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SO 027 494

Smigielski, Alan; Casey, Douglas, Ed.Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect TheirPresident.Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Office ofElementary and Secondary Education.

9617p.Smithsonian Office'of Elementary and SecondaryEducation, Arts and Industries Building 1163, MRC402, Washington, DC 20560.Guides Non-Classroom Use (055) Collected Works

Serials (022)Art to Zoo: Teaching with the Power of Objects;

Sep-Oct 1996

MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.Art Activities; Elections; Elementary SecondaryEducation; Geography; Instructional Materials;Interdisciplinary Approach; Language'Arts; *PoliticalCampaigns; *Presidential Campaigns (United States);*Presidents of the United States; Social Studies;Thematic Approach; United States History; *Voting

The office of the presidency and the informal processof electing the president are the themes of this issue of "Art to

Zoo," a quarterly journal designed for use with students in grades4-9. The interdisciplinary activities provided encourage students toconsider the powers of the presidency as well as the informal methodsthat have evolved to select candidates for the nation's highestelected office. The resource includes background information; 5reproducible activity sheets and a bilingual (English/Spanish) "TakeHome Sheet"; and 3 "Learning About the Presidency"; "Promoting theCandidate"; and "Help a Candidate." A list of resources concludes theinstructional guide. (MM)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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EACHING WITH THE POWER OF OBJECTSSmithsonian Institution September/October 1996

Inside."34.1

Lesson Plan

Take-HomePage inEnglish/Spanish

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Subjects

Art

Geography

LanguageArts

SocialStudies

Grades

4-9

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U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOnce of Educational Research and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it

Minor changes have been made toimprove reproduction quality

Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy

CONTENTS

Introduction Page 3

Lesson Plan Step 1 Page 6

Activity Page IA Page 7

Activity Page 1B Page 8

Lesson Plan Step 2 Page 9

Activity Page 2A Page 10

Activity Page 2B Page 11

Activity Page 2C Page 12

Lesson Plan Step 3 Page 13

Take-Home Page inEnglish/Spanish Page 14

Resources Page 15

Art to Zoo's purpose is to help teachers bring intotheir classrooms the educational power of museumsand other community resources.

Art to Zoo draws on the Smithsonian's hundredsof exhibitions and programsfrom art, history, andscience to aviation and folklifeto create classroom-ready materials for grades four through nine.

Each of the four annual issues explores a singletopic. through an interdisciplinary, multiculturalapproach.

The Smithsonian invites teachers to duplicateArt to Zoo materials for educational use.

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1 ' t

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

I

You may request alarge-print or diskversion of Art to Zooby writing to theaddress listed on theback cover or by faxingto (202) 357-2116.

Cover photo William Jennings

Bryan presidential campaign gam

1908.

Above photo Abraham Lincoln

campaign biography, 1860. Durin

the nineteenth century, political

parties emphasized the character

and accomplishments of their

candidates in carefully crafted

campaign biographies.

Opposite photo WilliamJennings Bryan paper hat, 1896.

Democratic newspapers distribut

this elaborate paper hat during t

1896 presidential campaign.

coDMATE fofr

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BRYAN, OE

.

Wilaming the Vets: Hew

During the long,sweltering summer of 1787a delegation of more thanfifty men from twelve formerBritish colonies cloisteredthemselves behind the lockeddoors of Philadelphia'sIndependence Hall. Thestated purpose of theirmeeting was to amend theArticles of Confederation, aloose framework for ouryoung nation's government.However, when the delega-tion adjourned in Septemberits members had insteadfashioned an entirely newConstitution and with itthe uniquely Americaninstitution of the presidency.

The office of the presiden-cy and the informal processof electing the president arethe themes of this issue ofArt to Zoo and are among themany topics visitors can

mericans Elect Their President

explore in the Smithsonian'sNational Museum ofAmerican History. Theactivities that follow includeobjects from that museumand encourage your studentsto consider the powers ofthe presidency as well asthe informal methods thathave evolved to selectcandidates for America'shighest elected office.

Defining the Office

The Founders atPhiladelphia in 1787 wereconfronted with a series offundamental questions asthey fashioned their execu-tive creation. Would thepresident possess almostmonarchical authority, orwould his powers be morelike those of the stategovernors? Should thepresidency encompass a

single individual or perhapsa panel of executives?Would the federal legislature(Congress) elect the presi-dent or would the nation'svoters? Should the presidentserve only a single, lengthyterm or be eligible for reelec-tion to several shorter terms?

These were difficult issuesfor the Founders to resolve.Many had resented thepowerful royal governorswho had presided over theirstates before the Revolution.Others had equally strongfeelings about the perceivedweaknesses of the Executiveunder the Articles ofConfederation. Despite theirdifferences, however, theFounders agreed on whoshould serve as the firstpresidenthe was sitting inthe same room with them.George Washington, the hero

4

of the Revolution and nowthe presiding officer of thePhiladelphia Convention,was to many a living embod-iment of the presidency. Inno small measure the powersgranted to the Executive area testimony to the confidenceplaced in Washington'spersonal qualities ofleadership and integrity.

The institution of thepresidency as created by theConstitution represented abold new experiment in gov-ernment. The president wasto be many thingsthe headof the executive branch, thecommander-in-chief of thearmed forces, and the headof state. His powers werewide-ranging and includedthe authority to command thearmed forces, veto congres-sional legislation, negotiatetreaties with foreign powers,

YOUNG TIPPECANDEAND MORTON(21.,:!?!,*red-

ROTECTION

appoint officials (includingambassadors and SupremeCourt justices), grantpardons and reprieves,receive foreign ambassadors,and call Congress intospecial session.

The constitutional processthat they established forelecting the president reflect-ed the Founders' concern thatthe right person be selectedfor a job with a four-yearterm of office and unlimitedpossibility for reelection.The ideal candidate wouldbe, like Washington, a leaderof national stature whopossessed the experienceand maturity necessary tocarry out his duties. With somuch power entrusted to thepresidency, the delegateschose not to enact a systemin which popular votes alone

Benjamin Harrison presidential campaign ribbon, 1888.

The party faithful often wore ribbons like this one to

show their support for a candidate.

could determine theoutcome; they feared thatvoters might select regionalcandidates lacking innational perspective.

To prevent this possibility,the Founders created theElectoral College. Inthis body, each state wasallocated as many electorsas it had senators andrepresentatives in Congress.Members of the ElectoralCollege were chosen throughmethods determined by thestate legislatures. To elect apresident, electors wouldmeet in their respectivestates to cast their votes.The candidate with thegreatest number of voteswould be named president,and the candidate with thesecond greatest number ofvotes would be named vicepresident. (This procedurewas modified in 1804 by theTwelfth Amendment, whichplaced the president andvice president as a "team"running on the same ticket.)

Political PartiesA gradual development

in the American process ofelecting a president was theformation of political parties.Some of the Founders didnot welcome parties; there isno mention of the role orfunction of national parties inthe Constitution. They sharedthe eighteenth-century notionthat parties, or "factions,"were injurious to a represen-tative government. Others

disagreed and went on toform America's firstpolitical parties.

Historians continue todebate the precise evolutionof American political partiesbut generally agree that aviable national party systemhad emerged by the late1830s. National politicalparties brought togetherdiverse local and regionalcoalitions who wanted tovoice their opinions in anational forum. An importantpart of their strategy was togain control of Congressand the presidency.

The broadly basedDemocratic, Whig, and(later) Republican Partieswere products of the steadilyexpanding franchise, or rightto vote, during the earlynineteenth century. By1840, property restrictionsfor voting had largely beenrepealed, enabling mostwhite males over the ageof twenty-one to vote.Throughout the nineteenthand twentieth centuries theelectorate continued toexpand as people outsidethe system struggled toobtain the vote. Thefranchise was extended toAfrican American males inthe 1870s (although laterseverely restricted in somestates), to women and NativeAmericans by the 1920s,and to all eighteen-year-oldsin the 1970s. Each influxof new voters added strengthto the political parties.

4 Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President September/October 1996 5

In addition to changingthe dynamics of elections,the emergence of nationalpolitical parties created anew role for the presidentthat of party leader. It was aposition that many presidentsfound uncomfortable butnecessary to assume in theirpursuit and exercise of theExecutive office.

Selecting the Candidates

Political partiesintroduced to Americanpresidential elections severalinformal practices that haveno constitutional definition.Instead, they complementthe Constitution by providingan effective means to selectcandidates of proven abilityand national reputation.

Early on, presidentialcandidates were chosen bya few influential partymembers who assembledin state and congressionalcaucuses. It became clear bythe late 1830s, however, thatthis process did not appeardemocratic enough to thethousands of newly enfran-chised voters. Thus was bornthe curiously American ritualof the quadrennial nationalparty convention.

From the beginning, con-ventions were highly stylizedand emotive affairs, partlyreminiscent of religiousrevival meetings and attend-ed by an enthusiastic crosssection of the party's faithful.A convention's primaryfunction was not alwaysto select a candidate but to

CBS

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reconcile competing factionsand unite the party behindthe nominee. As part ofthis reconciliation process,convention delegatesdrafted a statement of partyprinciplesa platformthat represented the views ofthose assembled. Candidateswould pledge to uphold theirparty platforms, but seldomhave elected presidents usedthese principles as a basis forenacting their legislativeagendas.

National conventionsbecame less important in thecandidate selection processby the mid-twentieth century,as reformers within bothmajor parties advocated aseries of state primaries asa means of more activelyinvolving the party rankand file. Once they becamewidely adopted, primariesvirtually guaranteed toestablish major party nomi-nees well before the nationalconventions took place.

American political partiesalso transformed the nationalpresidential campaign intoa colorful spectacle. Aneclectic mixture of Americanpopular culture and politics,

the national campaign pittedthe major parties in a titanicbattle to market theirrespective candidates to thewider electorate.

Around 1840, nationalcampaigns began to surroundthe presidential electionprocess in an atmosphereof unrestrained hoopla.The party faithful marchedin torchlight parades; sangofficial campaign songs;devoured adoring campaignbiographies; subscribed toparty newspapers; anddisplayed buttons, banners,ashtrays, mugs, and everymanner of memorabiliaemblazoned with the nameand image of their candidate.

These seemingly frivolousefforts were directed towarda very serious end: convinc-ing as many voters aspossible to cast their ballotfor the party's nominee.Because of peculiarities inthe Electoral College system,a difference of only a fewthousand popular votes wasoften enough to gamer acandidate-the total count ofa state's electoral votesand possibly the presidency.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivering a radio address,

1936. Our thirty-second president was the first Chief

Executive to make extensive use of radio to communicate

with American voters.

The Changing

CampaignDuring most of thenineteenth century,presidentialcandidates werenot expected toplay a public rolein the nationalcampaign. Thelack of efficient

transportation made it diffi-cult for candidates to interactwith voters outside theirimmediate regions. Not until1928 did national speakingtours by both major partycandidates become a stapleof the presidential race. Theonly significant exceptionto this general inertia wasthe whirlwind eighteen-thousandmile speakingtour in 1896 of theDemocratic candidateWilliam Jennings Bryan.

The technologicalprogress of the twentiethcentury brought profoundchanges in the style ofthe national presidentialcampaign. By the 1930s,radio carried the voices ofthe candidates directly intomillions of American homes.Within a generation,television had completedthe picture by providing thevoters with visual imagesof the candidates. Thuspresidential politics hadmerged with the mediarevolution. It was nowdesirable that candidateshave both a polished speak-ing voice and a photogenicquality if they were to be

successfully marketed tothe electorate.

Televised debates betweenthe major party candidatesbecame a part of the nationalpresidential campaign in1960. Historians and politicalscientists continue tostudy the electoral impactof televised debates, andmillions of voters watchthem each election year.

More recently, televisionintroduced the "electronictown meeting" to thepresidential contest. Inthis increasingly popularbroadcast forum, candidatesanswer questions fromvoters across the nation.Presidential politics haveeven moved into the realmof cyberspace. Major andminor parties have eagerlyset up World Wide Websites to disseminate theircandidate's views on awide range of domestic andforeign policy issues.

These changes remind usthat the process of electingthe president will no doubtcontinue to evolve, as it hasover the past two centuries.In a manner befitting a freeand open society, Americanswill determine how toselect those most qualifiedto compete for our nation'shighest office: thepresidency.

Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President SeptembeTiOctober 1996 5

LESSON FLANRep 1

LEARNING ABOUT THE

PRESIDENCY

ObjectivesIdentify the powers of the

presidency as defined by theU.S. Constitution.

- Interpret an electoral mapof a presidential contest.

Examine the function ofthe Electoral College.

MaterialsCopies of Activity Pages

IA and 1B, pages 7 and 8.Copies of maps of the

United States.Chalkboard, chalk.Pens or pencils.

SubjectsGeography, language arts,math, social studies

Procedure1. Tell your students that

you are going to describe animportant national event forthem to guess. Give thesedetails: This event takesplace once every four yearsin November; manyAmericans take an interest init; the press begins to coverthis event at least one yearbefore it happens; if youwatch television, listen to theradio, or read the newspapersyou see many advertisementsand hear stories about it;thousands of people meetevery four years during thesummer to prepare for it; and

although it is not a sportingevent, some people havedescribed it as being like along-distance race. Your stu-dents will probably concludethat you have described theelection of the president ofthe United States.

2. Ask students whyAmericans show so muchinterest in the election of thepresident. They will probablyconclude that Americanswant to pick the right personfor the most powerful electedoffice in America. Ask themto describe the president'sjobwhat does the presidentdo? Have a volunteer list theclass' responses on the chalk-board.

3. Give each student acopy of Activity Page IA andtell the class that they will bereading part of the presi-dent's job description fromthe U.S. Constitution. Directthem to the section entitled"Who can be president?" andchoose a few volunteers toread the paragraph aloud.(Some students might find theeighteenth-century languageof the Constitution difficult tounderstand and may needextra coaching.) Have yourstudents answer the questionsthat follow the paragraph.Encourage them to considerwhy the president must be atleast thirty-five years old andhave lived in the UnitedStates for fourteen years.Answers may vary, but stu-dents will probably concludethat the president must be old

enough and have lived in theUnited States long enough tohave had a wide range ofexperience with nationalissues. (Life expectancy wassignificantly shorter duringthe eighteenth and nineteenthcenturies than it is today,making thirty-five a relativelymature age then.)

4. Direct students to thesection entitled "Some dutiesof the president." Choosevolunteers to read the para-graphs aloud and then havestudents write their responsesto the questions that followeach paragraph. Encouragethem to compare theiranswers to the class' list ofpresidential duties (on thechalkboard).

5. Ask students todescribe how they think thepresident is elected. Studentswill probably conclude thatthe president is elected by amajority of popular votes inthe general election. Giveeach student a copy ofActivity Page 1B, "TheElectoral College" and a U.S.map (with states' names).Tell them that they will belearning about the presiden-tial election of 1888 and thatthe result might surprisethem. (To establish a context,you may wish to tell yourstudents that this electionoccurred between the CivilWar and World War I.)

6. Tell students to markthe electoral map on ActivityPage 1B with the names orU.S. Postal Service abbrevia-tions of each state in 1888(territories are alreadymarked). Be sure to stressthat the electoral map shad-ings indicate which candidatewon which states. Direct

6 Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President September/October 19967

your students to writeanswers to the questions onthe activity page. Next, tellthem that the small numberson the map represent theelectoral votes of the states.(Use the Introduction as aguide to discuss the conceptof the Electoral College). Besure to stress that a state'snumber of electors is equalto its number of senators andrepresentatives.

7. Ask your students toadd up the numbers in thestates with dark shading(electoral votes for BenjaminHarrison) and the numbers inthe states with light shading(electoral votes for GroverCleveland). (You may havestudents add the numbers onthe chalkboard.) Which can-didate had the greater num-ber of electoral votes?Students should concludethat Harrison did. Tell themthat as a result, Harrison wonthe election even though hehad fewer popular votes thanCleveland.

8. Conclude the lesson byinitiating a discussion on therelative merits of theElectoral College system. Isit a fair way of electing thepresident? Does it still work?Should the system bechanged? (Students mightnot see the benefits of havingthe Electoral College. Youmay wish to mention that thesystem encourages the stabil-ity of well-organized, locallybased parties at the expenseof less-established, third-party movements.) Be sure toemphasize that the 1888election was an exceptionalcase and that candidates whogarner the greatest number ofpopular votes also usuallywin the Electoral Collegevote.

ACTVTY PAGE TAThe PvesNen. en Papaw

WHO CAN BE PRESIDENT?

(From Article II, Section 1 of the U. S. Constitution)

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of

the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this

Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President;

nether shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall

not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been

fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

How old must one be to run for president?

How many years must one be a resident of the United

States to run for president?

SOME DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

(Excerpted from Article II, Section 2)

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and

Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several

States, when called into the actual Service of the United

States . . . and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and

Pardons for Offences against the United States.

Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by

and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall

appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls,

Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of

the United States, whose Appointments are not herein

otherwise provided for.

What can the president do, if he or she receives the

Senate's approval?

(Excerpted from Article II, Section 3)

He shall from time to time give to the Congress

Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to

their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge

necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary

Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them . . . he

shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he

shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and

shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

What duties of the president are described in this paragraph? What can Congress expect the president to do?

SOME DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT continued

He shall have Power; by and with the Advice and Consent

of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two-thirds of the

What other duties of the president does this paragraph

describe?

Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President September/October 1996 7

ACTIVITY PAGE 1BThe E]ectorai College

Who were the candidates?

Which candidate had the most popular votes?

Who do you think won the election?

Count up the number of electoral votes: Cleveland

Washington

TerritoryMontana

Territory

Idaho

Territory

Dakota

Territory

Harrison

Wyoming

Territory

Utah

Territory

Arizona

Territory

23!"3

New

Mexico

Territory

Oklahoma

Territory

KEY

3 Benjamin Harrison (R)

21 Grover Cleveland (D)

Popular Votes

Cleveland 5,537,857

Harrison 5,447,129 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

98 Art to Zoo Winnimq the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President September/October /996

LESSON PLANStep 2

PROMOTING THE

CANDIDATE

ObjectivesIdentify the role of

political parties inpresidential elections.

Interpret objects frompresidential campaigns.

MaterialsCopies of Activity

Pages 2AC, pages 10-12.Pens, pencils.

SubjectsSocial studies, language arts

Procedure1. Ask your students to

review what they learned byreading the portions of theConstitution included inActivity Page 1A. Is thereany mention of the presiden-tial campaign process? Doesthe Constitution say anythingabout political parties? Usingthe Introduction as a guide,tell your students that thewriters of the Constitutiondid not anticipate the scopeof national political partiesand would not have imaginedthe large expense and perma-nent organization necessaryto run a modem presidentialcampaign. Be sure to empha-size that ever since politicalparties were formed, they

have profoundly shaped theway Americans elect theirpresident. (You may wishto remind them of party-driven institutions such asconventions and primaries.)

2. Give each student acopy of Activity Pages2AC. Tell your studentsthat they will be examiningobjects at the SmithsonianInstitution that originallycame from presidentialcampaigns of the nineteenthand twentieth centuries.Stress that political partiescreated these objects toprovide simple and directreasons for voters to considertheir candidates' characterand personal qualifications.

3. Direct your studentsto Object 1 but do not tellthem what it isan 1840campaign ribbon for Whigcandidate William HenryHarrison. Ask them to lookcarefully at the object,examining both the text andpictures. Is it clear who thecandidate is? What qualitiesmake this candidate trustwor-thy enough to be president?(Some students might find thenineteenth-century languagedifficult to understand andmay need extra coaching.)Answers may vary, butstudents will likely concludethat voters were encouragedto elect Harrison becausehe was, like GeorgeWashington, a militaryhero-and farmer and sopresumably well preparedfor the presidency.

4. Repeat the inquiryprocess outlined in lessonstep 3 for the remainingobjects on Activity Pages2AC. (Be sure to consultthe key to campaign objectsand possible answersprovided in the Introductionand this lesson plan.) Havestudents write their answersin the spaces provided onthe Activity Pages.

5. Conclude the activityby asking your students whatthese campaign objects mightindicate about the qualitiesAmerican voters seek intheir president. Students willprobably conclude that votersseem to want proven leaderswho can keep the nation atpeace and economicallystrong.

KEY TO CAMPAIGN OBJECTS

Object 1

1840 campaign ribbonfor Whig candidateWilliam Henry Harrison.Message to voters:Consider Harrisonbecause he was, likeGeorge Washington, amilitary hero and farmerand so is well preparedfor the presidency.

Object 21956 comic book(aimed at women voters)for Republican candidateDwight D. Eisenhower.Message to voters:Consider Eisenhowerbecause he brought abouteconomic prosperity bybalancing the budget, cut-ting taxes, and reducinginflation; ended the war in

Korea; conducts himselfwith honesty and integrity;and took action on civilrights during his first term.

Object 3

1912 campaign posterfor Democratic candidateWoodrow Wilson.

Message to voters:Consider Wilson becausehe displays the leadershipqualities of GeorgeWashington.

Object 41972 campaign posterfor Democratic candidateGeorge McGovern.Message to voters:Consider McGovernbecause he would addressthe concerns of ordinarypeople if he were elected.

10 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President September/October 1996 9

Activity Page 2A

Object 1

What is the candidate's name?

What party did the candidate belong to?

Why should voters choose this candidate?

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

10 Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President September/October 199611

Activity Page 2

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IN CONGRESS!'

Object 2

What is the candidate's nickname? (Your teacher can tell you his full name.)

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Why should voters (especially women) choose this candidate?

12Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President Senic;mber/Ocrober /9% 11

ctivity Page 2C

I THINK WE'VE GOTANOTHER WASHINGTON

AND WILSO HIS NAME

Object 3 Object 4

What is the candidate's name? What is the candidate's name?

Why should voters choose this candidate? Why should voters choose this candidate?

12 Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President September/Ocrober 1996

13

LESSON PLSt ia)

HELP A CANDIDATE

Objectives

Identify methods usedto promote presidentialcandidates.

Create campaignpromotional materials for areal or fictional candidate.

MaterialsCopies of Take-Home

Page, page 14.Crayons, markers, paper,

pencils, pens.

Subjects

Art, language arts, socialstudies

Procedure

1. Using the Introductionas a guide, tell your studentsthat presidential campaignshave changed dramaticallyover the past century.Emphasize that candidates inthe nineteenth century werenot expected to play a publicrole in the campaign andwere often unable to travelextensively because of thepoor state of transportation.Stress that much of theseemingly frivolous electionmemorabilia studentsexamined in Lesson PlanStep 2 was directed toward avery serious end: to convinceas many voters as possibleto cast their ballot for thecandidate.

2. Ask your class whatmethods candidates usetoday to convince Americansto vote for them. Answersmay vary, but students willprobably mention televisionand radio advertisements,press conferences, televisedpresidential debates, elec-tronic "town meetings,"and World Wide Web sites.Emphasize the role inpresidential campaigns ofchanging communicationstechnologies.

3. Continue the classdiscussion by asking yourstudents to consider the skillscandidates must have to usethese new communicationstechnologies effectively.(You may wish to focus yourquestions on television andradio first.) Students willprobably conclude that it ishelpful for candidates tohave a polished speakingvoice, a photogenic quality,and the ability to respondquickly to detailed questions.

4. Give each student acopy of the Take-HomePage. Tell your class thatthey have just been hired asmanagers of a presidentialcampaign (either real orfictionaltheir choice).Their job is to promote theircandidate so that Americanswill vote for him or her.Stress that students can usewhatever medium theywishtelevision, radio, apublic rally or parade,posters, or buttonstopublicize their candidate.

5. Direct your students tothe Take-Home Page. Tellthem they can use the backof the sheet (and other paperas necessary) to design aposter or button, write ashort radio advertisement,or draw a story board for atelevision commercial.

14

6. After your studentshave completed the Take-Home Page, ask them toshare their work with theclass. Students who havecreated posters or buttonscan interpret their design tothe class, while those whohave written television orradio advertisements canread, perform, or otherwiseconvey the message of theircommercials. To concludethe activity, you may wish tohave the class vote for themost convincing campaignmaterials.

Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President ScpreMber/Octoher 1996 13

TAKE-HOME PAGEYou're the CampaignManager

To the teacherDuplicate this page

for students.Use with Lesson

Plan Step 3.

My candidate is

Publication of Art to Zoo ismade possible through thegenerous support of thePacific Mutual Foundation.

TRABAJO PARA HACEREN LA CASATu Eres el Director(a) deCampatiaAl maestro (a)

Copie esta pagina paralos alumnos.

Use la con el tercerpaso del plan de la leccion.

Mi candidato(a) es

Esta publicacion ha sidoposible gracias al generosoaporte de la PacificMutual Foundation.

People should vote for him/her because Debemos votar por el/ella porque

Directions: Use the back of this page topromote your candidate by designing abutton or poster or by writing/drawing atelevision or radio commercial.

Instrucciones: A la vuelta de la pagina,diseria un boton o un cartel, redacta uncomercial para la radio o television queda a conocer a to candidato!

15

14 Art to Zoo Winning the Vote: How Americans Elect Their President September/October 1996

RESCOIMES

BOOKS AND TEACHING

GUIDES

Boller, Paul F. PresidentialCampaigns. New York:Oxford University Press, 1996.

Curififfe, Marcus. ThePresidency. Boston: HoughtonMifflin Company, 1987.

Dover, E. D. PresidentialElections in the TelevisionAge: 1960-1992. Westport,Connecticut: Praeger, 1994.

Fischer, Roger A. Tippecanoeand Trinkets Too: TheMaterial Culture of AmericanPresidential Campaigns,1828-1984. Urbana:University of Illinois Press,1987.

McCormick, Richard P.The Presidential Game:The Origins of AmericanPresidential Politics. NewYork: Oxford UniversityPress, 1982.

Mee, Charles L. The Genius ofthe People. New York: Harper& Row, 1987.

Melder, Keith E. Hail to theCandidate: PresidentialCampaigns from Banners toBroadcasts. Washington, D.C.:Smithsonian Institution Press,1992.

Post, Robert C., ed. EveryFour Years. Washington, D.C.:Smithsonian ExpositionBooks, 1980.

Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr., ed.Running For President: TheCandidates and Their Images.New York: Simon & Schuster,

1994.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Go to the official WhiteHouse World Wide Web site,

http://www.whitehouse.gov,for information on the currentpresident.

Campaign '96 Online(http://campaign.96.com)offers a comprehensive guideto candidates' Web sites.

Current presidential campaignnews appears on the PoliticsNow site, http://www.politicsnow.com.

The complete texts of allpresidential inaugural address-es appear on http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/inaugural/index.html.

The United States InformationAgency maintains anextensive list of articles and aglossary of election terms athttp://www.usia.gov/elections/process.htm.

Note: Because of the rapidlyevolving nature of theInternet, some of the uniformresource locators (URLs)above may have changedsince publication.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

William L. BirdNational Museum ofAmerican History

David BurgevinOffice of Printing andPhotographic Services

Susan KelmanOffice of Elementary andSecondary Education

Sandra MatthewsNational Museum ofAmerican History

Nancy McCoyNational Museum ofAmerican History

Harry RubensteinNational Museum ofAmerican History

16

ART TO ZOO

Art to Zoo is a publicationof the Office of Elementaryand Secondary Education,Smithsonian Institution,Washington, DC 20560.

WriterAlan Smigielski

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Douglas Casey

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Santa Rodriguez

DesignerKarlic Design AssociatesBaltimore, Maryland

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