Directions : Read the summary, watch the video and answer the questions. Turn on "CC" (closed-captions) function to help students follow along more easily. ***Read this story with your students: 6 takeaways from Super Tuesday elections Mini-lesson: Break your students into groups and have them summarize one of the takeaways from the article. Then share with the class and discuss your reaction to them. And be sure to check out PBS NewsHour's Super Tuesday page with easy-to-read results. Summary: Super Tuesday, the biggest day on the primary calendar, has reshaped the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination contest. Former Vice President Joe Biden scored significant wins and took the lead in the race’s delegate count, indicating that support of moderate Democrats has coalesced around him. Biden won Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Maine, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama. Sen. Bernie Sanders earned victories in Vermont, Colorado and Utah, as well as the night’s biggest prize: California. Sen. Elizabeth Warren lost her home state of Massachusetts and Mike Bloomberg, who has spent more than 560 million dollars on the race, won American Samoa. Discussion questions:

1. Essential question: Why is Super Tuesday considered the biggest day on the primary calendar?
2. Why did former Vice President Joe Biden have such a good night?
3. Why did Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg drop out? Do you think Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg should also drop out? Explain.
4. What does Sen. Bernie Sanders need to do in order to get back his lead?
5. Which candidate do you support? Why?
6. Do you think money in politics is a problem for American democracy? Do you think candidates should be able to spend unlimited amounts of their own money on races? What is a SuperPACS? Why do candidates rely on them?
7. Media literacy : Did you find the coverage reliable and balanced? Why or why not? What do you think makes news coverage balanced?

More resources:

WATCH: Joe Biden promises to defeat Trump and ‘heal this country’

WATCH: Sanders says he’s confident of victory, despite Biden’s rise

WATCH: Bloomberg looks beyond Super Tuesday in Florida speech

WATCH: Warren tells supporters ‘I am i n this fight’

Extension activity: Try this lesson plan on polls called "Polling Pitfalls."

 

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