An Informed Decision

Every four years, we hold an election to determine who will be the next President of the United States. This is an opportunity for everyday people to participate in governement, and it makes our country a democracy.

But how do people decide who to vote for? There are lots of things to consider when making this choice. Some factors that influence a voter's decision are political parties, past experiences, candidates' personalities. Voters must also consider the issues that matter most to them, and the promises a candidate has made on these topics.

In order to find out more about all of these factors and make an informed decision, votes have to do research.

In this WebQuest, you will play the part of a voter who is researching the 2016 Presidential Candidates in order to make an informed decision on Election Day. We'll be focusing on the two main presidential hopefuls: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. You'll learn about the candidates, examine the issues, and consider what is most important to you. 

Once you've done all that, you can make your decision! Make sure to think carefully, as you'll have to justify your choice using the information you found in your research.

Step 1 - Getting to know the candidates

• Read about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
• Log into your student gmail account and make a copy of this document. Share it with your teacher.
• Use the T-chart to take notes on the candidates as you read.
• On your T-chart, highlight the things you like about each candidate in green, and any things you don't like about them in red.

Step 2 - Understanding the issues

• Read about the issues and the candidates' opinions on them here.
  
• Make a copy of this document and share it with your teacher. Use it to keep track of each candidate's opinion on each issue.
• Once you have read and taken notes on all of the issues, think about which ones are the most important to you. Highlight them in yellow on the graphic organizer.

Step 3 - Making your decision

• Using what you have learned, decide which candidate you would vote for.
  
• Write a paragraph explaining your decision. Make sure to use evidence from your research. Your work will be evaluated based on your reasoning and the examples you provide.

Great job!

You used your research to make an informed decision on who to vote for. You're ready for election day.

Want to learn more about presidential campaigns?

You can read about the candidates for Vice President, Mike Pence and Tim Kaine, or play this game where you take on the role of a canidate and try to get enough votes to win the election.

This WebQuest was created by Jessica Woycik, an undergraduate elementary education major at American University