Election Connection

T-40-some-odd days from now, here in the US, we have an election ahead. As has been the case over the last decade or so, politics, partisanship, & noise go hand in hand. As with anything these days, social media is a little something that has only made the noise, opinions, & emotions stronger (if not worse). 

But, civics and civil discourse and the importance of voting are all elements that should be taught. If you are looking for some ways to have these conversations in class in a non-candidate, non partisan way, here are some resources that may come in handy for you. No doubt, there is something here for everyone.

Pre-Created Units/Collections Online:

Scholastic.com’s Election 2024

• Topics include:
• How America Votes
• The Road to the White House
• What is the Electoral College
• Race to 270: Interactive game
• This Year’s Other Big Races (beyond presidency)
• Online Quiz: Election Words to Know
• Newsie’s Challenge Videos: Earn dog Newsie a treat with these game show style videos on:
• What It Takes to Be President
• The Job of the US President

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government

• This online resource has several topics concerning the U.S. Government, including the elections process. Age bands: 4-8, 9-13, 14_
• For all ages, the topics vary in depth, but largely include: 
• Federally Recognized Tribes of US
• Federal versus State Government
• Branches of Government
• How Laws are Made: The Language of the Law
• Election Process: The History and Process of Voting 
• General, not specific to candidates/campaigns or political parties
• Symbols, Songs, & Structure (Buildings & Monuments) of US Government
• Historical Documents that shaped the US
• The Declaration of Independence: 1776
• The Articles of Confederation: 1777 - 1789
• The U.S. Constitution: 1789
• The Bill of Rights: 1789 - 91
• The Emancipation Proclamation: 1863
• The Gettysburg Address: 1863

iCivics Election Headquarters

• This link includes a variety of lessons, online thematic games, videos all about the election process
• Activities Grade leveled: K-5, 6-8, 9-12 – most are grade 6 and up–with exception of videos

PBS Election Central

• Collection of grade level lessons: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
• Broken into following topics:
• Civics & Democracy
• Election Basics
• How Voting Works
• Voting Rights
• News & Current Issues
• Media & Elections
• Civic Participation

• Also affiliated with PBS:
• Your Vote Counts: Understanding the Voting Process–downloadable/printable packet for grades 4-6 to go with this 12 minute video
• Graphic on last page of packet is a good infographic on “How to Become the President”
• Also can be found here as a one page document

BrainPop (This is a subscription site.)

• Topics included:
• Presidential Election
• Primaries and Caucuses
• Political Beliefs
• Democracy
• Political Parties
• Women's Suffrage
• Voting Rights
• Presidential Powers
• Branches of Government
• Voting
• Political Party Origins
• Barack Obama
• Parliamentary System

Individual Websites/Activities:

Electoral College: 

• TED-ED video: “Does Your Vote Count? The Electoral College Explained” (2012)
• PBS’s Electoral Decoder – Interactive timeline to see past presidential elections by electoral college votes and you can do different scenarios by clicking on states to get to the necessary 270 votes
• 270 to Win website: Interactive map
• Ducksters’ Electoral College page
• Kids Discover Free Download

Infographic for 3 Branches of Government from Kid.Gov

We Are Teachers: 26 Books about Elections for Future Voters

Image from https://www.rawpixel.com/image/6266241/png-vintage-public-domain

Fall Bucket Lists

Today is Fall Equinox here in the US. That day of exact equals between daylight and darkness. The official start to autumn, and the day that days start getting shorter than the dark of night, as we go careening into cooler temperatures, making our way toward winter. 

As sad as that descent is, it is also a time of beauty and color as the leaves shift from dark green to vibrant colors. Festivals abound and there's a beauty in the coming briskness in the air. Good time to go on a quest of autumnal outings and adventures. 

Here are a few Fall Bucket Lists from both Dani DiPirro (creator of the Positively Present Instagram page) and Liz Neiman (author of "Love & Marriage & A Baby Carriage" blog) that will have you finding the perfect way to spend your fall days ahead.

Image from https://loveandmarriageblog.com/realistic-fall-bucket-list/ and https://www.instagram.com/positivelypresent/?hl=en

International Democracy Day & Better World Info Database

During an election year, especially here in the US with the last decade being a politically polar mindset, "Democracy" (with the capital D) has been in the news a lot! No doubt, as the next few months go on, the political noise will only continue to rise during this very unique election year.

Might be a good time to celebrate September 15th International Day of Democracy. The idea started in 1997 with its conception as the Inter-Parliamentary Union adopting a Universal Declaration on Democracy. Six international conferences on new and restored democracies were held from 1998 to 2006, with the first being in the Philippines and the 6th in Qatar. From there, in 2007 the United Nations General Assembly resolved what we now honor on September 15th: the International Day of Democracy. The purpose is to honor, uphold, and promote democracy while also raising awareness that democracy can come in many forms, but it is based on the values universal to all: free-expression of people's ideas and all aspects of life. Democracy happens at the voting box and is the basis of peace, humanity, equality, and a country's constitution of protective rights. Additionally, it involves civility--and hopefully open dialogue.

You can learn more at the UN's page on International Democracy Day.

You also can land on 3 dozen links about International Democracy Day on Better World Info's Database. Additionally, their Democracy page has a wealth of information and resources (over 1700) for teachers, students, & citizens alike on a variety of topics. These include social justice, fundamental human rights, & sustainability in global relations, peace, the economy, & more. Likewise, it includes some of the many challenges to democracy--including political apathy and fake news. There are also excellent resources on civic education & information about checking your bias when it comes to your political leaning, & how to approach that in a more neutral way.

Being new to Better World Info's Database, I did some digging around to learn more about this website. The Better World Info FAQ page had a lot of information! With their tagline of "A unique resource & powerful tool for people who want to make this world a better place," their mission is to provide neutral, unbiased, quality & carefully-curated links while not being paid by contributors. This keeps the links non-partial, non-partisan, not prejudicial, and not religiously affiliated. Along those lines, they are purposely free from advertisers and data mining. They want to be sources to be fact based, providing a "one-stop-shop" experience. Created by a German physician with a multitude of international volunteers and teammates, the authors have listed the most important and current lists top of the list per subject. Their mission is to help people think critically by way of providing fact-based, reliable information. All of this is not always a Google search, a social medial post, or a Wikipedia page away. The website is named to center around their vision of a "better world!" Their plan is to unite through information, not polarize into a filtered silo based on algorithms. 

Additionally, I like this quote in their final FAQ:

"By supporting Better World Info you are supporting truth, honesty, freedom, liberty, kindness, compassion, tolerance, and positivity."

image of Day of Democracy from https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/why-is-september-15-observed-as-international-day-of-democracy-history-and-significance-5952997.html, Rigoberta Menchu Tum from https://www.facebook.com/venicepeaceproject/posts/pfbid036KNveq2JY7FjzPZbshA33iY5HyjJPShM6DXfTpGu9yYHEz5qDkZn4EhzdZeXLs6dl, George Washington quote from https://steemit.com/quote/@kephawalks/quote-of-the-day-president-george-washington-if-freedom-of-speech, Better World Info screenshot from https://www.betterworld.info/

Old Maps Online

I'm always a fan of a great edtech tool--especially at the start of the school year, and especially when it is a tool you can use multiple times throughout the year. 

Richard Byrne, formerly of Free Technology for Teachers (he sold it to Teachermade when he traded his teacher hat for that of law student last fall) created this video on A Cool Historical Maps and Timeline Combination. In it, he describes how Old Maps Online works. 

This website could be the perfect pairing for tons of social studies and history units ahead this year! One of my favorite parts is the ability to zoom in and out, anywhere in the world over a multitude of times in history! Great way to find the pairing of space and place.

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zyDrFeTijM, image from https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/project