Mini-lesson: Midterm Elections (HS)

Students will learn about the midterm election, its role as a referendum on the presidency, and how a shift in party control impacts the legislative and executive branches. Page two of this Media Moment Mini-lesson covers horse race journalism, common during election season, and the limitations of this type of coverage. In the activity, students consider an article about a West Virginia Senate primary candidate and practice distinguishing substantive information about a candidate from horse race coverage.