Social Studies9-12+
Analyzing Candidate Policy and Voting Records
By Patrick K.
A research-driven project guide for 10th graders in which students investigate candidates' voting histories and public statements, then design campaign posters grounded in their findings. It builds research, evidence-evaluation, and persuasive design skills, with comparison organizers guiding the analysis.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Introduce the project as a multi-day unit tied to the upcoming mid-term elections, having students use nonpartisan sources like OnTheIssues and Ballotpedia to build their research.
- Discussion question: How can a candidate's current promises differ from their past votes or actions, and what does that gap tell voters?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a pre-filled comparison organizer with one example candidate so students can model how to match promises to evidence before researching independently.
- Extension for advanced students: Have them evaluate how a candidate's public statements have shifted over 5 to 10 years and write a brief rationale for how that evolution should shape the poster's message.
- Estimated time: Plan roughly 3 to 4 class periods, with one for research, one for organizer completion, and one or two for poster design and peer review.
Social Studies9-12+
Analyzing Candidate Policy and Voting Records
By Patrick K.
A research-driven project guide for 10th graders in which students investigate candidates' voting histories and public statements, then design campaign posters grounded in their findings. It builds research, evidence-evaluation, and persuasive design skills, with comparison organizers guiding the analysis.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Introduce the project as a multi-day unit tied to the upcoming mid-term elections, having students use nonpartisan sources like OnTheIssues and Ballotpedia to build their research.
- Discussion question: How can a candidate's current promises differ from their past votes or actions, and what does that gap tell voters?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a pre-filled comparison organizer with one example candidate so students can model how to match promises to evidence before researching independently.
- Extension for advanced students: Have them evaluate how a candidate's public statements have shifted over 5 to 10 years and write a brief rationale for how that evolution should shape the poster's message.
- Estimated time: Plan roughly 3 to 4 class periods, with one for research, one for organizer completion, and one or two for poster design and peer review.