1.
DEBATE WATCH
In October 2012, students have many opportunities to see candidates debate.
This is a great way to learn about each candidate, their positions on key issues,
the way they interact, and more. GenerationNation provides a variety of hands‐on
activities to help students learn while watching, attending, reading about and
discussing the debates – all in a non‐political, non‐partisan way.
Electing a President (Governor and other offices)
All levels and branches of government
Roles of citizens and leaders
Democracy, political process, elections and voting
Civic participation and leadership
Current events and public policy issues
U.S. Constitution
Media literacy
Reading and analyzing information
Writing to communicate information, ideas, facts and opinions
Communicating a position, listening to others, debating a topic with civility
And more!
ABOUT DEBATES
Throughout October, candidates for several offices – including President and Governor – will
debate.
Presidential Debates
All debates will be 9:00‐10:30PM. Watch on C‐SPAN, PBS, CNN, FOX or other major networks.
The day after each debate, GenerationNation will post the YouTube video and other
information.

2. • Wednesday, October 3 ‐ First Presidential Debate
• Thursday, October 11 ‐ Vice Presidential Debate
• Tuesday, October 16 ‐ Second Presidential Debate (Town Hall)
• Monday, October 22 ‐ Third Presidential Debate
Debate formats can be found at www.debates.org
Gubernatorial Debates
All debates will be 7:00‐8:00PM. This is tentatively scheduled to be on WSOC‐TV. The day after
each debate, GenerationNation will post the YouTube video (if available) and other
information.
• Wednesday, October 3
• Tuesday, October 16
On Friday, October 12 at 9:00‐10:00PM, WSOC‐TV is scheduled to televise recorded interviews
with each candidate for governor.
Other offices
Check www.GenerationNation.org for updates on debates for Congress, County Commission
and more.

3. Watch the debates
Watch the debates. Make notes and think about what you see – what does the stage look like?
What are the candidates doing? Who is moderating? What is the media doing? Which topics
are being covered? Any surprises? What did you learn and will remember forever? Use the
scorecard to keep track, and discuss at home or at school each day.
Download activity:
www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/debate_scorecard.pdf
Decision 2012 Media resources
Tons of great tools from NBC News
C‐SPAN videos and coverage
Are they talking to me?
Before you watch or read about the debates:
Decide which 1‐3 topics are most important to you.
Then decide which 1‐3 topics you predict the candidates will talk about.
Are the topics you picked the same, or different, as the ones you predict they will talk
about?
Then, watch or read about the debates.
Were your topics covered? How many times? Did you correctly predict what the
candidates would talk about?
Download activity:
www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/PickandpredictDEBATES.pdf

4. Connecting Governments
If you are studying any form of government in school, keep track of the number of times the
candidate mentions something that could impact one a different level of government.
Download activity:
www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/CONNECTING_govtsdebates.pdf
Getting the Message Across
Watch the candidates. Write your answers or share in groups or with your class or family.
What is the key message the candidate is trying to deliver?
How does the candidate communicate the information?
Does the candidate from a piece of paper?
Does the candidate raise or lower a voice or move hands to illustrate a specific point?
Does the candidate show emotions and expressions? How? Why? When?
Does the candidate look confident? How?
How is the candidate dressed? Does this matter?
Do people pay attention? How?
Is the candidate persuasive? How?
What do you think is the most effective thing the candidate does to communicate the
information? Least effective?
Download activity:
www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/GETTINGTHEMESSAGEACROSSdebates.pdf
What’s your Response?
Watch a debate on TV or the web. Play the role of the opposite candidate or political party. (Do
this for both parties and different levels of office!) Write and/or deliver your opposition
response. Be sure to address the key point the candidate made. Why would YOUR ideas and
solutions be better?

5. What’s for kids?
What does the candidate talk about that is of interest to or affects kids?
How many times does the candidate talk about kids or things important to kids? Why do you
think that is?
Write the headline
Watch/read about the debates and news coverage. Pay attention, and answer these questions.
Write your answers or share in groups or with your class or with your family.
If you were reporting on the debate or candidates, what would your headline be?
The next day, read actual headlines. Were you close? Were they right? Why or why not?
Read headlines from different news sources. What do they say? How are they similar or
different? Why?
Download activity: www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/WritetheheadlineDEBATES.pdf
Be a citizen journalist
Your turn! GenerationNation invites all students to report on the debates through written
articles, social media, photos and video. What, or who do you see? Which topics are being
discussed? What do you think about everything you see? Make your youth voice heard!
Download activity: www.generationnation.org/k12in2012/documents/Citizen_journalist.pdf
Student reporters
What are Charlotte students saying about the debates? Read their reports.
Do students have a different perspective than traditional media? Why or why not?

6.
DEBATE SCORECARD
Democratic Party Republican Party Libertarian Party
Date:
Location:
Candidates:
Winner? Why?
Moderator(s):
Format:
How is the
stage
decorated?
Why? If you were
designing the
stage, would you
make changes?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

7.
DEBATE SCORECARD
Democratic Party Republican Party Libertarian Party
What are the
moderators and
audience
doing? What
kinds of people
are in the
audience?
Why?
Does anything
stand out or
surprise you?
Which topics
are being
covered?
Do you agree that
the topics are most
important? Why or
why not?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

8.
DEBATE SCORECARD
Democratic Party Republican Party Libertarian Party
What surprised
you? Why?
What did you
learn?
What did you
hope to see
that you didn’t?
What will you
remember
about this
debate?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

9.
DEBATE SCORECARD
Democratic Party Republican Party Libertarian Party
Other
comments,
notes and
questions about
the debate
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

10.
ARE THEY TALKING TO ME?
Pick and predict
Before you watch or read about the debates and candidates:
Decide which 1‐3 topics are most important to you.
Then decide which 1‐3 topics you predict the candidates will talk about.
Are the topics you picked the same, or different, as the ones you predict they will talk about?
Watch or read about the debates and candidates:
Were your topics covered? How many times? Did you correctly predict what the candidates would talk about?
POSSIBLE TOPICS
Children/ Youth Jobs Research
Cities Justice Safety
Economy K‐12 Education Taxes
Environment Leadership Technology
Global issues Military Terrorism
Government NASA Transportation
Healthcare Politics Working together
Housing Pre‐K Education Other?
Use the worksheet on the next page to write your topics and take notes.
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

11.
ARE THEY TALKING TO ME?
MY TOPICS:
Date: Debate:
CANDIDATE NAME DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN LIBERTARIAN
PREDICTION OF TOPICS
HOW MANY TIMES MY TOPICS
WERE MENTIONED
BIG TOPICS COVERED AT
CONVENTION
WHICH CONVENTION MOST
COVERED THE TOPICS I AM
INTERESTED IN?
WHY WERE THE TOPICS THE
SAME AS, OR DIFFERENT THAN,
MINE?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

12.
ARE THEY TALKING TO ME?
OTHER NOTES
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

13.
CONNECTING GOVERNMENTS
Watch the debates. If you are studying any form of government in school, keep track of the number of times
the candidate mentions something that could impact a different level of government.
Date: Debate:
CANDIDATE NAME DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN LIBERTARIAN
STUDENT COUNCIL
SCHOOL BOARD
CITY OR TOWN
COUNTY
STATE
UNITED STATES
GLOBAL
OTHER?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

14.
GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
Watch the candidates debate. Write your answers or share in groups or with your class or family.
What is the key message the candidate is trying to deliver?
How does the speaker communicate the information? Does the candidate read from a piece of paper?
Does the candidate raise or lower a voice or move hands to illustrate a specific point?
Does the speaker show emotions and expressions? How? Why? When?
Does the candidate look confident? How?
How is the candidate dressed? Does this matter?
Do people pay attention? How?
Is the candidate persuasive? How?
What do you think is the most effective thing the candidate does to communicate the information? Least
effective?
Make copies for each debate, and compare notes. Do the candidates change their delivery in different debates?
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

15.
GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
Date: Debate:
CANDIDATE NAME DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN LIBERTARIAN
Key message
Communication skills
Confidence
Appearance
Do people pay attention
Is the person persuasive?
Most effective
Least effective
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice

16.
WRITE THE HEADLINE
Watch the debates or news coverage about them. Pay attention, and answer these questions. Write your
answers or share in groups or with your class or with your family.
If you were reporting on the debate or candidate, what would your headline be?
The next day, read actual headlines. Were you close? Were they right? Why or why not?
Read headlines from different news sources. What do they say? How are they similar or different? Why?
DEBATE NAME AND DATE:_______________________________________________________
MEDIA SOURCE HEADLINE
My Name: My headline:
Charlotte Observer http://www.charlotteobserver.com
CNN http://www.cnn.com
C‐SPAN http://www.c‐span.org
Fox News http://www.foxnews.com
BBC http://www.bbc.com/
NPR http://www.npr.org/
(OTHER NEWS SOURCES)
GenerationNation | www.GenerationNation.org | Home of K-12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Voice