THIS lesson plan presents vocabulary words that readers have been encountering a lot in newspapers because of the May elections. It is targeted at high school students but may also be adapted for use in the intermediate level.

Objective
Students will be able to locate, define and use the words commonly found in newspaper content relating to the 2010 elections.

Materials

Inquirer newspaper, student activity sheet

Procedure

1. Assign students to read election stories in the Inquirer.

2. Write the following words on the board.

Automation
Ballot
Candidate
Campaign
District
Election
Party
Precinct
Term

3. Tell the students to locate and encircle all of the vocabulary words in the Inquirer.

4. Instruct them to define each word with the help of a dictionary and to use each word in a sentence.

5. Distribute copies of the Activity Sheet.

6. Allow the students some time to fill in the sheet.

7. Ask: What national and local offices are up for election in May? How did you find out about this? Where have you seen, heard or read information about the election? What could a voter learn about an election by following the news?

Extension
Instruct the students to start their own ?electionary? where they can write election-related words they will encounter from now until May, including their definitions.

n Activity Sheet

Direction: From the list of given words, fill in the blanks below with the appropriate word.

This _______________ season, the Filipino people will be voting to choose the next President of the Philippines from the official ______________ fielded by different political _________. In addition to the President, citizens 18 years of age and older will elect the vice president and 12 senators.

Members of Congress will also _____________ to get votes so they can represent a __________ in their chartered city or province. Local leaders to be elected also include the governor, vice governor, mayor, vice mayor and counselors.

All elected officials will serve for a specific amount of time called a_________ of office.

The election in May will be the first time that ____________ will be used for __________ scanning and computerized counting right in the voting _____________.