GoalsStudents will understand how political strength is dependent on a voter’s political landscape.
Objectives(1) Students will list one positive and negative attribute for each proposal to reform the Electoral College. (2) Students will explain why their chosen attribute is a virtue or a vice. (3) Students will collaborate with their group to produce a rationale on which proposal would best reform the Electoral College.
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California Content Standards12.6 Students evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices.
4. Describe the means that citizens use to participate in the political process (e.g., voting, campaigning, lobbying, filing a legal challenge, demonstrating, petitioning, picketing, running for political office). 6. Analyze trends in voter turnout; the causes and effects of reapportionment and redistricting, with special attention to spatial districting and the rights of minorities; and the function of the Electoral College. |
Common Core Literacy Standards
Writing Standards
8) Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and over reliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation Reading Standards 2) Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas. 3) Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain. |
Lesson Introduction ‖ Time: 15-20 minutes
The day will start with CNN Student News and Q&A. Students watch a short news reel on the recent Congressional Elections, along with other key stories around the nation and world. On the board are written three topic points, which the students write down on a piece of paper. When one of those topics comes up in the news reel, student will record vital information about the current event. At the end of the reel, I will prompt questions to the class based on those key topics to stimulate ideas and curiosity on the subjects. This activity will both access Prior Knowledge from the class and act as a Discussion Warm Up for the day’s lesson. Since Congress was in the news, I can ask student to recall details from previous lessons. In addition, the Q&A primes the students’ minds for musing and critically conversing on topics.
Content Language Development
First Past the Post, Single Transfer Vote, Electorate, Winner-Take-All
Content Delivery ‖ Time: 5 minutes
As the Student News Q&A wraps-up, I start to pass out a worksheet and stapled handout to the students. I remind them, specifically, that the Electoral College and point out that some people are unsatisfied with its performance. The handout offers student four proposals to reform the Electoral College in order to better reflect the will of the People. Each of them has improvements, but they also have drawbacks which they must examine. After I split them up into groups, they are to list and critique the proposals on their own worksheet.
Student Engagement ‖ Time: 45 minutes
I divide the class into groups of four or five for discussion over the Electoral College. The students will read the reform proposal and write down what the key virtue and vice is in the adjustment. Student will then collaborate with one another, considering everything that we have gone over during this Unit, and rationalize on each proposal. As a group, they will decide on which proposal is the best reform for the Electoral College.
Lesson Closure ‖ Time: 5-10 Minutes
After the class has deliberated over the material in their groups, they will then share their choice and rationale with everyone else. I will call on each group to tell the class their choice and rationale on the proposal. Should there be some polarized decisions, I can promote cross examination between the groups.
AssessmentsFormal Formative Assessment. The Worksheet will be stamped at the end of the day, or the beginning of the following class meeting. It will then be filed into the student’s Unit Folder.
ResourcesReform Options for the Electoral College
A print out of Direct Elections with Instant Runoff Voting, Proportional Allocation of Electoral Votes, Direct Vote with Plurality Rule, and National Bonus Plan. |
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Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
On the Proposal Handout, key words will be highlighted that may prove a challenging for some students. At the bottom of that page will be a brief definition of the word. This accommodation will best help English Learners and Striving Readers. During the Group-Class share, if I found some student to be quiet during the discussion, I will ask them to answer a specific question or clarify what a partner said earlier stated. This will be to make sure they contributed and so that they can learn from articulation.