American Government Final Project
(the last one!)
Well you finally have only one more project to do in this class!
Choose ONE of the following options for your final American Government projects.
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Option 1—2016 Presidential Election Analysis/Prediction (Paper or PPT)
Option 2 – Current Events News Cast
Option 3 – Political Cartoon Poster or PowerPoint (PPT)
Option 4 – American Government Video
Option 5 – American Government Music Video
Option 6 - Create an American Government Board Game
Option 7 -Think of a project (First ask me to get approval)
You may work alone or in groups of two or three (max). Choose your partners wisely
(their behavior & grade is also yours). PowerPoints must contain at least 12 slides.
Project Due: Thursday, May 29th 2014. NO LATE CREDIT will be accepted*
Project Presentations: Thursday, May 29th, and Friday May 30th.
How can I turn the project in? Projects should be turned in rough copy, CD, DVD, or
emailed to mario.moreno@puhsd.org
How will the project be graded? The project is your final exam, which is worth 10%
of your final grade. Half of the grade will be the presentation/viewing of your project
and the other half is the actual project.
*Broken printers and computers will not be excused. Email if you can’t print it. The school
has several computers and printers available for student use. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated.
Be sure to cite all sources using MLA citations (visit www.citationmachine.net, if you do not
you will receive a zero.
You will have three days classroom days to work on it.
This is not a project that you can wait until the last minute to complete.
p.s. don’t forget, you are presenting these projects
Option One
2016 Presidential Election
The next Presidential Election is Nov. 8, 2016. Political Parties will meet in the Summer of 2016 to
choose their candidates. Although we are a good while away from that time, who are the front
runners and perspective nominees for both parties. That means between now and Summer 2016, the
Republicans will be duking it out to see will be the Republican nominee and the Democrats will be
doing the same.
Pick someone who has expressed interested or who has already announced he/she are going
to run for their party’s nomination. Follow that person’s campaign. You must do research in order to
determine who the parties are looking to nominate. All of your information will be presented in a
PowerPoint presentation. The PowerPoint must be emailed or brought on a flash drive.
$
PowerPoint Presentation should include a nominee for both Democrats and Republicans
The power point presentations must be more than just straight forward, bulleted
information. It MUST also include photos, animation, sound, your thoughts, predictions,
etc. The more creative … the better the grade! Remember: You are trying to sell a product
here!
Be sure to cite all sources using MLA citations (visit www.citationmachine.net, if you do not you will
receive a zero.
Option Two
Current Events News Cast
“This was the day that was!” or “In the news today………”
If you added up all the time that we have worked on current events in class it would probably add
up to a week and a half. This goes to show you how many events have perspired over the course of
the semester. Now it is your job to summarize a few of those current events in a simulated News
Cast.
You need to take any four current events topics related to American government (it may even be one
that we haven’t really covered in class) and transform them into a newscast of at least four (4)
minutes (that doesn’t include the previews or the credits or commercials). Watch the news a few
times to get an idea of how it is supposed to look.
This project can be performed live in class. If you do not have access to a video camera and editing
software.
Remember this video is supposed to be informative in nature and can be used to teach students
about American government and how it pertains to high school students.
Be sure to cite all sources using MLA citations (visit www.citationmachine.net, if you do not you will
receive a zero.
Option Three
Political Cartoon Poster or PowerPoint
Government in the Comics. Collect 10 political cartoons published within the past year that are
relevant to the government of the United States. These can address domestic or foreign policies or
events.
2. Record the date and where the cartoon was published.
3. Analyze the cartoon - describe what you see, why it is significant, and what the cartoon says
to you
4. Presentation You can copy or attach each cartoon to a separate piece of paper - under the cartoon identify the date
and source where the cartoon was published and your analysis
You can get creative - presented your project on a poster or via PowerPoint. However, presentation
must be turned in a print format to receive a grade
The power point presentations must be more than just straight forward, bulleted
information. It MUST also include photos, animation, sound, your thoughts, predictions,
etc. The more creative … the better the grade! Remember: You are trying to sell a product
here!
Be sure to cite all sources using MLA citations (visit www.citationmachine.net, if you do not you will
receive a zero.
Option Four
American Government Video
Yes, you have had to sit through them in class, and complain about them in class, and wonder when
they were last created. Well, now it is your turn to be the creative mastermind behind an educational
American government video.
You can take any American government topic that you wish (it may even be one that we haven’t
really covered in class) and transform it into a video of at least six (6) minutes (that doesn’t include
the previews or the credits).
Remember this video is supposed to be informative in nature and can be used to teach students
about American government and how it pertains to high school students. Also, a summary of your
work and thoughts must be turned in a print format to receive a grade.
Be sure to cite all sources using MLA citations (visit www.citationmachine.net, if you do not you will
receive a zero.
Option Five
American Government Music Video
UItunes, K104, MTV, VH1, KRock, American idol and youtube watch out! Here comes the
new stars to the stage (and no, they don’t drive with their children on their lap).
You can take any American government topic that you wish (it may even be one that we
haven’t really covered in class) and transform it into a music video of at least three (3) minutes long
(that doesn’t include shout outs or the credits).
You can take the words to an existing song and change them or create your own from scratch.
Either way, be sure that it includes at least 15-20 different economic concepts/ vocabulary that are
all relevant. A Paper copy of your words and analytical thoughts are required.
Be sure to cite all sources using MLA citations (visit www.citationmachine.net, if you do not you will
receive a zero.
Option Six
American Government Board Game
Planning Guidelines
Your task is to design and create a board game suitable for teaching the basic terms and concepts of
American government to junior high students. Try to create an original and enjoyable game, because you
might be teaching actual junior high students to play it.
Use your textbook, the library, the Internet, and any other resources that are available to you to learn
about these terms and concepts. Finally, construct the actual game, including all its components and a set of
clearly written instructions.
Remember to keep your vocabulary on a level that is appropriate for the players. Also, do not assume that they
have any prior knowledge of American government. Be sure that your game helps players learn the following
 democracy
 Public opinion
terms and concept
 Constitutionalism
 Electoral college
 Articles of Confederation
 Mass media
 Shays’s Rebellion
 Constituents
 Connecticut Compromise
 Presidential ticket
 The Federalist
 Executive agreement
 Separation of powers
 Bureaucracy
 Checks and balances
 Spoils system
 Referendum
 Writ of certiorari
 Judicial review
 Opinion of the Court
 Executive privilege
 Bill of attainder
 Concurrent powers
 Due process clause
 American dream
 Clear and present danger test
 Popular sovereignty
 Naturalization
 Capitalism
 Affirmative action
 Political socialization
 Collective bargaining
 Interest group
 Unfunded mandates
 Lobbying
 Multilateralism
Be sure to cite all sources using MLA citations (visit www.citationmachine.net, if you do not you will
receive a zero.