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Media & Politics: Analyzing Political Polls

Description: 

This activity will help your students to analyze polls prior to letting them sway our opinion on an important topic. Your students will gain experience in recognizing how newspaper articles often cite results of polls to gain our attention or sway our opinion. This important activity will afford them an opportunity to be more discerning when consuming different forms of media as well.

Learning Targets: 
Locate articles that cite a poll to help sway you.
Analyze polls
Determine how scientific that poll was
Decide if an article should sway your opinion or not
Link: 
20 Questions to Ask about a Poll
http://ncpp.org/
AttachmentSize
File analyzing political polls.docx16.89 KB
File How to Read Political Polls Like a Pro.docx20.09 KB
Author: 
rdevries
Content Area: 
Social Studies
Civics
Language: 
English
Resource Type: 
Project
Licensing: 
Creative Commons Licence
Grade: 
9-12
Tags: 
Civics, US Government, Media & Politics, Political Polls, Polling

Student prerequisite skills and knowledge

Knowledge on how the media can mold opinion.

How is the concept or procedure explained or demonstrated?

This is being demonstrated by having your students locate an article that cites a poll and then having them analyze that poll to see if it was reliable and should be used in that way. Make sure to have them open up the "How to Read Political Polls" document attached below and read over it carefully. Also have them take a few minutes to browse the links on the "20 Questions A Journalist Should Ask About Polls" link below. Then they will be asked to open up the Political Polling Assignment and find a political poll that has been recently cited in an online news article and complete the worksheet on it.

What concepts or procedures are being explained or demonstrated in this lesson object?

The concept being demonstrated is using polling data to sway people's opinion. The new media often relies on poll results to show mirror and mold public opinion.

What was your experience, both successes and challenges, using this lesson object with your students?

Students have little difficulty finding an article that cites a poll but they often have a hard time determining if the poll was conducted properly. Instructor will have to be prepared to give some help where needed.