The following are potential resources that will assist you in your examination of the U.S. presidential candidates and their positions on the issues facing our nation.

 Step One:

Explore your political values What beliefs do you hold that would help you to choose a political party or candidate?
      Take the test at www.politicalcompass.org/index

Determine where you fit on the spectrum?
     *Authoritarian
     *Conservative
     *Liberal
     *Libertarian

Consider this list of values - circle the 4 that you think are the most important in choosing a political candidate:
     Fairness, order, efficiency, compassion, security, hope, stability, change

 Step Two:

Take the presidential candidate test found at www.glassbooth.org  Who is your candidate, according to the site? What were your percentages? Are you surprised by this?

Identify the two issues listed by glassbooth.org that you feel are the most important. Visit the web sites of both your candidate and his opponent. Print off the position sheets that they've posted on their site.  Highlight the information key to understanding their position and complete the Differences Chart in your packet, then answer the three questions on your candidate and the opposition.

Complete the following worksheets: Candidate Comparison Chart and Candidate Comparison Questions.

 Step Three:

Analyze political ads - Explore propaganda techniques used in political advertising.  Review the various propaganda techniques on Propaganda Critic.   Using the links below, find two political ads and two Blog entries and complete the following worksheets:  Propaganda Evaluation Chart & Blog Analysis Question Sheet.    
 

 Step Four:

Create a political poster or Blog - Using one or more propaganda techniques create your own political poster or Blog.
 

 Internet Resources

If you don't find what you're looking for in any of the sites above, try your 
own keyword search using the following tips...

Internet Search Tips

1. Type the URL (web site address) of a search directory/engine in the address box: ex: www.yahoo.com, or www.google.com, etc.
    
2. (Be sure to type the address exactly the way you see it, including any uppercase letters and punctuation).
    
3. Type in keyword(s). (If your keyword has two parts such as: "political parties", be sure to put quotes around it so that the search engine only finds the Internet sites about political parties as opposed to all of the sites containing the word political  plus all of the sites containing the word parties.
    

4. If you would like to search for something specific about political parties, try a combined keyword search by adding a comma followed by a space and your other search term. For instance; if I wanted to find out about political parties and their position on issues facing our nation, I would enter the following:
    

   "political parties", position, issues
    

5. Hit Enter on your keyboard, or click on Search, then scan the description of the "hits" (entries) and click on the links that sound best.
    
6. Be sure to evaluate each Internet site for the following:
   • Authority: Can you tell if the author is credible (believable)?
   • Objectivity: Is the information objective (honest and free of bias)?
   • Currency: Is the information recent and up-to-date?
   • Design: Is the site designed in a clear and user friendly way?
   • Navigation: Is the site easy to navigate through, and are all links current and usable?

    

7. Remember: if you choose to use any information (text or graphics) found on an Internet source, 
   you must include it in your bibliography.

Remember:  YOU MUST CITE EVERY RESOURCE YOU USED to gather information on your 
Works Cited (Bibliography) page.  Use the Works Cited Guide to access MLA format.

Created by Dave Bass, Social Studies Teacher &  Liza Zandonella, Library Media Specialist.

Back To Research Unit Archive