracy of each source; quote and paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism; use a standard form for citation

Reading

• Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media and formats in order to address a question or solve a problem 

resources

http://www.cnn.com/election

• because it brings in information from both candidates and compares them

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2016/presidential-election-headquarters

• because it brings in information from both candidates and compares them

http://usabottomline.com/20160301.html

• because it has the issues and candidates

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-presidential-debates/36-fact-checks-final-presidential-debate-n669866

• I feel this would be a good recourse for the presidential debate because you can find out what all were facts and true that both the presidents have said.

http://www.npr.org/2016/10/19/498293478/fact-check-trump-and-clinton-s-final-presidential-debate

• This could be a great recourse for the third presidential debate because it also tells you what Hilary and Trump talk about in which are proven facts

http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

• This is a good website because it shows all the presidential candidates and what they think about the issues of the economy.

http://www.people-press.org/2016/07/07/4-top-voting-issues-in-2016-election/

• shows what the people are wanting and what they voted for and also what the problems are

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/year-ahead-project/#part1

• Although published in November, this article contains great info about issues and where candidates stand on them - including lots of data and links to other resources.

documents

Election Issues Syllabus
File Size:	50 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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