Hendersonsocial9.weebly.com



Government UnitMajor Project – Holding an ElectionFor this assignment we will have you hold a mock election to better understand the electoral process, as well as the roles and responsibilities of government members.You will be assigned to one of the following groups (your teacher may allow you to choose a partner, but groups will usually be 3 people). ?There will be class time given to work on the various components of the assignment, but remember that all group members are responsible for each other – if someone is having difficulty getting the work done, you need to help them (not do it for them!) or alert the teacher that the group needs to have a formal discussion on the level of work being done by all of the members of the group.Conservative PartyLiberal PartyNDP PartyGreen Partyi) ???These groups will need to choose the candidate running in the election. ii) ?Other members of the group will be in charge of media/advertising: this would include creating the party’s election slogan, and campaign advertisements (posters – at least 3).iii) All members of the group must research the party platforms on various issues – especially those issues that are of concern to the lobby groups (see page 287 of textbook for a list of ideas). ?In addition, they should find information on how to become a member of their party. ?This information will be shared in the format of a 2-page report submitted by the group.BONUS: The group can create a map that demonstrates the areas of support for the political party by looking at previous national election results. ?Accompanying the map should be a paragraph explaining why there is support in some areas, AND why there is not support in other areas. Lobby Groups:1) Canadian Oil Producers2) Restorative Justice Program (ARJAA)3) Canadian Bankers Association4) Green Peace Canada5) Center for Social justice6) Center for Security and Defense7) HEAL, health Action lobbyThese “groups” (each individual in the group will be assigned a different area of focus) will challenge the political party platforms on the following issues:Environment (specifically actions to address climate change – environmental lobbyist vs. oil company lobbyist)Justice (to reduce poverty in Canada/Restorative justice program)Defense (participating in international crises, or a focus on the security of our nation)Health care (how to make it better for modern day Canada)i) ?????Lobbyists should research a specific organization and represent the views of that assigned lobby group during opportunities to question the candidates. ?In addition, their research should be summarized in a two-page document that will be handed in to the teacher.ii) ???Lobbyist will also be required to create at least two posters explaining the views of their lobby group, and what political parties they endorse.ii) ??Lobbyists will be asking 2 questions of the candidates during the debate, so you should craft one strong question that will challenge the different political party platforms that go against your beliefs and values. Step One – get organized- ???????for those assigned to lobby groups, you will be working on your own so you can get started on your research- ???????for those assigned to political parties, you need to decideo ??Who is going to run as the candidate in the election.o ??Who is going to be in charge of the campaign message and advertising (although all members need to help with this)o ??How you are going to break up the work for the report you need to create.Step Two – research- ???????It’s now time to figure out what ideas your assigned group supports, whether it is the political party platforms or the key message of your lobby group.o ??For those of you assigned to a lobby group, you will focus on the ideas and actions your group has takeno ??For those of you assigned to a political party, you need to look at the various party platforms that will be challenged by the various lobby groups. - ???????For both groups, this information will help you to prepare for the debate, as well as creating the most effective campaign advertising.Step Three – presenting your information (there are two parts)- ???????Report – once you’ve done your research, you need to write a report that summarizes the key ideas of your assigned group. This report should be at least 1 ? and maximum 2 pages long, single spaced.Must have all ideas in your own words (any “cutting and pasting” will not be considered relevant information in your report unless it is a quote or statistics used to support the report as the purpose of the report is to demonstrate your understanding)Should include an image (e.g. your logo) - be sure to wrap the text around it so it looks betterShould have an effective title and the names of all participants as a headerDon’t forget to add citations in your footnotesDebate prep – you need to consider what questions you may be asked in order to prepare for an effective debate (or for lobby groups, what questions you need to ask, and what other lobby groups may ask). You are trying to convince your audience to vote for you, so the stronger your answers, the more convincing you will be. ?One way to be convincing is to have specific examples to support your ideas – that’s where your report will come in handy. As well as Mr. Henderson will have 2-3 questions that he will give you to prepare for. You must answer these questions. You Will be given 2 min to answer each question. I will allow each member to ask a follow up question to another Candidate if needed. *ask the members of lobby groups that support you to help you with your research and debate comments.Step Four – campaigning- ???????It is important to get the word out as efficiently as possible. ?So you will need to create posters that explain all of the information you have worked on in steps two and three. *You must put your information for your posters in your own words!! ?While you can print off images or direct quotes, but any text that is merely cut and pasted from the party website onto your poster will not be marked.*Posters need to be INFORMATIVE (your audience hasn’t done the research you have had time to do), CONCISE (get to the point!), and ENGAGING (if the poster isn’t interesting, why would I look at it?)*Usually text that is typed is more effective than handwritten posters*Lobby groups - don’t forget to explain what your group wants people to do in the election (either vote for or against a party because of a specific policy)After we hold the election we will use those results to look at various issues, including electoral systems and how a bill becomes a law.Potential deadlines:Research due:Posters/advertising due:Debate prep due:Letter to the editor due:Project Follow-up Questions: key questions for understanding related to your assignment and the lessons being taught. These are used for study purposes. 1. ??What processes are used to determine who can be a Member of Parliament (MPs)2. ???What processes are used to determine who can be a Senator?3. ??To whom are Members of Parliament and Senators accountable?4. ??What is the role of political parties within Canada’s federal political system?5. ??What is the role of the media in relation to political issues?6. ??How do lobby groups impact government decision-making?7. ??How is a political party’s philosophy reflected in its platform (in other words, how do the attitudes they have towards social programs, specific taxes, and the taxation model let us know if a party is more right wing or more left wing)?8. ??How do the economic platforms of political parties differ from one another?a. ???Liberal, Conservative and the NDPb. ??Democrat versus Republican (in the United States)9. ??How do government decisions on environmental issues (i.e., preservation, exploitation and trade of natural resources) impact quality of life?10. ??How are laws passed in the federal political system? ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download