1. The Story of the Race and Task 1 Insights

2. Let’s Talk: Frequently Asked Questions
How do these roles all fit together? How does my role play a part in the election cycle? What is a Democrat? Republican? What is a blogger? Why are we all called linkage institutions? I HATE teamwork! WHY DO YOU MAKE ME DO THIS???????

3. FAQs
Why does Mrs. Poole always tell me that she is “sitting on her hands”? How important is it to submit my work on time during this unit? What kind of quizzes/tests can I expect during this unit? Who am I? What role am I taking? What benefits will I have if I play my role with fidelity?

4. Groups vs. Teams
They aren’t called football groups or basketball groups or campaign groups. They are called TEAMS. There is a good reason: Groups are different from “teams.” In groups, students sit together at a table and share, talk, plan, and do some work. Teams sit together to share and talk, but their focus is on performance, commitment, and outcomes.

5. The First and One of the Most Important Tasks: TEAMWORK AGREEMENTS!
Our Agreement: How We Will Operate (SAMPLE) We all promise to listen to each other’s ideas with respect. We all promise to do our work as best as we can. We all promise to do our work on time. We all promise to ask for help if we need it. We all promise to share the responsibility and leadership. We all promise to ________________________________. What qualities do we all share that makes us strong as a team? What qualities do we have that might make us weak as a team? If someone on our team breaks one or more of our rules, the team may have a meeting and ask the person to follow our agreement. If the person still breaks the rules, we will ask our teacher to help find a solution. Date: Team Member Signatures: ______________________________________________________

6. The Story of the Race
Welcome to your Teams! Read your overview packet on your own. Highlight and annotate what you need to know that will be important. Talk with your teammate to compare notes. Who are you? What is your role? How do you fit?