Get ready! Iowa will host the first caucus of the election season on February 1 with the New Hampshire primary following closely behind on February 9. Help students understand the difference between these two events as well as their significance with On the Campaign Trail’s fifth episode, “Narrowing the Field.”

Host Bill Nigut underscores the purpose of primaries and caucuses, gives details on Georgia’s open primary, and discusses why the state has chosen to participate in the SEC primary.

“Narrowing the Field” is aligned to standard SSCG8 of the Georgia Performance Standards for American Government and Civics. Additional resources for this episode include discussion questions, an activity that instructs you on how to hold your own class primary, and a Journey to the White House exercise.

Make sure you take a look at the chart below and visit our OTCT webpage to watch all of our episodes.  

Episode Description Resources GPS
Episode 1: That's Debatable Explains the importance of debates in the political process, their overall structure and how this debate differs from those students will watch during the general election.   Debate Watch Guide
  Debate the Winner
  Debate Discussion		 SSCG7
Episode 2: My Government, My Vote, My Voice Discusses the topic of democracy and provides insight on the difference between representative and parliamentary democracies and their overall contrast to autocracies and oligarchies.

 Discussion Questions
 Guided Notes
 Graphic Organizer

 SSCG19
Episode 3: Do You Qualify Discusses the constitutional and unwritten qualifications for becoming president.  Discussion Questions
 Campaign Activity
 Qualifying People		 SSCG13
Mini Episode: Campaign Update Students will find out where candidates from both political parties stand in national polls and how Iowa’s February 1st caucus and New Hampshire’s mid-February primary may impact those presidential nominees. Discussion Questions SSCG8
Episode 4: Role Call: The Seven Roles of the President Students learn about the seven main roles of our president and the responsibilities attached to each one.

Discussion Questions
Activity Scenarios Graphic Organizer

 SSCG12
Episode 5: Narrowing the Field Host Bill Nigut underscores the purpose of primaries and caucuses, gives details on Georgia’s open primary, and discusses why the state has chosen to participate in the SEC primary. Discussion Questions Hold Your Own Primary
Journey to the White House		 SSCG8
Episode 6: Party Over Here, Party Over There Provides a breakdown of political parties, the different types of party systems, and the overall ideological differences between Democrats and Republicans.

Discussion Questions Party Over Here Activity
Party Over Here Task

 SSCG8
Mini Episode: Campaign Update Campaign Update Inform students about what’s going on in the 2016 presidential election before Super Tuesday with this quick mini episode of On the Campaign Trail with Bill Nigut. Discussion Questions SSCG8