January 19, 2012 – What do most high school seniors and presidents have in common? They want to leave their “legacy” behind.
High school seniors in Brigitte Jackson’s Participation in Government class recently left their mark as they researched past presidents’ legacies in determining who should run for the 2012 Presidential Election.
“The premise of the project was to help students understand that political, social, and economic issues transcend time and frequently reoccur in modern day elections,” said Jackson.
The first part of the project was similar to the way most research projects begin. Students worked with Library Media Specialist Amy Carpenter, conducting research about a president of their choice. Students were charged with finding out what the president was most known for, both positive and negative. For example, one student might have found that their president was known for their economic policies, but they might have also been known for their personal indiscretions.
After gathering the facts, students split into groups to hold their “primaries.” Each student had to defend both the positive and the negative aspects about their president.
“What I really love about this project is that it helps our students develop an authentic skill— analyzing a candidate’s beliefs and value system and political record and applying that knowledge to current issues,” said Carpenter. “These skills are vital for students to become informed citizens, exercising their rights and making informed decisions at the polls.”
Instead of writing a traditional report on their president, students created a past-president Facebook page. They posted comments throughout the project timeline to their “wall” as if they were the president. Each president had to be Facebook friends with three people from the time when they were alive, as well as “friend” three people from modern day.
The culmination of the project was a mock election. Students were divided into small groups to help past presidential candidates get ready to campaign. Each group was responsible for writing a campaign speech and creating a campaign poster.
On “election day,” students dressed like Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, John F. Kennedy and William Clinton to give their speeches. Prior to casting their votes via “text” message on their cell phones, the class discussed the pros and cons of each candidate based on the preceding speech and any prior knowledge of the former president. Results were recorded using Poll Everywhere and were available in real time on the library’s website.
Two classes voted Theodore Roosevelt into office, and one class voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Jackson said that her students had genuine reactions to what they learned.
“Even the students who struggle in school get something out of this project,” said Jackson. “For me, if they can walk away with one idea and be able to apply it to their own lives and understanding, then I’ve done my job.”
