Civics · 3 weeks · Grades 4-12
Elections and Voting Unit Study
Run a real election with real ballots and a real transfer of power.
Three weeks on why voting systems matter: campaigns, ballots, counting methods, majority versus plurality, and what a peaceful transfer of power actually requires.
Essential questions
- Can the same voters produce different winners under different rules?
- What makes an election trustworthy?
- Why does a peaceful transfer of power matter?
Lessons
1. Campaigns and platforms
Write a platform and defend it in one minute.
2. Ballots and counting
Run the same vote three ways and compare winners.
3. Transfer of power
Concede, hand over, and document the process.
Projects
- • Hold a co-op election end to end
- • Design a ballot
- • Write a concession and an inaugural speech
Assessment
- • Platform rubric
- • Election process checklist
- • Speech scoring guide
Vocabulary
pluralitymajorityballotplatformincumbentturnout
Reading list
- • A student guide to elections
- • Two contrasting campaign speeches