US Elections

Ämnen:

Engelska

Årskurs:

US Elections

Hallsta skola, Norrtälje · Senast uppdaterad: 30 augusti 2020

During the following weeks we will work on a very current event: the upcoming US election. We are going to learn about American politics and the presidential election during the next few weeks.

Begin by gathering information on the internet. After you research, begin writing in a word document on your ipad. Writing assignments 1 & 2 will test your writing skills whereas the oral part of the assignment will test your English speaking skills.

Writing assignment #1 – The fundamentals

1. Start by finding out about the two major political parties in the US. Find some basic facts about the political parties, namely Democrats and Republicans.

2. Who are the two presidential candidates this year and which political party do they belong to? Include some personal history or background on both the candidates.

3. Mention a few similarities and differences between the two candidates.

4. What date is the election this year?

5. When does the winner take office?

6. How often are the US elections held?

7. Who can become the president of the US? What are the requirements?

8. Who has a chance of becoming the next vice president? Write a few lines (basic facts) about each of the vice president choices.

9. How do Americans pick their president? In other words, how does the election process work?

10. Below are some famous US presidents from the history. Find out which political party they were affiliated with.

Donald Trump
Barack Obama
George W Bush
Bill Clinton
John F Kennedy
Franklin D Roosevelt
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington

Writing assignment #2 - An article

Look for an article that you find interesting about the upcoming American presidential election. When you have found an article that you like, summarize it in your own words. After you summarize it, answer the following questions about the article.

- Where did you find the article, on what website and when was it published?

- Why is the article important? Does it illustrate a problem?

- Why did you choose the article?

- Write an alternative headline for the article.

Oral assignment - The issues

Each of the candidates and political parties has a particular position on the main issues (topics). You are going to choose two or three issues from the list below. Your task is to find out where the candidates/parties stand on these issues and what they want to change.

You will then argue your own views on the chosen issues. Do you agree or disagree with the candidates on those issues? In groups, argue why you agree or disagree with the candidates. This exercise is meant to improve your argumentation skills.

This assignment will help us prepare for the speaking part of the national test. You may research together in small groups of 2-4 students but each student will have to demonstrate their speaking skills by actively participating in group discussions.

Issues to choose from