Lesson Plan

Name: Jorie Grande Class/Subject: Eighth Grade Civics/ The Electoral College Date: 11/17/12 Student Objectives/Student Outcomes: - Students will discover how the Electoral College works by taking part in a voting activity within the classroom. - Students will be able to criticize the voting process of the Electoral College in terms of understanding the reasoning behind giving every state the same number of votes to start off with, and why larger states have more Electoral votes. Content Standards: 14.C.3 Compare historical issues involving rights, roles, and status of individuals in relation to municipalities, states, and the nation. 14.F.3b Describe how the United States political ideas and traditions were instituted in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Materials/Resources/Technology: - Computer - Projector - Projector Screen - Power Point Teachers Goals: -To explain how the Electoral College functions as a means of electing the president in the United States. -To assist students in being able to think critically about the Electoral College: Does it succeed in electing the candidate that the majority of Americans want elected? Or are the flaws in the system greater than the sum of its benefits?

Time 8:10 - 8:15 Start of Class: Students will complete their daily journal entry; the question will be What

are we referring to when we call a state a swing state?

8:15-8:20

Introduction of Lesson: In-class activity. Students will participate in a mock election and Electoral College (see attached).

8:20-8:45

Lesson Instruction: Students will be given a Power Point lecture on the Electoral College; the lecture will address how the Electoral College originated, how it functions, how candidates win elections. The presentation will then move onto a discussion of pros and cons of the Electoral College. This will include a Youtube Clip which highlights the criticisms of the Electoral College in the United States. We will then look at the reasons why the Electoral College works in the United States and how it is a valuable means of measuring the vote. Specific questions to be addressed during the pro/con portion include: -Is it fair that someone can lose the popular vote but still win the election? -Do you think small states should have as much say as they do in the elections? Are big states too powerful with the number of votes they have? -If elections were based solely on the popular vote, where would the majority of votes come from? Where would candidates spend most of their time campaigning? -Do you think less voters turn out to elections because of the way the Electoral College is set up? -Should the U.S. move away from the Electoral College? Why or why not?

Assessments/Checks for Understanding: Students will complete a short writing activity (see attached).

8:45-8:50

Closure/Wrap-Up/Review: The Electoral College is the result of a compromise between Founding Fathers who wanted an indirect election system and those who wanted a direct election system to vote for the president. While citizens vote for their preferred candidate, it is the job of electors to ultimately decide who will receive a states electoral votes. This system has many criticisms, but it still remains a useful system and has several benefits in its usage.

Self-Assessment: Are students answering my questions? Are they asking their own because they need more clarification on the topic, or because they do not understand the material? Have they provided appropriate responses to the writing activity?