Hi friends. :)
What a busy week! I had parent/teacher conferences this week, which consumed most of my time. Feeling like now I can finally enjoy our beautiful fall weather!
Ahh, fall... brings thoughts of caramel apples... cozy scarves... leaves changing color... hot cider with cinnamon... boots and sweaters... and... ELECTION!
I know, some of us are already sick of the political talk going around Facebook, TV, news, etc... But let's face it: our students are excited about it! And part of our job as teachers is to educate them on the many rights of citizens... including the very important right to vote.
I've always had an interest in politics - Political Science was one of my favorite courses in college. I suppose that teaching about elections gives me hope for the future - maybe one day, one of these students can make a change for the better in our political system. :)
Anyway... I came up with some ideas for teaching this election unit in my classroom.We started setting the groundwork a few weeks ago by reviewing the 3 Branches of Government (which they learned in the previous grade level). The big hit was a drama I did in which I split the class into 3 groups (Congress, President and Cabinet, and Supreme Court) and we acted out passing a law. The kids really got into that - especially the part where they elected classmates into the Presidency and into Congress by voting!
First up in our look at the presidential election: an adorable read aloud.
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio.
I made up a few reflection questions to go with the story that I think we'll discuss as a group after reading the story. What I love about the book is that it is PERFECT for illustrating the Electoral College! It really is a must read for any elementary teacher who wants to cover elections.
So this is my next step: filling out a Presidential Election Timeline with all the events leading up to (and following) the election. The picture above is the teacher's guide version - I'm going to be giving students a blank timeline to fill out. We're going to be reading an article I found while we do it, but a lot of this will be filled in just through discussion.
On the opposite side of the timeline is this cute little worksheet I created, where we are going to define a few important terms relating to presidential elections.
Next, a graphic organizer that students will use to research a presidential candidate of their choice. (Of course, I'll make sure we have equal representation of all candidates in this portion). Then, we'll get together as a class and compare all the candidates - similarities, differences, etc.
Last up, to tie it all together: a homework assignment. I will ask students to interview a parent or other adult in their family about elections. I really think this is key: opening that door to communication between children and parents. It's tricky to teach about elections because they can be so value-based, and for me, I feel good about opening these lines of communication and including the parent in the child's education.
So... I bet you're wondering where to get all these awesome assignments, right?!?! Well let me tell you... At my Teachers Pay Teachers store! :)
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Michele-Kruse
In summary: drink your cider, cuddle up in your sweater, and enjoy it, because before we know it, these election shenanigans will be over and it will be time for the long winter. :)
Michele
Hi friends. :)
What a busy week! I had parent/teacher conferences this week, which consumed most of my time. Feeling like now I can finally enjoy our beautiful fall weather!
Ahh, fall... brings thoughts of caramel apples... cozy scarves... leaves changing color... hot cider with cinnamon... boots and sweaters... and... ELECTION!
I know, some of us are already sick of the political talk going around Facebook, TV, news, etc... But let's face it: our students are excited about it! And part of our job as teachers is to educate them on the many rights of citizens... including the very important right to vote.
I've always had an interest in politics - Political Science was one of my favorite courses in college. I suppose that teaching about elections gives me hope for the future - maybe one day, one of these students can make a change for the better in our political system. :)
Anyway... I came up with some ideas for teaching this election unit in my classroom.We started setting the groundwork a few weeks ago by reviewing the 3 Branches of Government (which they learned in the previous grade level). The big hit was a drama I did in which I split the class into 3 groups (Congress, President and Cabinet, and Supreme Court) and we acted out passing a law. The kids really got into that - especially the part where they elected classmates into the Presidency and into Congress by voting!
First up in our look at the presidential election: an adorable read aloud.
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio.
I made up a few reflection questions to go with the story that I think we'll discuss as a group after reading the story. What I love about the book is that it is PERFECT for illustrating the Electoral College! It really is a must read for any elementary teacher who wants to cover elections.
So this is my next step: filling out a Presidential Election Timeline with all the events leading up to (and following) the election. The picture above is the teacher's guide version - I'm going to be giving students a blank timeline to fill out. We're going to be reading an article I found while we do it, but a lot of this will be filled in just through discussion.
On the opposite side of the timeline is this cute little worksheet I created, where we are going to define a few important terms relating to presidential elections.
Next, a graphic organizer that students will use to research a presidential candidate of their choice. (Of course, I'll make sure we have equal representation of all candidates in this portion). Then, we'll get together as a class and compare all the candidates - similarities, differences, etc.
Last up, to tie it all together: a homework assignment. I will ask students to interview a parent or other adult in their family about elections. I really think this is key: opening that door to communication between children and parents. It's tricky to teach about elections because they can be so value-based, and for me, I feel good about opening these lines of communication and including the parent in the child's education.
So... I bet you're wondering where to get all these awesome assignments, right?!?! Well let me tell you... At my Teachers Pay Teachers store! :)
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Michele-Kruse
In summary: drink your cider, cuddle up in your sweater, and enjoy it, because before we know it, these election shenanigans will be over and it will be time for the long winter. :)
Michele
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