A Cross-Curriculum, Real-World Experience

Mr. Heinrich's AP US History Classes are teaming up with Mr. Capraun's Communications 1 and 2 and Advanced Web Page classes to provide students with a cross-curriculum, real-world experience. Groups of AP History students have been randomly assigned a candidate and instructed to act as that candidate's campaign management team. As such, they are charged with the task of getting their candidate elected by our student body. To do this each group will research all the candidates' views on the issues, our student body's knowledge of the candidates and their stances on the issues, as well as best practices for communicating that message to the public.

They will use the internet, contact local party offices, and use student surveys to gather this data. Once the research is done the campaign teams will have to analyze that data and make decisions on how to make effective use of the information. They will then draw up designs to communicate their candidates message to the people (one class will do an advertisement campaign, and the other class will design a website). They then will hire (one will be assigned) a professional (student from Mr. Capraun's class) graphic designer or webpage designer who will take their ideas and make them a reality. As the clients of these professionals, the students will have some control over the finished product, but will have to communicate their wants and needs effectively. Once the ad campaigns are complete and the websites are up and running, other students and teachers will be asked to view the information and make a decision about which candidate to vote for based on the finished products.

Hopefully, (if it is approved) all students here at GJHS will cast their vote the same day as the Pennsylvania Primary elections in April. At which time the students who worked on this project will write a reflection paper assessing their own works successes and failures.

This activity will be great for all involved. It will provide students with a hands-on learning experience that will challenge them to gather, analyze, and synthesize data, develop their communication skills, problem solving skills and the soft-skills of professionalism. This project will also add value to their academics by giving them a deeper understanding of the American political process, practice their math, reading and writing skills. All of this while providing experience with the technology required to make any 21st century learning experience complete.