Non-political activities to help kids learn about conventions plus leadership, communications, policy analysis and more

1.
WATCHING THE CONVENTIONS
Between August 27 and September 6, K‐12 students have a wonderful opportunity to learn and
experience government, democracy and leadership through political conventions.
GenerationNation provides a variety of hands‐on activities to help students learn while
watching, attending, reading about and discussing the conventions – all in a non‐political, non‐
partisan way.
Electing a President
All levels and branches of government
Roles of citizens and leaders
Democracy, political process, elections and voting
Civic participation and leadership
Current events and public policy issues
U.S. Constitution
Media literacy
Reading and analyzing information
Writing to communicate information, ideas, facts and opinions
Communicating a position, listening to others, debating a topic with civility
And more!
ABOUT CONVENTIONS
Every four years, American citizens elect a candidate to serve as President of the United States.
Part of the road to the White House involves political conventions.
Republican National Convention (RNC) – August 27‐30, 2012
www.gopconvention2012.com
Democratic National Convention (DNC) – September 4‐6, 2012
www.demconvention.com/
On September 3, CarolinaFest is a free event open to families – GenerationNation will
be there with non‐partisan activities
www.charlottein2012.com/carolinafest2012

2. Many television networks will have convention coverage at night. They might focus on one
speech and do a summary of everything else that happened that day. C‐SPAN will provide
“gavel to gavel” coverage, meaning you can watch EVERYTHING. www.c‐span.org/
Major speeches are held each evening and include
RNC
NJ Governor Chris Christie – Tuesday, August 28
VP Candidate Rep. Paul Ryan – Wednesday, August 29
US Senator (FL) Marco Rubio – Thursday, August 30
Candidate Mitt Romney – Thursday, August 30
DNC
San Antonio Mayor Juan Antonio – Tuesday, September 4
President Bill Clinton – Wednesday, September 5
President (and candidate) Barack Obama – Thursday, September 6
Watch the conventions
Watch the RNC and DNC conventions. Make notes and think about what you see – what does
the stage look like? What are the delegates doing? What do the signs say? What is the media
doing? Which topics are being covered? Any surprises? What did you learn and will remember
forever? Use the scorecard to keep track, and discuss at home or at school each day.
Download activity: www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/ConventionScorecard.pdf
Play convention bingo
Watch the convention speakers and candidates. Mark the topics they cover in the speeches.
Make copies for each convention and speech.
Download activity:
www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/CONVENTION_BINGO.pdf

3. Are they talking to me?
Before you watch or read about the conventions and speakers:
Decide which 1‐3 topics are most important to you.
Then decide which 1‐3 topics you predict the speakers and presidential candidates will
talk about.
Are the topics you picked the same, or different, as the ones you predict they will talk
about?
Watch or read about the conventions and speakers.
Were your topics covered? How many times? Did you correctly predict what the
speakers and candidates would talk about?
Download activity: www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/Aretheytalking2me.pdf
Connecting Governments
Watch the keynote, nomination and/or acceptance speech.
If you are studying any form of government in school, keep track of the number of times the
candidate mentions something that could impact one a different level of government.
Download activity: www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/CONNECTING_GOVERNMENTS.pdf
Getting the Message Across
Watch the convention speakers or candidates. Write your answers or share in groups or with
your class or family.
What is the key message the speaker is trying to deliver?
How does the speaker communicate the information?
Does he/she read from a piece of paper?
Does he/she raise or lower a voice or move hands to illustrate a specific point?
Does the speaker show emotions and expressions? How? Why? When?
Does he/she look confident? How?

4. How is he/she dressed? Does this matter?
Do people pay attention? How?
Is he/she persuasive? How?
What do you think is the most effective thing he/she does to communicate the
information? Least effective?
Download activity: www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/GettingMsgAcross.pdf
What’s your Response?
Watch a convention speech on TV or the web. Play the role of the opposite candidate or
political party. (Do this for both conventions – play the roles of BOTH sides!) Write and/or
deliver your opposition response. Be sure to address the key point the candidate made. Why
would YOUR ideas and solutions be better?
What’s for kids?
What does the candidate talk about that is of interest to or affects kids?
How many times does he/she talk about kids or things important to kids? Why do you think
that is?
Write the headline
Watch the convention speeches or news coverage. Pay attention, and answer these questions.
Write your answers or share in groups or with your class or with your family.
If you were reporting on the convention, a speaker, or candidate, what would your
headline be?
The next day, read actual headlines. Were you close? Were they right? Why or why not?
Read headlines from different news sources. What do they say? How are they similar or
different? Why?
Download activity: www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/writeheadline.pdf

5.
Student reporters
What are Charlotte students saying about the conventions? Read their reports.
Do students have a different perspective than traditional media? Why or why not?
www.generationnation.org/index.php/k12in2012/media
Be a citizen journalist
Your turn! GenerationNation invites all students to report on the political conventions through
written articles, social media, photos and video. What, or who do you see? Which topics are
being discussed? What do you think about everything you see? Make your youth voice heard!
Download activity: www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/Citizen_journalist.pdf

6.
CONVENTION SCORECARD
Republican National Convention Democratic National Convention
Dates:
Location:
Speakers:
How is the stage
decorated?
Why? If you were
designing the stage,
would you make
changes?
What do the
delegates look
like? Where are
they sitting?
Does it matter where
they sit? Why?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

7.
CONVENTION SCORECARD
Republican National Convention Democratic National Convention
What is the media
doing?
Why? If you were in
the media, who would
you interview first?
Do you see any
signs? What do
they say?
Are they easy to read?
If you were making a
sign, what would it say
and look like?
Which topics are
being covered?
Do you agree that the
topics are most
important for the US?
Why or why not?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

8.
CONVENTION SCORECARD
Republican National Convention Democratic National Convention
What surprised
you? Why?
What did you
learn?
What did you
hope to see that
you didn’t?
What will you
always remember
about this
convention?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

9.
CONVENTION SCORECARD
Republican National Convention Democratic National Convention
Other comments,
notes and
questions about
the conventions
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

10.
CONVENTION BINGO
Watch the convention speakers and candidates. Mark the topics they cover in the speeches. Make copies for
each convention and speech.
Convention: RNC DNC Speaker: Keynote Nomination Acceptance Other
(circle one) (circle one)
Bipartisan Military/Defense Global issues Environment Education
Competitive Immigration Vision Work Together Americans
Jobs (Write your own) Terrorism Energy Healthcare
Schools The poor (Write your own) Constitution Uninsured
Illegal Economy Working Class Budget (Write your own)
(Write your own) Social Security Medicare Business Technology
Children/Youth Taxes Media (Write your own) Graduation Rate
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

11.
CONNECTING GOVERNMENTS
Watch the keynote, nomination and/or acceptance speech.
If you are studying any form of government in school, keep track of the number of times the candidate
mentions something that could impact a different level of government:
KEYNOTE NOMINATION ACCEPTANCE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
(circle one)
STUDENT COUNCIL
SCHOOL BOARD
CITY OR TOWN
COUNTY
STATE
UNITED STATES
GLOBAL
OTHER?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

12.
ARE THEY TALKING TO ME?
Pick and predict
Before you watch or read about the conventions and speakers:
Decide which 1‐3 topics are most important to you.
Then decide which 1‐3 topics you predict the speakers and presidential candidates will talk about.
Are the topics you picked the same, or different, as the ones you predict they will talk about?
Watch or read about the conventions and speakers.
Were your topics covered? How many times? Did you correctly predict what the speakers and candidates would talk about?
POSSIBLE TOPICS
Children/ Youth Jobs Research
Cities Justice Safety
Economy K‐12 Education Taxes
Environment Leadership Technology
Global issues Military Terrorism
Government NASA Transportation
Healthcare Politics Working together
Housing Pre‐K Education Other?
Use the worksheet on the next page to write your topics and take notes.
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

13.
ARE THEY TALKING TO ME?
MY TOPICS:
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
PREDICTION OF TOPICS
HOW MANY TIMES MY TOPICS WERE
MENTIONED
BIG TOPICS COVERED AT CONVENTION
WHICH CONVENTION MOST COVERED
THE TOPICS I AM INTERESTED IN?
WHY WERE THE TOPICS THE SAME AS, OR
DIFFERENT THAN, MINE?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

14.
GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
Watch the convention speakers or candidates. Write your answers or share in groups or with your class or family.
What is the key message the speaker is trying to deliver?
How does the speaker communicate the information? Does he/she read from a piece of paper?
Does he/she raise or lower a voice or move hands to illustrate a specific point?
Does the speaker show emotions and expressions? How? Why? When?
Does he/she look confident? How?
How is he/she dressed? Does this matter?
Do people pay attention? How?
Is he/she persuasive? How?
What do you think is the most effective thing he/she does to communicate the information? Least effective?
KEYNOTE SPEECH
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
SPEAKER NAME
Key message
Communication skills
Confidence
Appearance
Do people pay attention
Is the person persuasive?
Most effective
Least effective
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

15.
GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
Watch the convention speakers or candidates. Write your answers or share in groups or with your class or family.
What is the key message the speaker is trying to deliver?
How does the speaker communicate the information? Does he/she read from a piece of paper?
Does he/she raise or lower a voice or move hands to illustrate a specific point?
Does the speaker show emotions and expressions? How? Why? When?
Does he/she look confident? How?
How is he/she dressed? Does this matter?
Do people pay attention? How?
Is he/she persuasive? How?
What do you think is the most effective thing he/she does to communicate the information? Least effective?
NOMINATION SPEECH
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
SPEAKER NAME
Key message
Communication skills
Confidence
Appearance
Do people pay attention
Is the person persuasive?
Most effective
Least effective
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

16.
GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
Watch the convention speakers or candidates. Write your answers or share in groups or with your class or family.
What is the key message the speaker is trying to deliver?
How does the speaker communicate the information? Does he/she read from a piece of paper?
Does he/she raise or lower a voice or move hands to illustrate a specific point?
Does the speaker show emotions and expressions? How? Why? When?
Does he/she look confident? How?
How is he/she dressed? Does this matter?
Do people pay attention? How?
Is he/she persuasive? How?
What do you think is the most effective thing he/she does to communicate the information? Least effective?
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
SPEAKER NAME
Key message
Communication skills
Confidence
Appearance
Do people pay attention
Is the person persuasive?
Most effective
Least effective
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

17.
GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
Watch the convention speakers or candidates. Write your answers or share in groups or with your class or family.
What is the key message the speaker is trying to deliver?
How does the speaker communicate the information? Does he/she read from a piece of paper?
Does he/she raise or lower a voice or move hands to illustrate a specific point?
Does the speaker show emotions and expressions? How? Why? When?
Does he/she look confident? How?
How is he/she dressed? Does this matter?
Do people pay attention? How?
Is he/she persuasive? How?
What do you think is the most effective thing he/she does to communicate the information? Least effective?
OTHER SPEAKERS
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
SPEAKER NAME
Key message
Communication skills
Confidence
Appearance
Do people pay attention
Is the person persuasive?
Most effective
Least effective
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

18.
WRITE THE HEADLINE
Watch the convention speeches or news coverage. Pay attention, and answer these questions. Write your
answers or share in groups or with your class or with your family.
If you were reporting on the convention, a speaker, or candidate, what would your headline be?
The next day, read actual headlines. Were you close? Were they right? Why or why not?
Read headlines from different news sources. What do they say? How are they similar or different? Why?
SPEAKER OR EVENT AND DATE:_______________________________________________________
MEDIA SOURCE HEADLINE
My Name: My headline:
Charlotte Observer http://www.charlotteobserver.com
CNN http://www.cnn.com
C‐SPAN http://www.c‐span.org
Fox News http://www.foxnews.com
BBC http://www.bbc.com/
NPR http://www.npr.org/
(OTHER NEWS SOURCES)
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

19.
YOUR TURN! BE A CITIZEN JOURNALIST
GenerationNation invites all students to report on the political conventions
through written articles and opinions, social media, photos and video. What, or
who do you see? Which topics are being discussed? What do you think about
everything you see? Make your youth voice heard!
People: political leaders, delegates, media, celebrities, security
Issues and topics
Impact on Charlotte
Events and speeches
Media coverage about the conventions or Charlotte
Your perspective as a student
Anything else you think is interesting!
SHARE YOUR REPORT
On all submissions, include your name, age or grade, and school or youth organization. If you
are part of a school newspaper, include the link. Do not worry if you are not a professional. Your
youth voice is important.
Written report/opinion (100‐200 words or less)
Send text in body of the email (not as an attachment)
Note if it is a report (what I saw) or an opinion piece (what I think)
Email to GenNation.youthvoice@gmail.com
Photos
Email to GenNation.youthvoice@gmail.com
or upload at www.facebook.com/GenerationNation
Video
Upload on YouTube, tag #GenNation and #youthvoice or
Email GenNation.youthvoice@gmail.com with link
Social media
Twitter: tag @GenNation and #youthvoice
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GenerationNation
GenerationNation will review for language, brevity and clarity and share student reports on the
web and via social media.
Web: www.GenerationNation.org/K12in2012
Tumblr: www.GenerationNation.tumblr.com (youth voice page)
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice