Create Your Own Political Party Assignment

Your assignment is to create a political party with a defined political platform, and then launch an
aggressive election campaign which will culminate in a class-wide election.

Part A: Creating the Political Party

Task #1:
Each group will build a political party platform reflecting a distinct political ideology for a federal
election. You and your group members must research and formulate policies on five of the following
issues:

 National Defence (Expand? Cut-back? Maintain?)

 International Relations (Development projects/involvement with other countries)
 Education (additions and changes ie. Sex Ed)
 The Environment (Improve? At the expense of big business?)
 Legalization of Marijuana (Yes/NO? What to do with the money?)
 Health Care (Funding? Privatization?)
 Taxation (Increase taxes to support programs? Decrease to stimulate economy?)

Your party’s political platform must be typed, double spaced, information organized under headings,
and have a minimum of 500 words.

Task #2:
Choose a name and create a logo for your party reflecting your platform and policies on the different
issues.

Task #3:
Create a fictional party leader to run for prime minister. Give your leader a name, gender, age,
education, work experience, and political experience. Provide a detailed explanation of why this
person was chosen to lead the party. This writing piece should be at least 250 words in length.

Part B: Mounting the Political Campaign

The governor general will dissolve Parliament, signaling the beginning of the official election
campaign. As a result, each party will need to begin competing for voter support. To inform the
public of each party’s platform and ideas, each party will design several strategies for gaining voter
support. Each party must have the following tasks completed:

Task #4
A campaign poster: name of party, name of party leader or candidate running in a riding, party’s
logo, and party's slogan. This should be completed on Bristol Board.
Task #5
A radio or television commercial: outlines creatively in a 40 second commercial the party’s
platform. It must be written out as well as presented at the mock election. Computers or your
personal device can be used to complete this step.

Task #6
An election speech: to be delivered on election day. It should be persuasive and informative
(maximum 5 minutes). The speech must be submitted in written form.

Task #7
A campaign flyer or brochure: It should include the name of party, name of party leader or
candidate running in a riding, party’s logo, party's slogan, and a summary of the party's platform.

Each student is responsible for completing both a written product and an oral presentation for
at least two of the above seven tasks.

Part C: Election

Registering
Every student in the class will register with the teacher to vote the day before the election.

Election Day
Each political party will present their campaign products (give platform, spectrum, logo, leader,
poster, radio commercial, speech, flyers)

The Polls Open

Those students who registered will have the opportunity to vote for the political party they feel will
best represent their needs and the needs of the country. One rule that is different from reality (but will
help with the competitive aspect of the activity) is that you may not vote for your own party.

Step Four: The Polls Close – The votes are counted and the winner is declared!
 Political Party Marking Rubric

Name of the Political Party: Name of Group Member:

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Below Grade Level Approaching Grade Meets Grade Level Exceeds Grade Level
Expectations Level Expectations Expectations Expectations

Oral Presentation Presenter Presenter Presenter Presenter

(Communication) communicates poorly communicates communicates communicates
using the following adequately using the effectively using the exceptionally using the
presentation skills: following presentation following presentation following presentation
Comments: skills: skills: skills:

eye-contact, volume eye-contact, volume eye-contact, volume Eye-contact, volume

and variance of voice, and variance of voice, and variance of voice, and variance of voice,
organization of agenda, organization of agenda, organization of agenda, organization of agenda,
use of effective posture use of effective posture use of effective posture use of effective posture
and hand gestures. and hand gestures. and hand gestures. and hand gestures.

Written Products Weak use of written Satisfactory use of Clear use of written Exceptional use of
(Communication) language and images. written language and language and images. written language and
images. images.

Comments: Errors distract from the Errors distract from the Errors do not take Few or no errors.
product and interfere product but do not away from the impact
with meaning in some interfere with meaning. of the project.
parts.

Written Products Written products Written products Written products Written products
(Application) poorly apply the unit adequately apply the effectively apply the expertly apply the unit
concepts. unit concepts. unit concepts. concepts.

Comments: