Author: Debbie Tasker

Pick Your Candidate
This multi-faceted lesson plan helps students understand campaign advertising and candidate's positions so they can make educated decisions at the polls.

Empowering people to use literacy skills in their lives

About the Author:
Debbie Tasker, Director
Dover Adult Learning Center
Dover, New Hampshire
Telephone: (603) 742-1030

Debbie Tasker has recently celebrated her 25th year in adult literacy. Starting in 1970 as a volunteer tutor, she is currently the Director of the Dover Adult Learning Center in Dover, New Hampshire. At the Dover Center Debbie emphasizes services for literacy and high school completion. She believes in empowering people to use literacy skills in their lives. Debbie has been an active participant in the Voter Education Registration and Action (VERA) project in her area.

Purpose:
Pick Your Candidate grew out of Debbie's interest in helping people participate in community and national elections and contribute to positive change. Based on materials provided by the League of Women Voters' and VERA, Pick Your Candidate is designed to provide readable and accessible activities that lead adults to develop the confidence needed to address important issues and make their own choices.

Recommendations for Practice:
Pick Your Candidate can be used by individuals and class groups to focus on a wide range of literacy skills through selected election activities or a series of connected activities. Each activity can promote reading, writing, speaking, research, evaluating information, making value judgements, and comparing points of view. Activities provide real life opportunities to develop media literacy and encourage learners to look beyond the advertising for the important issues, by

Comparing local and national news coverage
(Internet, newspaper, TV, and radio sources)
Comparing different opinions
Providing support for voter participation activities.

Depending on the student or class, teachers should use their own judgement about how far to extend each activity. There can be unintended consequences to developing critical reading, listening, and viewing skills! As one of Debbie's students said, "It's still hard to get the hard fact out of what the politician is saying." Students can become overwhelmed by the amount of information about a campaign. So try to focus on the top level candidates and issues. Encourage learners to understand that "it's ok not to know everything about every candidate and issue."