Grade Level: 4th Grade

Objectives:

1. Students will understand why people should vote.

2. Students will understand why people don't vote.

Materials Needed:

Chalkboard/whiteboard, chalk/markers, construction paper or paper to make posters, crayons, colored pencils, markers, and other necessary tools to make posters.

Procedure:

1. Hang up poster that advocates voting.

2. Ask students what the poster is saying to them.

3. Ask "what did we do yesterday in class with voting?"

4. Review the class election on voting for the best costume.

5. Ask students questions and discuss the answers.

a. How many of you wanted to vote yesterday?

b. Why did you want to vote?

c. Why should everyone vote?

6. Have students give ideas of why people should vote and make list on the board.

7. Talk about the importance of why people should vote.

8. Bring out ideas that were not listed and discuss the main reasons of why people should vote.

a. It is an opportunity to voice ones opinion.

b. If people don't vote and they dislike decisions that are made they have to live with those decisions.

9. Then ask students if they know anybody that should vote but doesn't.

10. Discuss with students why people don't vote.

11. Make a list next to the other list on the board.

12. Add ideas that haven't been mentioned.

13. Talk about the main reasons why people don't vote

a. people don't think their vote matters, etc...

14. Ask students what we can do to help people want to vote.

15. Talk about the ways in which we can help people by making posters, commercials, bumper stickers, and other ways of advocating voting.

16. Have students choose one of the ideas from the list on the board and make a poster presenting this idea.

17. When students are finished hang the posters around the room.

18. Erase the lists from the board and ask questions.

19. Have students put their thumbs up if the statement is a reason people should vote or a reason that people don't vote.

20. Have students put their thumbs down if it is not a reason for either.

Accommodations:

1. While students are making posters work with second language learners to make sure they understand what is going on.

Evaluation:

1. If the posters correlate to the list on the board will help to see if they understand.

2. By doing thumbs up the teacher should be able to see if the students are understanding the reasons why people should vote and why people don't vote.

Why People Don't Vote

Not enough time to study and make informed choices.

One vote won't make a difference, so why bother.

Neither candidate in an election is worth voting for.

Politics has become to negative and partisan.

Overall satisfaction with the way things are going so they see no need to be involved.

They have to work and can't get work off to vote.

They are to old to go out and vote.

They have small children and can't leave them.

Why People Should Vote

To voice ones opinion.

To determine what laws are best for the people.

To make sure that the voices of the people are heard.