Voting

Unit Title: Elephants v. Donkeys
Course Title: Social Studies
Grade Level: 5
Instructor: Ms. Wolf

Title of Today’s lesson with a brief description:
• Voting
o Today the students will learn about voting. They will learn about the purpose of voting and how it has shaped our society from past to present. The students will look at a variety of artifacts of past and present voting. They will learn how to register to vote, where to vote, hot to fill out a ballot slip, and the edicate of voting. Students will create ballot slips, boxes, and polling stations for the class election later in the unit.

Materials/resources needed:
• Winona artifacts (2 pictures, 1 article, 2 voter registrations)
• Voter registrations (class set)
• Cardboard boxes
• Large sheet paper
• Construction paper
• Shoe boxes
• Poster board
• Markers, crayons, colored pencils
• Glue
• Tape
Goals for today’s lesson:
• Students will explain the steps necessary to become an informed voter and an engaged citizen.
• Students will understand the importance of participation in civic life and demonstrate effective civic skills
• Students will explain the meaning of civic life and how all members of a community can be engaged.
Objectives for today’s lesson:
• Students will look at artifacts of voting and compare them to voting today.
• Students will explain why it is important to vote.
• Students will know the components of voting.
• Students will fill out a voter registration card.
• Students will know the location of polling places in Winona.
Procedures
a) Introductory experiences
• Begin class with a discussion on voting. (3 minutes)
• Why do people vote?
• Can anyone vote?
• Where can you vote?
• Show students artifacts of an old poll machine, people registering to vote, and a voters registration from the past and a current registration. (2 minutes)
b) Developmental experiences
1. Ask, “What is different about voting today than shown in the pictures of the past?” (1 minute)
a. Answers: the way people vote, the people, how you register.
2. Ask” What is the purpose of voting?” (1 minute)
a. Answers: to elect a president, to express our opinions, etc.
3. Explain how voting has changed from the past to the present. (3 minutes)
a. The way people registered
b. The way people voted
c. Who could vote
d. Impact of voting
4. Hand out voters registrations to students. (1 minute)
5. Explain every part of the registration to students and why people need to register to vote. (3 minutes)
6. After students register explain that they are now able to vote!
7. Explain the voting (10 minutes)
a. Why its important to vote
b. What ballots are
c. How you fill out a ballot
d. How people get on the ballot
e. Why we have polls
f. Where do people vote?
g. Why people vote in secret
8. Show students examples of ballot slips, boxes, and polling stations. Explain the use of each one. (1 minute)
9. Split students into 6 groups. (1 minute)
o 2 groups will make ballot slips
o 2 groups will make ballot boxes
o 2 groups will make polling stations
1. These objects will be used during our class election later in the unit.
10. Give students work time. (12 minutes)
c) Culminating experience
• Clean up and put things up to dry (1 minute)
• Ask students where polling places are in Winona. (2 minutes)
• Show them the graph of where polling places were in Winona in the past.
• Ask students assessment questions: (4 minutes)
• Why is it important to vote?
• Why do adults vote?
• How does the President get his job?
• What are ballots?
• How do you fill out a ballot?
• Why do we vote in secret?
Assessments:
• Engagement in class discussions.
• Answering comprehension/assessment questions correctly during discussion.
• Correctly modeling ballot slips, boxes, or polling stations when constructing them in class.

League of Women Voters

Unit Title: Elephants v. Donkeys
Course Title: Social Studies
Grade Level: 5
Instructor: Ms. Wolf

Title of Today’s lesson with a brief description:
o League of Women Voters
• Today the students will learn about the League of Women Voters. They will independently read and look at picture artifacts about the Winona League of Women Voters from 1966. The chairperson from the Winona League of Women Voters will come talk to the class about the organization, what they do here in Winona and for the campaign and election process. After the guest speaker, the students will write an essay on what the League of Women Voters is and why it is important to the election process and Winona.

Materials/resources needed:
• League of Women Voters artifact copies (class set)
• Lynn Theurer (chairperson of Winona’s League of Women Voters)
• Highlighters (class set)
• Writing paper
• Scrap paper (for brainstorming)
Goals for today’s lesson:
• Students will identify people and organizations that have dealt with challenges and made a positive difference in other peoples lives and explain their contributions to the political campaign.
• Students will explain the meaning of civic life and how all members of a community can be engaged.
• Students will identify and research community problems and recommend solutions.
Objectives for today’s lesson:
• Students will improve writing and communication skills.
• Students will contribute opinions on issues, and compare with others.
• Students will record information from the guest speaker and artifacts.
• Students will exhibit the writing process.
Procedures
a) Introductory experiences
• Begin class by discussing the several organizations around the United States that are involved in the political system and the election process. (2 minutes)
i. These organizations do not always represent a single party. They may represent topics like water resources, or equality of opportunity.
• Show the first artifact
i. The brochure cover of Winona County’s League of Women Voters (1 minute)
1. Explain how the League of Women Voters is an organization that people can join to voice their opinion on certain issues. The party does not have dominant “political” title. The League will never identify with a party or candidate.
• Pass out remaining artifacts for the lesson describing that they are articles from 1966 about the Winona League of Women voters.
• Have students quietly read the article and highlight things that are important. (3 minutes)
b) Developmental experiences:
1. Explain after the reading that the League of Women Voters is not located only in Winona. It is a national organization with several offices in the United States, one including Winona. (2 minutes)
2. Ask students to get out a notebook and pencil because there will be a guest speaker coming in to talk about Winona’s chapter of the League of Women Voters. Students will need to take notes because they will write an essay after the guest speaker. (2 minute)
3. Introduce the guest speaker (1 minute)
a. Guest speaker is: Lynn Theurer. She is the Chairperson of the Winona County League of Women Voters.
4. Lynn Theurer will talk about the organization, history, involvement in the community, problems they address, population involved in the organization, involvement in the United States election/campaigning process, and hand out informational brochures on the League of Women Voters (Winona Chapter). (14 minutes)
5. Allow time to ask questions and get scrap paper from the front of the classroom for brainstorming on the information given today. (2 minutes)
6. Tell students to brainstorm ideas to answer the question: “What is the League of Women Voters and why is it important in Winona and the election process?” (5 minutes)
7. When brainstorming is complete have students raise their hand for teacher to check their brainstorming. They will then be given a piece of writing paper to begin their essay. (1 minute)
c) Culminating experiences:
• Give students time to write their essay. (10 minutes)
• Have students hand in their essays in the front of the class. If they did not finish during class time, they will finish during free time. (1 minute)
Assessments:
• Highlight artifact copies and take notes on information being presented.
• Check brainstorming information before writing process begins.
• Walk around observing and interacting with each student during the writing process.
• Read essays when they are completed and return back to the students to make corrections.