 |
|
Media coverage
Follow an issue that is being reported about in the St. Petersburg Times, on television and online. Compare and contrast the coverage of these news sources. Which provides the most in-depth, accurate information? Do the media report on the same issues or events differently? Do they focus on different slices of an issue or event? Share your thoughts with other students here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Swaying the voter
Look for articles in the St. Petersburg Times, in print or online, that focus on the elections. Identify at least two of these campaign techniques candidates or the media are using. How does understanding the techniques help people become better voters? Discuss how this information can help you and others make better voting decisions. Some of these techniques also are used in ads to make them more persuasive. Look through ads in the Times and identify ads where these techniques were used. Share your thoughts here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Endorsing amendments
Organizations and the media often recommend a candidate to voters who reflects the view of the editorial board or ownership of the organization, which implies more connection or support than a recommendation. Amendments also can be endorsed by the media or organizations. Look for recommendations in the Times, on tampabay.com and in other media. Here at the NIE Blogging Zone, discuss the impact these recommendations may have on voters’ opinions. Do the recommendations illustrate one of the vocabulary terms listed in the NIE Voting Times '08 publication?
Amendments can be tricky
Amendments can be tricky to understand. Look for articles about the amendments in the St. Petersburg Times and on tampabay.com. Think about and discuss some of the following ideas in your journal. Do you think these amendments are necessary? Do you agree or disagree with the amendments? Should the Florida Constitution be amended on an ongoing basis? Share your insights with other students across the Tampa Bay area here at the NIE Blogging Zone.
Share your thoughts
What are your thoughts about the issues below:
Do these issues concern you? Which of the presidential candidates is addressing these issues to your satisfaction? Share your thoughts here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Every picture tells a story
Look for pictures of the candidates in the St. Petersburg Times. Do you think the pictures show the candidate positively or negatively? Why might a particular picture of a candidate be chosen to accompany a particular story? What does the picture tell you? Share your thoughts here at the NIE Blogging Zone.
Assessing the candidates
Look for articles about the candidates in the St. Petersburg Times. In your journal, analyze and evaluate the candidates’ positions on issues that are important to you. Which candidate stands out to you? Why? Share your thoughts with other students here at the NIE Blogging Zone.
The issues matter
Do you think that just because you aren’t old enough to vote this election won’t affect you? You couldn’t be more wrong! Decisions made by our elected officials today can have a tremendous impact on your future. Do you worry about how you are going to pay for college, or wonder if there will be a job for you when you graduate from high school? Do you feel safe at school, at home or while traveling? Are you concerned about the environment, individual rights or gun control? If you plan on voting, you need to be aware of how the two presidential candidates feel about these issues. If you are too young to vote in this election, you still can influence your family and friends of voting age by sharing the facts about each candidate’s views, and by letting your voice be heard on topics that concern you. NIE wants to know what you think. Share your views about the candidates and the issues here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
Finding a leader
Barack Obama and John McCain want to be the leader of the country. A leader is someone who inspires or guides others. Look at the comics in the St. Petersburg Times. Which cartoon character do you think would be a good leader? Share your thoughts here a the NIE Blogging Zone.
Speeches, TV ads, interviews.... Oh My!
Every day, the presidential candidates unleash a torrent of words: speeches, TV ads, press releases, We pages, letters to contributors, interviews, YouTube videos. Together it forms a huge river of persuasion that can be overwhelming. Who can you believe? Do you think the media does a good job of helping citizens sort out the rhetoric? Do you think political ads are confusing? Share your insights with other students across the Tampa Bay area here at the NIE Blogging Zone.
Create a slogan
Look through the St. Petersburg Times for pictures and stories about issues in your neighborhood and across the country. Create a slogan that encourages voting and changing things for the better. Share your slogan here at the NIE Blogging Zone.
Increasing voter turnout
Using the St. Petersburg Times archives on tampabay.com, research the elections of 2000 and 2004. List Discuss your thoughts about the issues during these elections. Why do you think more young Americans voted in 2004? What are your predictions or the 2008 election? What can be done to increase voter turnout in 2008? Share your insights with other students across the Tampa Bay area here at the NIE Blogging Zone.
What did you learn?
Now that you have researched the history of voting in the United States, share the information you learned with other students by blogging here at the NIE Blogging Zone.
The hardest job in world
Have you ever thought what it would be like to be president of the United States? It’s one of the hardest jobs in the world, but it does give you the opportunity and power to change things for the better. The president is able to issue executive orders that can change some (not all) of the governing rules without the approval of Congress. Imagine that you have just been elected president. Based on the issues you read about in the St. Petersburg Times, what are the first three presidential executive orders you would give? What challenges do you foresee in the implementation of these orders? Share your ideas here on the NIE Blogging Zone.
National news
Look through today’s St. Petersburg Times and find three articles about national issues that worry you. (Examples: the war in Iraq, global warming, education funding). Write the main idea of the article and list the reasons that people your age should be concerned about this issue. Discuss how you could enact change through the political process. Share your thoughts here.
History in the news
There has been a lot of information in the media about the historical significance of this election. Follow this issue in the St. Petersburg Times, on television and online. What are your thoughts about the coverage? What are your thoughts about the historical significance of this election? Share your
insights with other students across the Tampa Bay area by blogging here.
Excuses! Excuses!
We want to know your thoughts about voting and the excuses young people use for not voting or even registering. Click on the comment link to begin sharing your thoughts.
 The NIE BLOGGING ZONE (or NBZ for short!) is a place to share your thoughts about whatever you read in Florida’s hottest newspaper: the St. Petersburg Times! School may be out for the summer, but here at NBZ you can keep up with the latest news and views of students all around Tampa Bay. If you have a burning topic to suggest, e-mail jillwilson@sptimes.com
Check out all our topics for blogging. Click on the category you want to read and respond to in the left side column. |
Recent Comments