Voting Matters to Me - Teaching Civics



Voting Matters to MeThe Why, Who, and How of VotingA Four-Lesson UnitDesigned for high school students to inspire them to become life-long votersVOTING MATTERS TO ME? 2014? Learning Law and Democracy Foundation2395 University Avenue West, Suite 220, St. Paul, MN 55114 AmbroseJennifer BloomAlex GrayFiliz YargiciAll rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit educational useLesson One: Why Should Voting Matter to Me?This lesson encourages young people to get involved in the electoral process by ranking issues that matter most to them and then seeing how the realities of voter turnout impacts the issues they care most about. Grades: 9-12Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies9.1.1.1.1Demonstrates skills that enable people to monitor and influence state, local and national affairs.9.1.1.1.2Demonstrate the skills necessary to participate in the election process including registering to vote, identifying and evaluating candidates and issues, and casting a ballot.LEARNING OBJECTIVESStudents will examine topics and rank how much the topic matters to them personally.Students will evaluate the impact of voter turnout on the topics they care most about.MATERIALSStudent Handouts‘Issues that Matter to Me’—student issue survey on current topics.‘Voter Cards for Lesson One Activity’—to be printed, cut and distributed to students. See chart for breakdown of voting cards reflecting voter turnout.Issue Signs for chosen 6 topics to be posted around the room.DURATION 30 minutesPROCEDUREAsk students about issues that matter to them. Ask, “What would you like to see changed in our community?”Hand out a list of suggested changes. Directions, “For each change, rank how important that change is to you personally. You may choose from three options: very important, important, not at all important. Be prepared to explain your choices. At the end, choose the topic most important to you.”Ask students to stand up by the issue that matters most to them. Signs with the issue are posted around the room. If you choose only 6 topics to put up as signs, it groups more students together for a stronger impact. You may want to tell class that these are the most important issues in this particular election cycle. Students may have to stand by their second choice topic.Break down of voter turnout by age in 2010 Congressional election. Number of Students in classMillennials18-20 year olds16.4% VT*Generation Xers35-44 year olds37.7% VT*Baby BoomersOver 6558.9% VT*120/41/42/4241/83/85/8301/103/106/10362/123/127/12422/144/148/14Note: 41.8% total VT**Table 399. Voting-Age Population – Reported Registration and Voting by Selected Characteristics: 1996 to 2010, U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012Print voting cards and mark an X if they are in the percentage that voted.Example for Class of 24 – 8 cards labeled Millennial (only 1 card has an X to show voting) 8 cards labeled Gen Xers (3 cards have “X” to show voting) 8 cards labeled Baby Boomers (5 cards have “X” to show voting)Students can draw cards out of a hat or hand them out as they are standing by their issue. Only one card per student. Randomly hand out voting cards to each student (draw out of a hat). Each student gets one card. See box for instructions on creating voting cards.While they are standing, you may want to ask them why they care about the issue. Ask questions which help students realize why the issue matters to them. Opinions on the issues may be part of the discussion but it is their beliefs about its importance that are the basis for the next step.Once they have their voting card, say the following:If you have a card that says Millennials, you are voters ages 18-20. Only 16% of you voted for Congress in 2010. If you have a X marked on the back then you actually showed up to vote so stay standing. If you do not have an X then sit down.If you have a card that says Generation Xers, you are voters ages 35-44. Voter turnout in your age group was 37%. If you have a X marked on the back then you showed up to vote so stay standing. If you do not, then sit down.If you have a card that says Baby Boomers, you are voters over age 65. Voter turnout in your age group was 59%. If you have a X marked on the back then you showed up to vote so stay standing. If you do not, then sit down.7. Look around the room at where people who voted are standing. These people are the voters in an election that elects members to Congress. This election takes place every 2 years and these statistics are from the 2010 “midterm” election because it is in the middle of a 4-year presidential term. Historically, voter turnout in midterms is much smaller. In 2010, only 41.8% nationwide of all registered voters actually voted and in Minnesota it was 55%. Compare this to the 2012 Presidential election, national voter turnout was 58.7% and 76.1% in Minnesota. However, each of the issues that you care about are decided by Congress and state legislatures – the law-making branch. Ask the class:Which issues are going to be important to the next term of Congress or Minnesota Legislature? Which issues will be ignored? What happened to your top issue? Will it be a priority for lawmakers? If you like the policies of the current President and in the midterms the opposite party wins a majority in the House/Senate, what will happen to the President’s ideas for laws? Or if you don’t like current policies, how can you change direction?Do you trust the 1/3 of your class standing to decide issues that matter to you? Remember young people are 1-2 of the people standing, so how might your issue get decided? Do you want your grandparents deciding your issue?So, why vote? It matters to you!ASSESSMENTStudents identify issues that matter to them for follow-up activity on issues (deliberations, political party platforms) and voting essential information (lesson 2).RESOURCESYou may wish to utilize additional resources on voter turnout statistics:Youth Voting Statistics from CIRCLE at Tufts University Statistics 1950-2012 (PDF) from Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Voter Turnout Statistics from United States Election Project: . Census Bureau Voting and Registration Data Statistics from Nonprofit Vote That Matter to Me Survey Read each topic and determine how important it is to you. Be prepared to explain your choice.VI = Very ImportantI = ImportantNA = Not at All Important_____ 1. Should marijuana use be legalized? _____ 2. Should all cell phone use be banned (not allowed) while driving? _____ 3. Should the U.S. continue its use of drone strikes abroad? _____ 4. Should the federal minimum wage be increased? _____ 5. Should certain pesticides be banned in order to protect honey bees? _____ 6. Should junk food be banned from school lunches? _____ 7. Should there be drug testing in schools? _____ 8. Should unaccompanied children entering the U.S. illegally be deported? _____ 9. Should the draft be reinstated (brought back)? _____ 10. Should the gas tax be repealed (taken back)? _____ 11. Should the voting age be lowered to 16? _____ 12. Should the age of retirement be raised from 66 to 70?Look at the topics you marked Very Important. Now decide which topic is THE MOST IMPORTANT to you. You will be asked to stand by the issue you care most about.ISSUE IMAGESMarijuana Use 1200150-659765Phones While Driving628205563925456282055368935062820551957070Minimum Wage Junk Food for School Lunches Child Immigration CrisisSources of images: Cards for Lesson 1 ActivityMillennialsMillennialsMillennialsMillennialsMillennialsMillennialsMillennialsMillennialsGenerationXersGenerationXersGenerationXersGenerationXersGenerationXersGenerationXersGenerationXersGenerationXersBabyBoomersBabyBoomersBabyBoomersBabyBoomersBabyBoomersBabyBoomersBabyBoomersBabyBoomers ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download