Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS Vote! All About Elections

• to increase historical perspective and knowledge of current events
• to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary
• to improve verbal communication skills

Assess the students' understanding of the following terms: democracy, government, candidate, election, poll workers, nominate, party, convention, platform, ballot; provide definitions when necessary.

1. The Constitution of the United States originally allowed the government of each individual state to make its own decisions about voting. What possible problems might this create?
2. When did African American men earn the right to vote? When were women allowed to vote?
3. Today, who is allowed to vote in the United States?

Using library and internet resources, students research Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. They make a Venn diagram, noting the similarities and differences between the two women.

Fill in the blanks:

1. In the south, many _______________ were prevented from voting.
2. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution states that no one can be denied the right to vote because of __________.
3. _________________ was President of the United States in 1965.
4. Approximately __________ people marched to Montgomery, Alabama on March 7, 1965 to protest _____________________.
5. Many marchers were attacked with ___________ and __________.
6. Approximately __________ people marched on March 21.
7. ______________ met the marchers in Montgomery.

After reading this article, have students construct a timeline to record and briefly explain the sequence of events in a presidential campaign. This timeline should begin in January and end the following January, and include campaigning, primaries/caucuses, conventions, debates, election day and inauguration day.

Divide the class into small groups (4-6 students/group). In each group, 2-3 students will read to find out information about the Democratic Party, and 2-3 students will read to find out information about the Republican Party. Provide the groups with the following questions to serve as a research guide:

1. What is the origin of your party? How long has it been a powerful party in the U.S.?
2. What are the basic beliefs or ideas that your party represents?
3. Who are the current presidential and vice-presidential candidates from your party?

1. What percent of Costa Rican citizens usually vote in elections? What percent of U.S. citizens voted in the last presidential election?
2. How are children involved in voting in Costa Rica?
3. What is Kids Voting USA? How does it encourage adults to vote?

True or False:

1. A voter who goes to the polls to vote will be asked to show identification.
2. Some voting is done in private.
3. The earliest method of voting in the U.S.A. was on a paper ballot.
4. Thomas Edison's electrical vote recorder was extremely successful.
5. Edison's invention counted votes more quickly and accurately than previous methods.
6. Online voting has been proven to be completely safe.

Provide each student with a large (9 X 12) piece of white construction paper. Instruct students to fold the paper in thirds the short way, to make three columns. Students title the first column "Ancient Greeks and Romans," the second column "Native American Tribes," the third column "Early Americans to Modern Americans." The teacher can make a similar chart on an overhead transparency. Students read this article, writing facts about voting practices in ancient Greek and Roman cultures, and in Native American tribes, in the appropriate columns. They reread other articles in this issue to find facts about voting practices in the United States. When the students have completed this assignment, they can take turns writing their facts on the overhead to complete the teacher's chart.

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Updated: 11/21/08 11:33 am
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