Teaching With the Presidential Debates President Obama and Mitt Romney will meet face to face onstage on Wednesday in the first presidential debate of election 2012, and the event provides teachers with one of the best opportunities to engage students with this year's election. Debates offer the potential for suspense and can be a departure from the carefully tailored campaign messages because they happen live, onstage and in real time with millions of people watching -- something that even less politically minded students can appreciate. For starters, you can ask your students to watch the debates. If you're looking to go further than that, we have several suggestions on how you can use the debates as an effective teaching and learning tool. Invite Student Reaction With Our Special Student Opinion Question: On Wednesday afternoon, we'll post an open-ended Student Opinion question that asks students,What was your reaction to the debate? Invite them to post comments, observations and insights on our blog during the debate itself, during class on Thursday, or anytime thereafter. Not only will this offer students a chance to formulate their thoughts for others to read, it will also help them see what students around the country are thinking. View Memorable Moments in Debate History: The Times video "Presidential Debate Moments" provides a brief history of televised presidential debates, including how they took a 16-year hiatus between 1960 and 1976, and how they since have become a mainstay of the election cycle. You can watch the video with your class and then discuss: Do you think the presidential debates are an important part of the election cycle? Do you think debates provide voters with useful information, either about the character or politics of a candidate, that they cannot get (or cannot get as easily) from other media? Keep Score: When students watch the debate, you might want to have them keep an eye out for memorable moments or game-changing zingers or slip-ups. The debate scorecard (PDF) from Lynn University is one way for students to keep track of who they think wins or loses the debate. Or, brainstorm with your students what they will be looking for during the debates, and create your own class scorecard or BINGO sheet (PDF). Related: our Midterm Election Bingo sheet and lesson plan. Shift Outcomes? Read and discuss the article "Debates Can Shift a Race's Outcome, but It's Not Easy." You may also want to watch the seven video clips embedded in The Guardian article "The Best Presidential Debate Moments: A Video History" that capture pivotal moments in debate history. You can ask students: Do you think a debate can make a difference in the election outcome? What are some examples from past debates? What can you imagine could happen during this debate that might have an effect on voter opinion? Debate the Issues: In our four-part Election Unit, we explain how to prepare students for their own classroom debate about election issues. Students research where the candidates stand on important issues in this election using Web sites like ProCon.org. Then they hold their own classroom debate. Half the class could be President Obama and the other half Mitt Romney. Or, if that feels too unwieldy for your class, the class could be divided further, with some students representing Mr. Obama, Mr. Romney, the moderator and the audience. Alternatively, students could take turns representing the candidate for each question. We provide additional instructions and ideas for guiding students through issue research and holding a class debate in our post "Election Unit, Part 2: What Are the Issues?" Give Advice: Give students a chance to offer advice to the candidates. Ask students what they would want to see or hear from the candidates in order for them to change their opinion. Or, if they have already made up their minds about which candidate they prefer, ask what would they would like to see their candidate say or do to best win over voters. Your class can read "Debate Advice From the Beltway" to hear what strategists from both sides are saying about what the candidates should do during the debates. Consider Youth Activism: The last time a woman moderated a presidential debate was in 1992, and three teenagers in New Jersey organized a campaign earlier this year to make sure that at least one of this year's presidential debates has a female moderator. Watch the Times video of Jodi Kantor interviewing the three high school girls above with your class or read the related article. Then, read the follow-up article "Gender Split for Debate Moderators" and ask for students' responses. If you're interested in going further, students can look at the girls' original online petition on Change.org, and you can ask what petition they would like to write to make a positive change in the world. Play With Expectations: In the days leading up to the presidential debates, both campaigns are lowering expectations for their candidates while simultaneously praising their opponent's skills. Read "The Debate Expectations Dance" and discuss: Do you think this is an effective campaign strategy? Do you find it odd that the candidates are praising their opponents? Have you ever played down expectations in their own life, either for a test, in sports or some other aspect of life? Debate the Debates: Do televised debates get at real issues or are they about one-liners and face makeup? PBS has a feature called "Debating Our Destiny," and the Web site asks questions about whether the debates are "helpful or useless" and "cosmetics versus substance." The site links to interviews with George Bush and Bill Clinton, who provide opposing viewpoints about the value of the presidential debates. Students can read the interviews and then watch Wednesday's debate before holding their own in-class debate about whether the debates are worthwhile. Alternatively, they can write an essay about the value of televised debates. How are you planning to use the presidential debates with your students? If you have additional ideas, please share them in your comments below.