voting assignment high school

Voting and Elections | Resources for a Civil Classroom Bookmarked 3 times

The United States is a diverse democracy. That means that each election and policy debate engages a diverse electorate as well as the hearts and minds of students. In K–12 education, it is critically important that students learn about voting and elections, and develop the civic competencies to fully engage in the democratic process—whether that is at the community, local, state or national level.

The Future Voters Project

Teaching tolerance is proud to announce the  future voters project . check out our suite of free resources for teaching the 2020 election, including a lesson bank for teaching about voter suppression, a growing collection of “teach this” discussion guides for engaging current events with your students, a set of professional development resources for teaching in a time of unprecedented partisanship, recommendations for safe, inclusive voter registration, and more. .

In the face of political polarization, students must have opportunities to practice how to engage with people and ideas across difference. That being said, schools need to be places that champion civility, equal rights, safety and civic action for social change.

The collection of resources below—organized by the themes Countering Bias, Civic Activities, Getting Along and How To—offers a range of resources for engaging students on some of our most pressing societal issues.

Teach for a diverse democracy. Teach for a diverse electorate.

Countering Bias

These resources will help students recognize and respond to bias against immigrants, Muslims and Sikhs.

Ten Myths About Immigration

Unravel misconceptions about immigrants and immigration with this short list. (middle and high school)

Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice: Exposing Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

This structured lesson helps students analyze hot-button media messages safely and expertly. (middle and high school)

An Educator’s Guide to the Immigration Debate

The guide and accompanying toolkit provide background knowledge and tips for teaching about the history of immigration in the United States. (high school)

Julia Moves to the United States

In this story, younger students will read about Julia’s experience immigrating to the United States. Includes a a student interview activity. (elementary school)

In a Time of Islamophobia, Teach With Complexity

Learn about a free curricular resource on the Middle East and North Africa from two of its co-authors. (high school)

Countering Islamophobia Through Education

Schools and communities must work together to counter Islamophobia, bullying and hate in all its forms. This curricular resource can help. (middle and high school)

Extreme Prejudice

Grow your students’ religious literacy and understanding of extremism. Includes a toolkit with student activities and a related webinar. (high school)

What Is the Truth About American Muslims?

This guide will answer your students’ questions about Sharia law, religious clothing and whether Islam is a political movement. (high school and adult)

Religious Diversity Webinars

We teamed up with the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding to produce a webinar series for teaching about religion across grade levels. The series offers webinars for elementary , middle school and high school educators. (professional development)

Common Religious Clothing

In this lesson, students will explore how articles of clothing are linked to different religions. (elementary)

Understanding Religious Clothing

This lesson help students learn the significance of traditional religious clothing and its meaning to the people who wear it. (middle and high school)

Zahrah’s Hijab

To inspire your students’ empathy, share the story of how Zahrah responded to teasing about her hijab. (elementary)

Sikh Eyechart for America

Sikh cartoonist Vishavjit Singh uses art and humor to challenge people to see the person beneath the turban.

Civic Activities

It’s important to reassure students that they can make a difference in the political process. These resources recommend ways young activists can participate in civic life and do something about the issues that matter to them.

Voting in Your Town

This action-based task includes teacher instructions, student handouts and a rubric. (middle and high school)

Rock the Vote

This story from the Fall 2016 issue of Teaching Tolerance explains how teachers can involve students in the democratic process—even under the age of 18. (high school)

The Young and the Registered

This story profiles organizations dedicated to voter registration and mobilization and discusses how to inspire the next generation of voters. Includes a related webinar . (high school)

Do Something Tasks

Do Something performance tasks allow students to build civic engagement awareness and demonstrate their critical literacy skills. (all grades)

Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot Viewer’s Guide

Included with the Selma film kit, this viewer’s guide provides background information, discussion questions and lessons. (middle and high school)

Rock the Vote’s Democracy Class

This interactive lesson plan includes a mock election exercise to equip young people with the skills they need to navigate the political process. (middle and high school)

League of Women Voter’s Voter Registration Training

This manual includes a step-by-step guide to help you develop successful high school voter registration programs. (high school)

Campus Vote Project’s Student Guides

With this interactive map of the United States, students can see state-specific guides on how to register and cast a ballot. (high school and higher education)

SPLC on Campus

Through student-led SPLC on Campus clubs, the Southern Poverty Law Center is working to make a difference on campuses across the United States. (higher education)

The New Deciders

This episode of America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa explores the voting power of four demographic groups: black millennials, Arab Americans, Latino evangelicals and Asian Americans. The accompanying lesson urges students to research and support voting in their communities. (grades 6-12)

Getting Along

While students may not always agree, they should be able to listen, express opinions and debate with respect. These resources can help you guide students in their discussions and model civil discourse.

Mix It Up at Lunch Day

A national campaign launched by Teaching Tolerance in 2002, Mix It Up at Lunch Day encourages students to identify, question and cross social boundaries while sharing a meal. We ask schools to participate on the last Tuesday in October each school year. (all grades)

Polarized Classrooms

This article from the Fall 2016 issue of Teaching Tolerance discusses the divisiveness of political parties and the negative effects of shutting out the other side. (all grades)

Civil Discourse in the Classroom

This lesson booklet provides tools for teaching civil discourse and giving students the skills to turn their opinions into reasoned arguments. (middle and high school)

Speaking Kindness in Democratic Classrooms

This lesson invites students to co-develop a set of guidelines for speaking to each other with kindness and respect. (all grades)

A New Set of Rules

Use this plan to develop a "Class Constitution" with students, furthering their civic education and giving them ownership of the room's rules. (professional development)

Classroom Culture

Foster a classroom culture that reflects diversity, equity and justice by following these five guidelines. (professional development)

Educators are looking for ways to address polarized school and classroom climates. Use these resources to facilitate vital conversations with students about how they see political differences influencing civic life.

School Administrators: Are You Ready?

Teaching Tolerance Director Maureen Costello offers several suggestions for how administrators can keep schools safe after the election. (professional development)

These professional development activities from the Fall 2016 issue of Teaching Tolerance help educators process their thoughts about the election and commit to civil discourse and civic engagement. (professional development)

This feature from the Fall 2016 issue of Teaching Tolerance addresses five common questions and concerns educators have about teaching the election. (professional development)

Political Discussion Belongs in Our Classroom

Read about one teacher’s belief that classrooms should be a safe space for expressing political opinions. (all grades)

Responding to Hate and Bias at School

Find guidance on making school a place where every student feels welcome, and check out the related webinar . (all grades)

Shifting Out of Neutral

A history teacher discusses leaving the struggle for objectivity behind and encouraging students to consider multiple perspectives. (all grades)

Let’s Talk!

Use these strategies as you prepare to facilitate difficult conversations about the election, social inequality, discrimination or other topics. Check out the related webinar . (all grades)

Speak Up At School

This guide offers advice about how to respond to biased remarks and provides guidance for helping students learn to speak up as well. Check out the related webinar . (all grades)

Guidelines for Discussing Difficult or Controversial Topics

Learn how to structure complex conversations about hot-button issues with these strategies from the University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT). (higher education)

Guidelines for Discussing Incidents of Hate, Bias, and Discrimination

Use these strategies from the University of Michigan’s CRLT to facilitate respectful classroom discussion around incidents and behaviors that express hostility or violence. (higher education)

The News Literacy Project

Help students become informed citizens with these educational resources created by teachers and seasoned journalists. (middle and high school)

Photographs by Corbis and Getty Images

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Voting Matters Activity

Lesson plan.

Your students may be too young to register to vote, but it’s never too early to learn about what it takes to get to the ballot! This activity is a great way to kick off the election season, and promote voter registration in the larger community. Students will learn about how registration and voting works in their state, and create a flyer to share with someone in their life. National Voter Registration Day is in late September each year, and has a mission of registering voters across the country.

Love this lesson?  Explore all of our free election curriculum and teaching resources at our  Election Headquarters . 

Teacher Resources

Get access to lesson plans, teacher guides, student handouts, and other teaching materials.

• VotingMatters_2019.pdf

I find the materials so engaging, relevant, and easy to understand – I now use iCivics as a central resource, and use the textbook as a supplemental tool. The games are invaluable for applying the concepts we learn in class. My seniors LOVE iCivics.

Lynna Landry , AP US History & Government / Economics Teacher and Department Chair, California

Related Resources

Campaign cash (infographic).

Campaigning: It's a Process

Candidate Evaluation

Candidate Report Card

Cast your vote.

Election Glossary

Election results tracker, got ballot, midterm math (infographic), mini-lesson: the incumbent advantage (hs).

See how it all fits together!

• REGISTER TO VOTE

A healthy democracy requires active participation and prepares its people to self-govern by providing a practical understanding of how the government works, how power is leveraged and the skills to exercise their rights and represent their interests. 

Help Get Democracy Class Into Classrooms

Democracy Class is a free, nonpartisan curriculum that educates high school students about the importance and history of voting and pre-registers and registers them to vote.

Educators will have access to additional lesson plans featuring:

• The history and importance of voting
• Modern-day voting rights
• The importance of local elections
• How voting impacts issues

• Teacher Opportunities
• AP U.S. Government Key Terms
• Bureaucracy & Regulation
• Campaigns & Elections
• Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
• Comparative Government
• Constitutional Foundation
• Criminal Law & Justice
• Economics & Financial Literacy
• English & Literature
• Environmental Policy & Land Use
• Executive Branch
• Federalism and State Issues
• Foreign Policy
• Gun Rights & Firearm Legislation
• Immigration
• Interest Groups & Lobbying
• Judicial Branch
• Legislative Branch
• Political Parties
• Science & Technology
• Social Services
• State History
• Supreme Court Cases
• U.S. History
• World History

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Lesson Plan: Project-Based Learning: Elections Simulation

States' Rights and Determining the System of Primaries or Caucuses

Frank Fahrenkopf, co-Chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, discusses political parties and States' rights in determining their state's system of Primary or Caucuses.

Description

This project promotes student inquiry through a simulation of the election process designed to be completed over a six week time period. It is recommended to introduce this project prior to teaching the unit on Elections. This project presents multiple concepts, terms, and events students will need to master to show competency on the AP American Government and Politics exam. Regardless if you introduced this project before or after you covered the Elections unit it will help students communicate their understanding of key concepts. Each step of the simulation is enhanced with videos from C-SPAN's digital collection to increase student understanding. Teachers can utilize the suggested resources in each step to scaffold learning appropriately for every student. The resources provided can help students determine the proper role of government in a democracy by becoming candidates, voters, journalists, members of interest groups, and members of political parties. Through a series of tasks, in which students explore how to become a candidate in the general election, students learn about public opinion, political ideology, polls, campaign finance, and voter characteristics. They also learn the relationships between interest groups, political parties, and the media as they attempt to navigate and influence the campaign.

Introduction

In this simulation, all students will campaign and participate in a presidential primary election.

Show the following clip to students and engage in class discussion to help them understand how candidates are selected to compete in the primary elections:

Video Clip 1: Primaries and Caucuses

Additional Resources:

Bell Ringer: Open Primary Elections

Bell Ringer: History and Significance of the New Hampshire Primary

Bell Ringer: History of the Presidential Primary System

Lesson Plan: Primaries and Caucuses

Task 1: Campaign Advertisements

Each student is required to create a campaign ad to support their own platform. As they approach this task, students should research examples of party platforms on the RNC and DNC websites, and consider the following items:

• Which platforms will you use to reach voters?
• Which geographical areas will you focus on?
• What issues will you be addressing in your ads?

Students can produce print media, social media, or a video clip. One item is required but multiple advertisements using different forms of communication is encouraged.

Video clips 2 and 3 provide historical examples of campaign ads.

In this task, it is important that students identify their voting base so they can consider peoples' needs and values in order to conduct an effective campaign.

Video Clip 2: 1984 Ronald Reagan Campaign Ad

Video Clip 3: 1992 Bill Clinton Campaign Ad

Bell Ringer: Front Porch Campaigning

Bell Ringer: Political Polling

Bell Ringer: Focus Groups

Bell Ringer: Impact of Political Campaign Ads

Bell Ringer: Analyzing Political Advertisements

Bell Ringer: Big Data and Politics

Bell Ringer: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns

Bell Ringer: Presidential Campaign Fundraising Regulations

Lesson Plan: Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads

Lesson Plan: Big Data and Politics

Lesson Plan: Election Campaign Ads

Task 2: Primary Debates

Prepare for a class debate!

As a class, view the following video to provide students with an example of a primary debate:

Video Clip 4: 2016 Democratic Primary Debate

Explain that the class will engage in a debate as you teach your Elections unit.

As a class, brainstorm a list of issues that students will be interested in researching and debating. This should be done a few weeks prior to your scheduled class debate to allow students time to research these topics and plan their responses. Be sure to select at least five topics that relate to the federal government to allow a variety of issues to be discussed.

Develop questions based on the issues students selected. You will need to adjust the number of questions to fit class time requirements as well as the number of students in your class.

During the primary debate, ensure each student has an opportunity to present their ideas to address the predetermined questions. After everyone has participated in the debate, ask each student to cast their vote for the candidate they wish to support. Each student is instructed to vote for someone other than themselves. This can be monitored by having each student show you their vote on a notecard, creating a google document that records the vote and displays the name of the person who cast the ballot or by accessing an online poll.

Bell Ringer: Audience Participation at Debates

Bell Ringer: Electoral College

Bell Ringer: Demographics

Bell Ringer: National Popular Vote

Bell Ringer: President Obama on Voting

Bell Ringer: The History of Voting Rights in the U.S.

Task 3: Selecting a Vice President

The student who wins the primary election is allowed to select a vice president for their platform and prepare for the presidential election. The candidate should explain the reasons the vice presidential candidate was selected.

This process works best when allowing two classes to compete against each other. Modification of the primary election can be made to accommodate the number of classes who wish to participate in this simulation. View the following video clip for context on the process of selecting and announcing a vice president.

Video Clip 5: Selecting a Vice President

Video Clip: Tim Kaine Accepts Democratic Party's Vice Presidential Nomination

Video Clip: 2008 Governor Palin Vice Presidential Acceptance Speech

Video Clip: Governor Mike Pence Acceptance Speech

Video Clip: Potential Republican Vice Presidential Candidates

Video Clip: Potential Democratic Vice Presidental Candidates

Task 4 - Role of the Media

The presidential and vice-presidential candidates should work to campaign and prepare for the debate.

The other students will become a journalist and each person will write an article for one of the candidates. The goal of the article is to report on the presidential candidate's stance on political issues. Video clip 6 features Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake, emphasizing the importance of the truth and the dangers of assaults on the press. The video clip helps explain the importance of the media.

The students' campaign article can be written from a nonpartisan perspective, show bias towards a political party, or can be a form of yellow journalism. Students have the freedom to choose but should use their words to attack political ideology and not bully students.

Video Clip 6: Freedom of the Press

Bell Ringer: The History of Partisanship in the Press

Bell Ringer: How Journalists Respond to Accusations of Fake News

Bell Ringer: Adversarial Press

Bell Ringer: Standards of Journalism and Modern Press Coverage

Bell Ringer: The Press and the Presidency

Bell Ringer: Muckrakers

Lesson Plan: Landmark Supreme Court Case- New York Times v. United States (1971)

Task 5 - Role of Interest Groups

The other students will become a leader of an interest group and will lobby for their cause. Video clip 7 provides an example of how interests groups select presidential candidates to support.

Each student should develop an advertisement and a 500-word position paper justifying why the president should support your cause. Students can work from the perspective of a current interest group or create their own. An agenda should be established, and lobbying goals should be communicated, including what policies they wish to influence.

Video Clip 7: Interest Group Endorsements

Bell Ringer: Special Interest Lobbying

Bell Ringer: The Role and Regulation of Lobbyists

Bell Ringer: The Iron Triangle and its Role in Policy Making

Bell Ringer: What is a Lobbyist?

Lesson Plan: Lobbyists, Who, What, and Why

Task 6: Debate Questions

Students who did not win the primary election determine 10 issues that are important to them that they would like the presidential candidates to discuss.

Have the class view video clip 8 to provide information on how questions for Presidential debates are prepared. This resource will help the students frame questions for the debate.

Video Clip 8: Debate Questions

Bell Ringer: The Reasons for Debates in Campaigns

Bell Ringer: The Significance of Presidential Debates

Task 7 - Presidential Debate

The final debate between the remaining candidates should be conducted and address the 10 issues the class identified previously. Each party should be provided with the same amount of time to provide their perspectives.

Video Clip: 3rd Presidential Debate - Why should you be elected as president?

Video Clip: History of Final Presidential Debates

Video Clip: Presidential Candidates' Debate Preparation

Lesson Plan: Presidential Debate Analysis

Video Clip: Former First Lady Michelle Obama on Voting and Voter Turnout

Task 8 - Election Day

Following the final debate, the class casts their vote for president and vice president.

Assign three students with differing political ideologies to tally the votes for each of the candidates.

The winning candidates should give a short victory speech, and the losing candidates should deliver a short concession speech.

Bell Ringer: Comparing Trump & Obama Victory Speeches

Video Clip: Sec. Hillary Clinton Presidential Concession Speech

Video Clip: Gov. Mitt Romney's Concession Speech

Video Clip: Sen. John McCain's Concession Speech

For additional lessons on the process of the Electoral College, see below:

Lesson: Should the Electoral College Be Reformed?

Lesson Plan: The Electoral College and the Constitution

Lesson Plan: Electoral College Pros/Cons and Alternatives

Academic Support for Project Based Learning

Engagement first, is an important concept to develop in project-based learning because it creates a reason for a student to read the text, pay attention to lectures, and find answers to their questions (Grant, 2011; Hallock, 2018; Larmer & Mergendoller, 2010; Parker et al., 2011).

• Elections Project Rubric.pdf

Additional Resources

What issues do you want to ask candidates about? In Cast Your Vote, you choose the questions in a debate, rate their responses, and vote for the candidate of your choice.

The Center for Civic Education has additional lesson plans to teach Presidential elections

• FactCheck.org - A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center
• 10th Amendment
• Campaign Advertisment
• Electoral College
• Political Advertisement
• Proliferation