SEQUENCE : THE 2012 AMERICAN ELECTIONS
Niveau : A2 + / B1
Domaine : S’informer et comprendre
Tâche : Following the example of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, create your own poster with a photo of
yourself telling about your 7 most important issues. ( imagine you’re a candidate for the French presidency,
candidate as a chef advisor for better eating habits , candidate as a sustainable development advisor , …..)
I)
ANTICIPATING / THE CARTOON ( annex 1)
A) The cartoon without the flag :
-
What ? 2 men
-
Who ? Obama / Romney
-
How do they look ? angry / cross / tired / they are sweating……..
-
What are they doing ? they look as if they were fighting………………..
-
What do you know about these men : One is president of the USA and the other
one is candidate.
-
Barack Obama was first elected in 2008. He is the first black president of the
USA….
-
Which political parties do they belong to ? the emblems of these parties ? B. O
is a Democrat ( Democratic Party / the DONKEY) and M. R is a Republican (
Republican party/ the ELEPHANT )
Malika SAIDI
The 2012 American elections
2012
To know more about these two candidates : go to www.barackobama.com or
http://www.mittromney.com
B) With the flag
-
What ? fighting for a flag / the American flag.
-
What does the American flag stand for ? It stands for the American
presidency/ it represents the American presidency …………………..
C) Mind map : American presidency
-
Duration of a term
-
Number of parties
-
How many times can a candidate be elected
-
………..
HMWK : Obama’s biography ( match the photos and the captions ) ( annex 2)
Rebrassage preterit
Malika SAIDI
The 2012 American elections
2012
II)
The American Electoral system
A) How to become president of the USA ( annex 3 or annexes 3 and 4 )
a) Using annex 3, fill in the document concerning the requirements needed to be
president of the USA:
REQUIREMENTS
-
Malika SAIDI
The 2012 American elections
2012
How many steps are there in the process ?
b) Pour les élèves qui ont besoin d’être accompagnés :Make sure you understand :
Match the different steps of the American Electoral system with the explanations
in French. ( donner les différentes étapes dans le désordre )
LE SYSTÈME ÉLECTORAL AMÉRICAIN
1) les Primaires
Au sein de chaque parti, plusieurs candidats font campagne pour l’investiture , Etat par Etat.
2) les Conventions
Lors d’une convention nationale, chaque parti désigne un « ticket » composé d’un candidat à la présidence et d’un
candidat à la vice présidence.
3) Le scrutin présidentiel
L’élection se déroule le 1er mardi de novembre tous les 4 ans.
Les électeurs de chaque état désignent des Grands Electeurs et le candidat de leur choix.
Le « ticket » obtenant le plus de voix dans l’Etat obtient les suffrages de l’ensemble des Grands Electeurs de l’Etat.
4) Inauguration Day
Elle a lieu le 20 janvier.
Le nouveau président prête serment sur la constitution.
c) Pour les élèves ayant un bon niveau : can you rephrase the different steps .
Malika SAIDI
The 2012 American elections
2012
d) Focus on the 2008 Electoral map/ analyzing the pro democratic/ republican states
How about watching and listening to a video fixing the information you have learnt about
the American political system 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok_VQ8I7g6I
Malika SAIDI
The 2012 American elections
2012
III) On the issues
Malika SAIDI
The 2012 American elections
2012
Ce document peut permettre un travail oral intéressant :
A) Activité GUESS WHO ? Justify.
Exemple :
-
who supports same sex marriage ?
-
Who thinks that military troops should stay where needed .
-
Who thinks that it was important to support the American stock exchange.
-
………………………………………..
Pour les élèves de CAP ou les élèves en difficulté, proposer un tableau simplifié ( qui
permettra également un travail de reformulation :
Issues
B. Obama
for
B. Obama
against
M. Romney
for
M. Romney
Against
Same sex
marriage
Cutdown on
government
spending
Malika SAIDI
The 2012 American elections
2012
B) Let’s compare : using expressions of contrast , compare the 2 candidates :
-
Contrary to B. Obama, Mitt Romney wants to preserve traditional marriage.
-
Barack Obama wants every American citizen to benefit from a health care
system whereas Mitt Romney ……………..
-
-
B. Obama………………………………but Mitt Romney ……………………….
What can we say if they share the same point of view ? : both / just like B.
Obama, Mitt Romney thinks that………/ ……………..
IV ) Comparing the French and American electoral system
Find out the information concerning :
The USA
- To be a candidate :
-
FRANCE
- To be a candidate:
minimum age :35
born American citizen
rich
-.............................................................................................
-.............................................................................................
Grants from the state
- Indirect universal suffrage
- .................................................................................................
( not directly elected by the people )
( directly elected by the people )
- President elected for 4 years
- .....................................................................................................
- 2 main parties ( Republicans /Democrats )
- ..................................................................................................
- The Electors choose the president.
- A two-ballot system to choose the president
Malika SAIDI
The 2012 American elections
2012