Vote for Me! Making Presidential Commercials Using Avatars

Materials and Technology

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Classroom computer with projection capabilities and speakers
• Computers with Internet capabilities and headphones (optional microphones)
• Print sources from the Suggested Print Materials printout

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PRINTOUTS

• Voki Rubric
• Voki Instructions
• The Issues
• Selected Websites
• Voki Preparation
• Suggested Print Materials
  

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WEBSITES

• Voki in the Classroom
  

  For a minimal charge this website provides one hundred twenty student accounts per educator.  The teacher can assign students to classes, post class projects, give individual student feedback, and hide or show student names with the projects.  Additionally, when the project includes writing, the students can submit their written assignments (up to 500 characters) directly through the website.

• Wikispaces
  

  This site can be used to link the list of selected websites provided in the Printouts section by signing up for a free wiki to be used by the class.

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PREPARATION

1. Sign up for an account at Voki in the Classroom. Create classes and assign students to the classes.  Post the assignment at Voki in the Classroom so that students will be able to see the due dates from any Internet connected computer.
2. Create a class wiki at Wikispaces to link the websites for students to use. You can also use the wiki to link to each student’s end product.  If this is not possible, make one copy per student of Selected Websites.
3. Create a sample Voki or use this sample from Barack Obama’s election in 2008.
4. Make one copy per student of the Voki Rubric, Voki Preparation and Voki Instructions. Make enough copies of The Issues in order for each student to complete this printout for all commercials done by their classmates.
5. Using websites listed above, choose a presidential commercial you would like to show for Session One.
6. Reserve the school’s computer lab or library for two class periods, one for research and one for creating the Voki.  If students are to record their own voices for their commercials, check that both headphones and microphones are available for use.  If the text to speech option will be used, only headphones are necessary.
7. Contact the school librarian to make available to your students books from the Suggested Print Materials printout, as well as to find more print materials on specific elections.

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