UNIT PLAN: Step 1

Name: ___Jennifer Headlee________

Essential Questions:
Is voting important? Why or why not?
- If voting is important why do more people of voting age in the United States participate in voting for shows such as American Idol
and Dancing with the Stars than do for Federal Elections?
- Is there voter apathy in the United States? Explain and support your assertion.
- Is the voting process too difficult in the United States? Explain and support your assertion.
- Do you feel there are efforts to hinder certain groups in the United States from voting? Explain and support our assertion.
- Young people, under the age of 29, typically do not turn out to vote in large numbers? Why do you think this occurs in the United
States? Do they just not care, are they not up to date on current events, are they frustrated with their choices, or are they flighty and
lazy?
- There are other democratic societies that have a higher voter turnout than the United States. What actions, incentives, and laws do
these countries implement to effect the voter turnout of their population? Should the United States implement some of these same
laws? Why or Why not?
- Pick a group who has been marginalized (not allowed to vote or had their right to vote been hindered or obstructed) in the United
States society regarding their right to voting. Explain why and how this group was marginalized. Research the reasoning given at the
time for this action and compare this with the Constitution. What do you find is the same and what do you find is different. Are the
justifications given legitimate why or why not? What has been done to fight marginalization or intimidation of voters throughout the
history of the United States? Are groups still marginalized and intimidated today? Explain and support your assertion.
Voting and having a voice (and not being punished for having a dissenting opinion) is a quintessential right in the United States. It is also a right
that all citizens should be thoroughly educated on and given the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills to aid in fulfilling the responsibility
that comes with this right. This is a particularly important topic for young students because historically voter turnout for younger Americans has
been atrocious. According to a National Exit Poll conducted by the Edison Research Group, in the 2012 Presidential Election only 19% of eligible
voters aged 19 29 turned out to vote. Policies and views in this Country need to change, improve and adapt to the changes in society. The only
way these changes will come about is by having informed, active and conscientious citizens. Students need to appreciate early the right and
responsibilities associated with voting. Students need to see and understand their voice matters and they need to comprehend that it is okay to
disagree but there is an appropriate way to disagree and work together that does not bring the Country to a standstill. In order to fully appreciate
this right, and realize the gravity of this responsibility, students need to explore and make connections to those who came before them and those
who are working right now to ensure that all Americans have the right to vote.
Curriculum Planning Highlights:
History Investigation Primary sources, Museums, local citizens sharing their stories, researching the Help America Vote Act and its implications
on the Country, Voting rights of Americans and how these have changed throughout the years
Understanding the Election Process Visiting a County Auditors Office, Visiting the Secretary of States Office, Interview Poll Workers
Political Parties and Cable News Stations How has bias in news reporting effected voting in the United States This would include research,
interviews, reading new and old articles and watching new and old news clips In addition this section could have a sub section on how
respectfully disagree and how to work together for a common good

Understanding the Young Voter Population 18 29 year olds interview family or friends, research polls conducted, discuss if the polls provided
are biased or not
Community Context:
I will be teaching this lesson to 5th grade students in Pierre, SD. I selected 5th grade because I thought this is a great grade to emphasis researching
skills and teach students how to utilize the research to support their ideas with facts.
I selected Pierre, SD because I lived in Pierre for almost 5 years. Pierre is a unique town. The population is about 12,000 people and it is the State
capital. This provides an interesting political mix because you have small town politics and the politics of being a State capital mixed together.
The State is the largest employer in Pierre, so the majority of my students will have a parent or guardian who work for the State. I thought a voting
unit would intrigue the students because in most cases an elected official could be a family friend or relative, or be a direct supervisor to someone
the child knows. In addition many of the students have been to the State capitol building and the proximity to the capitol building and the elected
officials could add some interesting components to the unit.
Another interesting component to add to the unit could be to focus on the size of Pierre and Hughes County in comparison to Minnehaha County
and Sioux Falls on how this factor can influence voting. A general complaint regarding voting in the State, is the fact that since Sioux Falls is the
largest population center, citizens argue that however Sioux Falls votes will determine the victor for a race or whether a ballot measure passes or
fails.

UNIT PLAN: Step 2 Standards

SS.35.PSCL.1
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and demonstrate the value of lifelong civic action.
Understand how people can participate in their government.

SS.35.PSCL.4
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the differences among local, state and national government..
Understand how national, state and local government officials are chosen.
SS.35.H.4
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the role of individuals and groups within a society as promoters of change or the status quo.
Understand how democratic values have been exemplified by people, events, and symbols.

Iowa Common Core Literacy

RI.5.9
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
RI.5.3
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text
based on specific information in the text.

UNIT PLAN: Step 2

Learning Objective and Standard*
Content
Skill
Students will understand that
The students will be working on
there are different perspectives on identifying credible research sources.
what it means to participate in the They will also be working on
government. In particular students effectively explaining and
will focus on the participation or
summarizing the information found
lack of participation by young
through their research in a written
people (18 -29) in the voting
text form.
process for Federal Elections

Worth Being Familiar

Curriculum
Priority

Iowa Common Core

SS.35.PSCL.1 Essential Concept and/or
Skill: Understand the rights and

RI.5.9

responsibilities of each citizen and

Integrate information from several texts on

demonstrate the value of lifelong civic

the same topic in order to write or speak

action.

about the subject knowledgeably.

Understand how people can participate in

their government.

Type of Assessment
Formative
Summative
Each student will need
After reviewing polls,
to review an election
documentaries, and
poll, provided by the
interviewing young
teacher, and then write
voters in the community
a one paragraph
students will write a 3
summary and explain to page paper explaining in
the class what the data
their expert opinion,
in the poll is trying to
by citing credible
portray about the trends sources reviewed, why
of young voters in the
do or why dont young
United States. Students people vote in federal
will also need to
elections in the United
explain if they believe
States and what is the
the poll is a credible
effect on our democracy.
source why or why not.

Important to
Know and Do

Students will learn how to vote

and the steps of the voting and
election processes for the State of
South Dakota.

The students will be able to

accurately depict or convey, via
pictures and written text, and
through modeling the information
they have researched.

SS.35.PSCL.1 Essential Concept and/or

Iowa Common Core

Skill: Understand the rights and

RI.5.9

responsibilities of each citizen and

Integrate information from several texts on

demonstrate the value of lifelong civic

the same topic in order to write or speak

action.

about the subject knowledgeably.

Understand how people can participate in

their government.
SS.35.PSCL.4 Essential Concept and/or
Skill: Understand the differences among
local, state and national government.

Understand how national, state and local

government officials are chosen.

Each student will draw

a detailed picture of a
polling place. Each
student will create a
mock ballot and each
student will create a
summary about one
kind of election worker.

Half of the Students will

create a mock polling
place for a primary
election and the other
half will create a mock
polling place for a
general election. Both
will be complete with
ballots, statue required
signs, and designated
roles: poll workers, poll
watchers, voters, a
County Auditor,
Election Workers, and a
Secretary of State.

Students will understand some of

the changes in voter rights in
American History.
SS.35.PSCL.1 Essential Concept and/or
Skill: Understand the rights and
responsibilities of each citizen and

Historical thinking skills utilizing the

following components:
Identification
Attribution
Judging Perspective
Reliability Assessment
Iowa Common Core

demonstrate the value of lifelong civic

RI.5.6

action.

Analyze multiple accounts of the same event

Understand how people can participate in
their government.

or topic, noting important similarities and

differences in the point of view they

Enduring Understanding

represent.

RI.5.3
Explain the relationships or interactions
between two or more individuals, events,
ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific,
or technical text based on specific
information in the text.
SS.35.H.4
Essential Concept and/or Skill:
Understand the role of individuals and
groups within a society as promoters of
change or the status quo.

Understand how democratic values have

been exemplified by people, events, and
symbols.

Students in groups of 4
will need to read two
primary sources with
different points of
view, provided by the
teacher pertaining to
the Voting Rights Act
of 1965 and two
primary sources, with
different points of view
pertaining to the direct
aftermath of the 2000
election results. The
groups will provide a
summary of both sets
of articles/pictures and
share their summaries
with the class in a mini
presentation. (This is a
jigsaw approach to
presenting a variety
information to the class
utilizing historical
thinking skills.)

The students will need to

turn in their voting
portfolio at the end of
the unit. The portfolio
will include their one
paragraph summaries of
the primary sources
provided by the teacher;
their 3 page papers on
the voter turnout of
young people, the hand
drawn pictures of their
polling places, actual
pictures of the polling
place models they
created, their mock
interviews pertaining to
recent elections they had
created with an
individual from each
time period 1960s and
2000, and also a student
created news article
along with a picture and
caption related to either
the passing of the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 or
the passing of the Help
America Vote Act.