05.+Running+Mate

** The purpose of this lesson is to examine the role of the Vice President and how that role has changed in the modern era. Students will determine the importance of selecting a running mate in a Presidential election. To help you get a better understanding of the vice presidential candidates who are running, download and print out the **Candidates Profile Worksheet**. Use one worksheet per candidate. [| 2008_candidates_profile_ws.pdf]
 * [|The Vice-Presidency: Choosing a Running Mate] (NOTE: this is based from the 2004 presidential election; you can modify the worksheet to reflect the 2008 presidential election)

[|The Role of the Vice Presidency] **

//Purpose// While the role of the Vice President has often been one of anonymity, it is also the case that the Vice President stands just a heartbeat away from the Presidency. Not all Vice Presidents assume the Presidency because of the death of the President. For instance, Gerald Ford got the job when President Nixon resigned the office, the first President to do so.

//Objectives// The purpose of this lesson is to acquaint students with the Constitutional requirements and rules regarding the Vice Presidency and to give them a chance to research the ways in which past Vice Presidents have become Presidents.

In this activity students will take a closer look at the roles and responsibilities of the vice president and read about notable vice presidents of the past.
 * [|The Vice Presidency] **

// Lesson Description // Students will visit Centre College's feature on the vice presidency to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of this office. They will read about notable vice presidents of the past, test their knowledge of vice presidential trivia with a short quiz, and then write a poem about a particular vice president or about the office in general. // Instructional Objectives  //
 * 1) Students will be able to describe the roles and responsibilities of the vice president.
 * 2) Students will be able to explain how the process of selecting the vice president has evolved over time.


 * ARTICLES **


 * August 29, 2008**

Republican Senator John McCain picks Alaska Governor **Sarah Palin** as his running mate for the 2008 presidential run. Governor Palin, 44, will be the Republican Party's first female candidate on a presidential ticket. In 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale selected **Geraldine Ferraro** to run as his running mate, making Ferraro the first female ever to be nominated by any major U.S. political party.

**http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3750150
 * [|Article: McCain Picks Palin as Running Mate]


 * [|TheBostonChannel: Who is Sarah Palin? Biography] **[|articlehttp://www.thebostonchannel.com/politics/17333774/detail.html]




 * August 22, 2008**

Democratic Senator Barack Obama picks Delaware Senator **Joe Biden** as his running mate for the 2008 presidential run. Senator Biden was a former 2008 presidential candidate but ended his candidacy after being placed fifth in the Iowa caucuses in January 2008. Since then, Biden became a staunch supporter of Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential election. In 1987, Senator Biden had announced his run for the presidency but lost to Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis for the Democratic nomination for president.

**http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/08/20/obama_vp_choice_to_campaign_together_saturday/
 * [|Article: Biden is Democratic favorite for Obama's No. 2]