What qualities do you think voters should look for in a presidential candidate? That's the question you can help teens explore through a Jewish lens as the general election heats up.
Today's Hot Topics devotes an entire chapter to politics and what Jewish values we should be looking for in our leaders. Today's Hot Topics - designed for middle- and high-school students - encourages students, teachers, and families to explore digital, medical, social or ethical issues and develop their own opinions informed by Jewish values.
The chapter on elections includes a complete package of resources that will help you lead a discusion with your students: 
* An article that includes stories and anecdotes, and asks students to explore how a voter knows what to look for in a president and what character traits make for an effective American leader
* A source sheet of relevant Jewish texts that speak to values of social responsiblity, peacemaking, truthfulness, and wisdom, among others
* A lesson plan that takes you step-by-step through strategies for presenting the topic to a group of students, including essential questions, objectives, and accompanying Jewish activities across multiple disciplines
The election chapter of Today's Hot Topics asks students to explore ways in which Jewish values help make good leaders, find examples of how they demonstrate these values in their own lives, and also evaluate presidential candidates based on these values.
Using the same format of articles, source sheets, and lesson plans, Today's Hot Topics explores 16 other current issues, including social media, racism, sports and food ethics, and Israel.
Today's Hot Topics is available for purchase from Behrman House and Amazon.
