SUMMARY

The contestants for this November’s presidential race are officially set. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is joining Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris as her running mate. Propelled into the national limelight, one of his greatest challenges will be introducing himself to the nation.

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KEY TERMS

bipartisan — supported by or consisting of two political parties

ascertain — to discover a fact; to make certain

legislature — an elected group of people who have the power to make and change laws in a state or country

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Who is Tim Walz?
2. Which states will the Harris/Walz campaign be touring next week?
3. What did Walz do before entering politics?
4. When did Walz develop more of a progressive stance?
5. Why have conservatives criticized Walz in the past?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

Minnesota is a state that has historically voted Democratic in the past and Tim Walz is generally seen as a progressive governor.

1. How do you think these facts now affect Kamala Harris' odds of winning the election?
2. Do you think the Democratic party will be able to reach more previously undecided voters? Explain why or why not.

Media literacy: Some media outlets seem to view Tim Walz as a very progressive politician while others see him as more of a moderate. Why do you think there's such a difference in opinions of Tim Walz in the media?

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?

FOR MORE

What students can do:

Watch Kamala Harris introduce Tim Walz as her running mate and listen to his first speech at a Pennsylvania rally in the video below (speech starts at 01:19:29):

Then, learn more about Kamala Harris using this Daily News Lesson.

This post was written by Gianfranco Beran, a senior at Amherst College, and an intern with PBS NewsHour Classroom, and edited by NewsHour's Vic Pasquantonio.

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