Grades K–2

This lesson can be taught in 2–3 class periods.

Lesson Indroduction:
The focus for students in this age group is how school and community can provide a meaningful foundation for understanding the voting and election process. Students will practice their critical thinking and communication skills.

The Vote Starts Here:
Explain to students that they will be learning about voting and the current race for the President of the United States.

Begin your class exploration with these discussion starters:

• What choices have you had to make in the past day? Did you make these choices alone or along with your family or a group of friends?
• How do we make choices/decisions in our classroom each day?
• What is voting and why do we do we do it?

Using this discussion as a foundation, tell students that a very important voting process is happening this year�the election of the President of the United States. Further questions:

• What is an election?
• Why do we vote for the President and other public officials?
• Who is the current President of the United States?
• Do you know of any people (candidates) who are currently running for President?

As homework, invite students to ask their parents/guardians who they plan to vote for in the November presidential election. Encourage them to tell their parents what the class discussed at school that day. (Also, the teacher can provide a quick note home on what was discussed.)

Students can record their parents' potential choice for President by bringing a picture of the candidate cut out from a magazine or newspaper. These pictures will be used as part of the next classroom activity�Ballot Box.

Ballot Box:
Using the students' candidate photos, create a ballot box using a small-sized box like a shoebox. Photos can be pasted in a collage onto the box, along with construction paper to make it festive and colorful.

As a class, discuss the candidates their parents plan to vote for. Then, create a ballot to use in a mock election featuring the students' candidate choices. After the votes are tallied, talk about:

• Who won and by how much?
• Why does the person with the most votes win the election?

When the actual presidential election takes place in November, encourage the entire school to participate in an election online. In the computer resource room, or in the back of the classroom, make the computer into a voting booth.

• Explain to students how the voting takes place online.
• Line students up in front of the computer.
• As each student comes to the computer, have him or her vote for a presidential candidate.
• Return the page to the vote page before the next student comes to the �booth� to vote.

After all students have voted, ask: Who would be the school's choice for President? Does this match up with the election poll online?

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