Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Overview: NewsHour Extra features stories can help students identify and interpret key issues in current events. This activity anticipates one class period, but the follow-up essay might be assigned as homework, or in another period.

Warm Up: Use initiating questions to introduce the topic and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Have students read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the questions on the reading comprehension handout.

Discussion: Use discussion questions to encourage students to think about how the issues outlined in the story affect their lives and express and debate different opinions.

Follow-up: Students can write an 500-word editorial on the topic expressing their views and send it to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org] for possible publication.

Evaluation: Students are graded on their answers to reading comprehension questions and/or their editorial.

Story: Facebook, MySpace Aid Presidential Candidates, 07/25/07
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec07/facebook_7-25.html

Initiating Questions:

1. What are some of the different ways people use Web sites like Facebook and MySpace?

2. How do politicians running for office try to reach out to the public?

3. Which candidates do you think are doing a good job of reaching out to young people?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. Which candidate has the most online friends?

Obama has more Facebook and MySpace "friends" than the other presidential contenders: 250,000, which is about 100,000 more than his main Democratic rival Senator Hillary Clinton, N.Y., who leads in traditional voter polls.

2. How do presidential candidates use social networking sites?

Almost every major Democratic and Republican candidate has personalized Facebook and MySpace profiles, adding information ranging from lists of their favorite books to campaign promises.

3. Will popularity on the Internet mean more voter support in the election?

While gauging a candidate's success in online fund raising is possible, with Obama again leading the pack, predicting whether having the most online "friends" will translate into support next year is still in question in the presidential race.

4. How is Ron Paul's campaign handling social networking sites?

According to Jesse Benton, Paul's communications director, the congressman's profiles are maintained by his grandchildren, which he said adds a personal touch. Benton said the campaign also tries to respond to each message but does not attempt to organize volunteers, target a specific audience, or use the number of friends as an indicator of voting patterns.

5. What does Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney hope to do on his Facebook and MySpace pages?

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, one of the leading Republican candidates, is looking to Facebook and MySpace to raise money.

Stephen Smith, director of online communications for Romney, said in a June 8 NewsHour report that the campaign is banking on users learning about the former governor and then making an online donation.

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. If you were a presidential candidate, what would you put on your Facebook or MySpace page to attract supporters?

2. What are some other ways candidates use the Internet to help their campaigns, or hurt other candidates?

3. Are young people paying attention to the presidential election? Why or why not?

Write a 300-500 word essay on any of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra (extra@newshour.org). Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.