Essays, Talks, And More: Presidential Debate Brings Opportunities For MNPS Students

From the Metro Nashville Public Schools:

September 30, 2020

With the first presidential debate of the fall in the books – for better or worse – Belmont University is gearing up to host the final one on October 22. And along with this great opportunity for Nashville come a few great opportunities and activities for MNPS students of all ages:

Essay Contest for Middle and High school Students

MNPS and Belmont are sponsoring an essay contest that’s open to all middle school and high school students, with cash prizes for first, second, and third place at each level. Essays must be submitted to Belmont by 5 p.m. Monday, October 5, on one of the following prompts:

Middle School Essay Prompts (select 1):

1. Embedded within the U.S. Constitution are principles including but not limited to separation of powers, branches of government, and checks and balances. In an essay of 500-1,000 words, discuss the importance and significance of the office of executive branch of government, giving special attention to the importance and significance of the U.S. President.
2.  Embedded within the U.S. Constitution are principles including but not limited to separation of powers, branches of government, and checks and balances. In an essay of 500-1,000 words, discuss one significant action our government could legally take to address a current area of inequity in the U.S.

High School Essay Prompts (select 1):

 In an essay of 800-2,000 words, provide explanation and rationale for the U.S. Electoral College system, and either (a) make a resource-informed argument for its continued use, (b) make a resource-informed argument for its discontinuation, or (c) compare and contrast arguments for and against it. Cite resources as appropriate throughout the essay.

1.  In an essay of 800-2,000 words, discuss the role of political parties in the nomination process for presidential candidates, and either (a) make a resource-informed argument for continuation of the U.S. two-party system, or (b) make a resource-informed argument for change to the U.S. two-party system. Cite resources as appropriate throughout the essay.
2. In an essay of 800-2,000 words, describe the role of the media as a means of communicating information related to the election of the U.S. President, and how the media influences public opinion, for better or for worse.
3. In an essay of 800-2,000 words, compare and contrast one area of the Democratic and Republican Party platforms (economy, healthcare, education, foreign policy, energy and natural resources, etc.). In the area you have selected, you may choose to (a) make an argument for one party’s platform over the other, (b) identify elements of either platform you believe to be positive or negative, or (c) argue that neither party appropriately addresses the area you have selected.

Submit your essay

Coloring and activity book

Every MNPS student in kindergarten through 4th grade will receive a coloring and activity book called “Ideas of America” that Belmont has made available at no cost to the district.

Full of crossword puzzles, mazes, word finds, and more, the book is intended to introduce our youngest learners to basic ideas of our country’s political systems and democratic processes. MNPS will distribute nearly 30,000 of the books to students along with other second-quarter instructional resources via drive-through pickups.

TEDx Nashville Talk for High school Students

The debate at Belmont will take place amid the 2020 Census and just two months after we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Tennessee’s history-making role in women winning the right to vote.

MNPS and TEDxNashville are inviting high school students to submit videos of themselves giving TEDx Nashville Talks of no more than 18 minutes by October 16 on one of these three prompts:

Whose untold story needs to be told? What is their story and why is it important for others to hear it?

Everyone has a story, including you. Similarly, those who have come before us had a story – some of them were told and some were not. Consider why it is important within our society and political system that every person has a voice, a say, and that their story is told.

Whose voice is not represented that needs to be? Why is it important that everyone is represented?

The U.S. Constitution (and many other governmental documents) are considered “living” documents since they can be modified or amended. Consider how political/policy change is made, how people – particularly those from historically underrepresented or non-represented populations – access and influence policy/decision-makers as well as how these processes are critical to the ongoing development and improvement of our political systems.

Who gets counted and who counts?

America’s governmental system as a democratic republic – in theory – is predicated on the sovereignty of each individual. Its origins, however, did not provide equal access or opportunity for everyone. As America continues to evolve and work towards that ideal, consider who is “counted,” who is not, and why it is critical that everyone counts.

Submit your TedX Entry

MNPS will select the top 10 entries for coaching support from TEDxNashville, and those students ultimately might get the chance to deliver a talk. High school students should talk to their history or social studies teachers for instructions on submitting their videos.

Learn more

Visit Belmont’s Presidential Debate website to learn more about the event and to download a digital copy of the coloring book.

This press release was produced by the Metro Nashville Public Schools. The views expressed are the author's own.