Teacher: Katie Chandler Course/Grade: Social Science, 12th Grade Title/Subject of Lesson: Polling

Date(s): January 27, 2012 Period #: 2, 3

OVERVIEW/RATIONALE: This lesson is part of the unit on polling and its influence on American politics and the government. Overall, this unit should help students to understand the different types of polls commonly used today, how polls are conducted, and how the opinions represented by polls can influences different parts of society, namely the U.S. government. At this point in the unit, the students have already reached a high level of understanding on the different types of polls, how polls are conducted, and the biases that are often found in polls. This lesson occurs towards the very end of the unit and asks students to demonstrate their understanding of how polls should by conducted by creating their own reasonable, unbiased polls. GOALS: Goal: The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of how polls function and the possible biases involved in the questions. By the end of the lesson, the students should be able to create their own polls within small groups and be able to explain why their polling questions and methods are reasonable and unbiased. Fit: This lesson comes at the end of the unit on polling in the United States. Throughout the unit, the students have focused on how polls function, their purpose in our political system, different types of polls, and possible biases in polling. This final lesson serves as both a review and asks the students to synthesize their knowledge and understanding of the information. OBJECTIVES: 1. Students will be able to identify and define different types of biases, such as testimonial, mud-slinging, glittering generalities, card stacking, sandwich questions, and transference. 2. Students will be able to create their own polls and explain why they are fair questions. VOCABULARY: Students will be able to define and use each of the following in a manner congruent with its use in the current unit. - Testimonial: using endorsements or other comments from someone who is well known to have people agree with you. - Mud Slinging: using name calling or throwing out useless, yet harmful accusations. - Transfer: conveying positive images or ideas from one person/event/idea to someone or something else.

Card Stacking: using statistics in a one sided manner to make one side or view look much more positive than another. Glittering Generalities: statements or questions that use very vague, yet positive words and phrases Contrast Question/Sandwich Question: questions that contrast a negative image of one candidate or idea with a positive image of a different candidate or idea.

MATERIALS: - Teacher Materials: o Polling Review Power Point - Student Materials: o Class notebook PROCEDURES: - OPENER (15 MIN.) o Announcements: at the beginning of class, the teacher will remind students about upcoming assignments and the class schedule. o Polling Review: the teacher will begin class by projecting different terms from the unit on polling and ask students to select at least 3 of the terms and define them. The students will have approximately 5 minutes to select and then define their 3 terms. After the students have time to finish their review, the teacher will call on students to define the different terms, allowing the class to review all of the information and terms on polling. - BODY OF THE LESSON (30 MIN.) o Student Created Polls: the teacher will allow the students to select their own small groups of approximately 3-4 students. The students will then have to select a topic, create polling questions on that topic, and provide an explanation of why their poll questions/method are reasonable and unbiased. - CLOSURE (10 MIN.) o Students Share Out: With approximately 10 minutes remaining in class, the students will have to opportunity to share part of the poll that their group created and explain why they believe that their polls would be fair and reasonable to ask people in the United States. The students from the other groups can ask questions about the polls. o Exit Ticket: what is the most important part of creating a poll? Based on making your own poll, what was the most difficult part of creating polling questions and determining how to conduct the poll. - ACCOMODATIONS o Ensure that all students have enough time to work in their small groups to create a poll. The teacher will tell the students how much time they have to finish and will evaluate individual progress.

o Ensure that every student can see the Promethean board. o Ensure that each student understands the instructions for the activity. The teacher will check for any questions or concerns. ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION: Students polls and their rationalization of them o The teacher will circulate the room, listening to the different groups as they share and answer questions from their classmates. Students review of the polling terms at the beginning of the class.