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Election lesson: Take a stand

Subjects

• Language Arts
• Civics
• Current Events

  Grade

• 3-5
• 6-8
• 9-12

  Brief description

  Students take a unique approach to a classroom discussion/debate of the election process.

  Objectives

  Students share their opinions on an issue using a discussion/debate approach. They formulate a clear written statement of their opinions.

  Keywords

  debate, opinion, discussion, critical thinking

  Materials needed[shop materials]

• four posters, each labeled in large letters with one of the following: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
• a teacher-generated list of statements about the election process
• writing paper and pencils

  Lesson plan

  Place a poster in each corner of the room. Then read a statement, and tell students to go to the corner that best describes how they feel about that statement. Here are some examples of statements:
• All Americans should be required to vote.
• People should be allowed to vote on the Internet.
• Candidates should spend the same amount of money on campaigns.
• The two-party system in the United States does not allow third parties to gain a foothold in the Electoral College system.
• The power of special-interest groups in American politics is too great.

Encourage students to voice their opinions from their respective corners. Then have each group gathered in response to a statement work together to write a clear statement explaining their position.

Assessment

Evaluate students on their ability to state their opinions and on their position statements.

Lesson plan source

Education World (adapted from a lesson from PBS: The Democracy Project)

                                                                                                                                                          Last updated 2/28/2016