Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/726969
CANDIDATES DEBATE THE ISSUES Hi l l ar y C linton an d D on al d Trump — along with the Green and Libertarian party candi- dates and others — are holding a spirited debate at Kennedy High School in Fremont. OK, to be honest, it's really students in wigs and masks impersonating t h e m . H o w e v e r, t h e i r o u t - standing speeches, thoughtful answers to tough questions, and video "commercials" show that a great deal of work has gone into the campaigns. e commercial created by student William Dixon (who por- trays Trump) shows him pulling someone down from a fence to demonstrate his stance on illegal immigration. With the fence climber on the ground, he vows to build a wall and name it, of course, the Donald Trump Wall. Students laugh at the antics and boo the message. "It was a great experience because I learned how to campaign and how to devise a strategy to reach voters. And I did not fire anyone, although I joked about it," says Dixon. Katrina Moniz (who portrays Clinton) plays "e Woman Card" with an actual card and explains that she is the most qualified candidate for the job. "I'm actually a big Bernie Sanders supporter, but from this expe- rience I learned a lot about Hillary and like her more." After the debate — on topics ranging from immigration to for- eign policy and legalizing marijuana — it is time for students to vote. Clinton is declared the winner when teacher Jennifer Elemen tallies the votes. "It's such a fun and relevant time to be teaching AP U.S. gov- ernm ent," says Elem en , Fremont Unified D i strict Teach ers Association. "My students are watching the candidates closely. ey are very opinionated about this election. Some will be voting for the first time." E l e m e n , w h o re c e iv e d t h e 2016 O utstanding Secondar y Teach er Award from th e Cal- ifornia Council for the Social Studies, reminds students that "e v e r y v o t e c o u n t s" a n d t h e stakes are high. " We talked about the presi- dent's power to appoint Supreme Court justices, and that some j u s t i c e s m i g h t r e t i r e o r d i e during the next administration," she says. "Students learned that whoever the president appoints will be very important in decid- i n g f u t u r e p o l i c i e s f o r t h i s country. It gave them pause." She adds, "I want them to be involved, care about government, and practice their civic duty of voting. I am trying to empower them to participate in democracy." DEBATE PARTIES, POLITICOS AND VOTER REGISTRATION What David Knatcal loves most about teaching civics in an elec- tion year is that students begin asking questions as soon as the bell rings. "ey say, 'Mr. K, did you hear about this? Did you see that on TV?' e election has been a circus, and everyone is paying atten- tion — including students." Debate night parties organized by Knatcal, adviser for the Junior State of America ( JSA) Club at Burroughs High School, lured many students by offering extra credit. e teens expressed surprise to see such mean-spiritedness and vulgarity on live television, such as candidates comparing the size of their hands and criticizing the appearance of fellow candidates' spouses. JSA and the social studies department sponsored a voter regis- tration drive for students who will be 18 by the November election, and also organized a political party fair, inviting local Republican, Democratic, Green and Libertarian party representatives to speak and answer questions. "I want them to be involved, care about government, and practice their civic duty of voting. I am trying to empower them to participate in democracy." — JENNIFER ELEMEN, Fremont Unified District Teachers Association 23 September 2016 Kennedy social studies teacher Jennifer Elemen leads her class through mock campaigns and elections based on current events.