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Primary and Caucus Calendar

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Subjects

  • Educational Technology
  • Mathematics
    --Measurement
  • Social Studies
    --Civics
    --Current Events
    --Geography
    --Government
    --History
    ----U.S. History

Grade

  • 3-5
  • 6-8
  • 9-12
  • Advanced

 



Brief Description

Create a calendar of upcoming primaries and caucuses.

Objectives

Students will

  • read an infographic and translate the information into calendar format
  • learn to save and edit Word documents (optional)
  • use information on the calendar to answer questions about upcoming primaries and caucuses

Keywords

election, primary, primaries, caucus, caucuses, president, candidate, Democrat, Republican, convention, delegates

Materials Needed

Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students read a chart that shows the dates, state by state, of this year's primaries and caucuses. They translate information on the chart into calendar format so they can see at a glance the dates of those primaries and caucuses. They use a calendar template to complete that task.

Note: This lesson works well in a classroom or computer lab. In a lab setting, where every student has his ir her own computer, students can access the primary resource document on the Web. Also, the calendar template is an editable template, which means students can download a copy of the template (a Word document) and type the month, dates, and primary/caucus information into it. Or you can print copies of the template and have students fill them in by hand.

Arrange students into pairs or groups of three. Provide each pair or group with the 2012 Primary and Caucus Schedule (students can access this document online, or you can print this document).

Review with students the format of the 2012 Primary and Caucus Schedule document. Students quickly will see that the primary and caucus dates are color-coded on the states and U.S. territories. The chart includes a map for each month, showing the dates and parties holding primaries and caucuses. To determine which primaries/caucuses are being held on which day, readers must scan all the maps to find the month and date of the primary or caucus. An easier way to see when each primary event is being held would be to transfer the information to a calendar. That is the students' job: to create a calendar of upcoming primaries and caucuses that can be seen at a glance.

Point out that some primary and caucus dates are different for Republicans and Democrats. That's because some states hold primaries or caucuses for each party on separate dates.

Below you will find separate instructions for those who will use the calendar templates in the computer lab and those who will use printed copies in the classroom.

If students are using the Word document calendar-page template in the computer lab:

  • Have each student download the  calendar template and save it. Remind students to name the file appropriately -- for example, januaryprimaries or februaryprimaries.
  • If students are working in pairs, have one student create calendars for January, February, and March primaries/caucuses and the other student create calendars for April, May, and June.
  • If students are working in groups of three, have the first student create calendars for January and February, the second student create calendars for March and April, and the third student create calendars for May and June.
  • Students type the name of the month at the top of the calendar page and type the dates for that month in the correct squares on the calendar.
  • Then they use the 2012 Primary and Caucus Schedule document (or this document) to create the calendar for the month. They type the names of the states in the correct spaces on the calendar to indicate the dates on which primaries/caucuses will be held in those states. (They type an (R) or (D) next to the state name if the primary or caucus scheduled for that date is for only one of the two parties.)

If students are using printed calendar pages:

  • Provide each pair or group of students with six blank calendar pages.
  • If students are working in pairs, have one student create calendars for January, February, and March primaries/caucuses and the other student create calendars for April, May, and June.
  • If students are working in groups of three, have the first student create calendars for January and February, the second student create calendars for March and April, and the third student create calendars for May and June.
  • Students write the month at the top of the calendar page. They write the dates for that month in the correct squares on the calendar.
  • Then they use the 2012 Primary and Caucus Schedule document (or this document) to create the calendar for the month. They write the names of the states in the correct spaces on the calendar to indicate the dates on which primaries/caucuses will be held in those states. (They write an (R) or (D) next to the state name if the primary or caucus scheduled for that date is for only one of the two parties.)

When the calendars are completed, students will be able to see at a glance which primaries and caucuses are coming up.

Extension Activities

  • On U.S. outline map, mark the dates for primaries or caucuses on one map, merging the original series of maps into a single document.
  • Color the states in which primaries are held in January one color, color the states where primaries are held in February a different color, and so on Create a color key to go with the map.
  • Copy the U.S. outline map onto a transparency. Cover a bulletin board with white paper. Project the map on the paper. Trace the outline of the map to create a large U.S. map that students can use for a variety of purposes. Students might
    -- record results of primaries and caucuses by writing them on the state.
    -- follow new reports of primary results in each state in newspapers from that state, download from that source a photo or headline that reports the results of the primary in that state, and post the photo/headline on the state.
    -- post pictures of the candidates around the map, and then string yarn from each state to the picture of the candidate who was victorious. -- post around the map newspaper headlines that report primary results, and extend yarn from each headline to the appropriate state.

Assessment

Students use their calendars to correctly answer at least 8 of 10 questions on a quiz. Following are a few examples of the questions you might ask:

  • On which date will Louisiana hold its primary election?
  • Which states are holding primaries or caucuses on May 18?
  • How many states are holding primaries or caucuses on March 6?

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

MATHEMATICS: Representation
GRADES Pre-K - 12
NM-REP.PK-12.2 Select, Apply, and Translate Among Mathematical Representations to Solve Problems
NM-REP.PK-12.3 Use Representations to Model and Interpret Physical, Social, and Mathematical Phenomena

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics
GRADES K - 4
NSS-C.K-4.1 What Is Government?
NSS-C.K-4.5 Roles of the Citizen

GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-C.5-8.1 Civic Life, Politics, and Government
NSS-C.5-8.2 Foundations of the American Political System
NSS-C.5-8.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-C.9-12.1 Civic Life, Politics, and Government
NSS-C.9-12.2 Foundations of the Political System
NSS-C.9-12.5 Roles of the Citizen

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography
GRADES K - 12
NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial Terms
NSS-G.K-12.6 Uses of Geography

SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History
GRADES K - 4
NSS-USH.K-4.3 The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage
GRADES 5 - 12
NSS-USH.5-12.10 Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present)

TECHNOLOGY
GRADES K - 12
NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and Concepts
NT.K-12.3 Technology Productivity Tools
NT.K-12.4 Technology Communications Tools
NT.K-12.5 Technology Research Tools

Find more activities for teaching about the presidential primaries in Education World's Primaries, Voting, Elections archive.

You might find additional activities of value on our President's Day resources page.

Click here to return to Electing a President: Lessons for Teaching About the Presidential Primaries.

 

Updated 1/04/2012