SUMMARY

With Election Day just seven weeks away, Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for a high-profile interview in Pennsylvania and former President Donald Trump is gearing up for a town hall just days after an alleged attempted assassination effort was stopped by the Secret Service.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. What are the issues each candidate is focused on as described in this story?
2. Why are the candidates focused on swing states?
3. Where are the candidates focusing their campaign stops and messaging?
4. Why did the Trump campaign blame the Harris campaign for divisive rhetoric?
5. Who urged states to ensure voting results are certified to avoid chaos following the election?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

Presidents are elected based on Electoral College votes which are determined at the state level. It is the Electoral College that makes swing states possible. How do you think candidates would campaign differently if presidents were elected based on popular vote instead of through the Electoral College? Do you think such a system would be better or worse, and why so?

Media literacy: What important information do you think voters might take from this story? What information do you think would be more helpful in helping voters make a choice between candidates?

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:

1. Watch the story Harris campaigns with Oprah in Michigan as Trump focuses messaging on crime, immigration that focuses more on the policy positions of the candidates. Then discuss — what policies do you think candidates should be focusing on most right now? Why do you think those issues aren't mentioned in the video, if they are not?
2. Complete this lesson and debate: Should the Electoral College stay or go?

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