The Presidential Election is coming and it’s time to teach the electoral college for kids! And boy, are you getting the royal treatment today! (Try not to scroll down if you can. I love building the suspense …)
For teachers who love combining subjects with real life, an election’s got everything. Math! Social studies! Reading! Writing!
History happening in real time? It makes your heart beat faster, doesn’t it?
But. (And you knew there was a but.) It can be a little scary too.
Why We Avoid It
There are two main challenges to teaching the electoral college for kids.
- Your bias.
- The kids‘ bias
The first one isn’t a big concern. You’re used to presenting many sides of issues. So let’s set that aside.
But the second? That’s different, right? Kids often report their parents’ views as gospel. Which is normal. But it can create sticky situations for you during instruction.
The Good News!
Our job, of course, is to make our classrooms a safe space. If you want to go deeper on that, here are three posts to help you get there:
- 7 Ways Great Teachers Make Kids Feel Safe
- Give your Classroom Management a Tune-Up
- Is Your Posture Ruining Your Classroom Management?
The good news? You’re off the hook with the bias. Because you’re getting a free unit today that is nonpartisan! It’s ready to download now!
Your Huge Election FREEBIE
I first created this a few days before the 2016 election. I’d been searching for resources on the electoral college for kids. They had to be unbiased and crazy engaging. But I found nothing that fit the bill. So I created the danged thing myself.
What does this soon-to-belong-to-you-freebie do?
- Teaches your students how the electoral process works.
- Shows them how to make their own informed prediction for every state.
- Lets them declare the predicted winner of the election.
On election night, they can follow along with their own predictions map!
Finally, when the state results are in and a president is announced, the kids compare the results to their predictions.
You can teach this on Election Day or in the days and weeks leading up to it. And there’s nothing to prepare — it’s all done for you.
Preview of the electoral college for kids FREEBIE
Watch this ten-minute video to see how it works:
Pretty cool, right?
So how do you get started?
Step 1
Click here to get your freebie! Add your first name and email. Then check your inbox. Verify it’s you and not the Terminator. Download the zip file and open!
Done and done!
Step 2
Which version do you need — the hard copy or Google Drive? Just open the “Read this First” document, pick the “Paper” or “Online” column, and follow the directions.
Open the presentations and … well, play them. That’s it! All the instruction’s done.
Your planning for Election Day and Post-Election Day is now complete. You can move on to your kids’ multiplication work. Teaching them the U.S. states. Or anything else on your agenda.
As always the goal is to shorten your planning so you leave work on time!
Now It’s Your Turn!
Tell us in the comments below:
- What subject will you use this for? Math? Social Studies? Another subject?
- OR … How did this work in your classroom?
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