Daily Video
September 14, 2020Presidential candidates focus in on Pennsylvania
Directions: Read the summary, watch the video, and answer the discussion questions. To read the transcript of the video above, click here.
Summary: Both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have honed in on Pennsylvania as a critical state to win in 2020. Polling in the state is close, and Pennsylvania narrowly flipped to the Republicans in 2016 after it was won two cycles in a row by Obama. Some voters in the state have had concerns over the economy that predate the COVID-19 pandemic, and both candidates are pushing an economic message there.
- Have your students identify the 5Ws and an H:
- Who is the story about?
- What is important about these particular voters?
- When and where is this happening?
- Why are candidates focusing on Pennsylvania now?
- How are the candidates trying to appeal to Pennsylvania voters?
Then have students share with the class or through a Learning Management System (LMS).
2. Focus question: Because Pennsylvania is a “swing state” where polls are close, candidates are spending much more time there than some other states. How do you think the existence of swing states changes the way candidates appeal to voters?
3. Media literacy: What Pennsylvania voters do you think this story has left out? Why are their voices important?
Dig deeper: Want to learn more about the electoral college and figure out what each candidate needs to win this fall? Use this lesson plan and resource from PBS’s Election Collection to game out electoral college votes for the candidates.
Follow us:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBSNewsHourExtra/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewsHourExtra
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newshourextra/
Subscribe:
PBS NewsHour education stories newsletter
Updates for EXTRA’s Super Civics 2020 election teaching resources doc
Tags:
Related Stories
Tooltip of related stories
More Videos
Tooltip of more video block
Submit Your Student Voice
More Videos
-
Daily News Lesson: Misty Copeland’s children’s book works to eliminate stereotypes about ballet
Why one artist wrote a children’s book to try to make dance more inclusive Continue reading
-
Daily News Lesson: The House impeaches President Trump for a second time
Discuss what’s expected from the second impeachment of President Trump. Continue reading
-
Daily News Lesson: Capitol attack forces reckoning with radical, right-wing political factions
Discuss why extremist violence is a threat and what’s being done to counter it. Continue reading
-
Classroom resource: Dr. Yohuru Williams on using history to teach the Capitol Riots
In this NewsHour lesson, Dr. Yohuru Williams delves into the historical context of the riot in Washington D.C. Continue reading
-
Brooks and Capehart: The Capitol attack and Trump’s next impeachment
DOWNLOAD VIDEO Directions: Watch the short video clip featuring conversation by long-term NewsHour commentator David…