It's Election Season!

It's election season and it's time for you to begin to act on your responsibilities as members of American society and become informed about the upcoming election.  Last night you read some articles that introduced you to the candidates, the issues, some political vocabulary, and the electoral process.  Today you will continue to build on that knowledge.
Instructions:

• First, one of you should create a Google Document and then "share" it with me (kkramer@dist113.org) and your partner. You will do all of your responses for today on this shared document.  You should be reading what you're both writing as you work.  Look at your responses more as a discussion or dialogue between you and your partner rather than an individual response.
• Next, begin the main tasks for today.  Go to the Upfront Magazine  
• Read the article
• Then with your partner, click on Games and Quizzes tab, select the “Electoral Challenge” game and then go ahead and play.
• Discuss the outcome.  Who won?  Why?  What was the strategy used for victory? 
• Next, read pages 12-13 in the magazine on polling. 
•  On your Google Doc, respond to “Discuss this article" questions
• Then, go to the Web Links tab which will take you to Gallup, Real Clear Politics, and NYTimes swing state polls.
• Respond on the google doc.  What polls did you look at?  What do these latest polls show?  What pieces of data are most interesting and why?  Do you think this data will have an impact on the election?  Why?
• Finally today,  it is incumbent upon you to be as informed as you can be about the candidates and the issues. Please begin to browse the links below and continue to gather information as we get closer to the election (Note: The blogs and the newspapers do have political bias-important to work to identify that as you assess the information that each is providing).

The Huffington Post (Political Blog)

The National Review (Political Blog)

Talking Points Memo (Political Blog)

Real Clear Politics (Political Blog)

The Wall Street Journal

The New York Times

The Chicago Tribune

Fact Checking Blog

Mitt Romney's Website       Barack Obama's Website

• Do one last response on the document.  What information/article from the sources above was most interesting?  Why?  What stories or issues do you want to continue to follow as the election gets closer?  What additional information do you still want to know about the candidates?
• Print two copies of the document and make sure that both you and your partner keep it in your notebooks for this class.