We are less than ten days away from the 2024 Presidential Election — if you haven’t yet made a voting plan, I encourage you to do so (and bring a friend to the polls!) As the polls tighten up and lines outside Early Voting locations lengthen, I figured there might be more than a few teachers wondering how they’re going to teach this year’s Election, from introducing the candidates to explaining the all-too-tricky Electoral College system!
Luckily, I have a few Happy Teacher Resources products that should help make your life (and the coming weeks) a little easier!
For the teacher who likes to give background context:
- Who Can Run? Qualifications for Office Article & Review. Just who can run for President and the Congress, anyway? This Qualifications for Office lesson serves as an easy-to-understand introduction to any Elections unit. An engaging reading passage breaks down the requirements for running for office in the United States, and students determine whether characters are eligible to run for President, the House, and the Senate in a scenarios activity. If you’re looking to introduce students to the concept of who we’re voting for every election cycle and why, this should help provide necessary context!
2. Evaluating Candidates Gallery Walk. To familiarize students with the concept of how American citizens evaluate their presidential candidates heading into an election, try out this Evaluating Candidates Gallery Walk! Students gauge the biographies and qualifications of a selection of anonymous candidates and vote for their favorite — in the end, the anonymous candidates’ identities are revealed, from Barack Obama and Donald Trump to Martin Luther King Jr. and George Washington! Students have a lot of fun with the reveals, especially realizing how their own preconceptions affected their opinions on the candidates. A great addition to any Elections unit!
For the teacher wondering how the heck to explain the Electoral College:
The Electoral College can be a tricky concept for students to wrap their heads around — it’s tricky for some adults to understand, let’s be real!
3. Electoral College Article & Map Activity. This Electoral College lesson includes a reading passage that breaks down exactly how the Electoral College works in easy-t0-understand language. A map activity lets students get hands-on with the Electoral College, coloring in all the Red, Blue, and Swing States as they answer comprehension questions to check their understanding. This is a great lesson for Election Day and gives students important context, so they know what to look for when watching the votes roll in Tuesday night.
For the teacher who wants to introduce the candidates:
4. 2024 Presidential Election: Meet the Candidates! Election and Electoral College Map Activity. This research activity is perfect for Election Day — with homework for your students to complete as they watch the returns come in throughout the rest of the week! Students conduct research on Democratic Candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Donald Trump to complete a “Meet the Candidates” one-pager. They answer biographical questions, list accomplishments and campaign promises, and even include a famous quote. An optional second page has students researching the candidates’ positions on top political issues!
Most helpfully, this resource includes a 2024 Election Night Electoral College Map for students to fill in as the states are called! This makes for engaging homework that will encourage students to actually watch the news and engage in the civic process!
For the teacher looking for something cute and creative:
5. Vote For Me! One-Pager Student Survey. This is normally an activity that I recommend for Back to School season, but it can be a lot of fun to do during Elections week! In this student survey activity, students paste a picture of themselves, come up with a campaign slogan, and answer questions about their interests and goals. This could make for a super cute bulletin board Elections-themed bulletin board, and is great for younger students as well!
For the teacher who wants comprehensive Election coverage:
6. Elections, Voting, & Evaluating Candidates Bundle. This bundle covers everything you’ll need for a comprehensive Elections unit in your Civics or American Government class! Resources related to Evaluating Candidates, the Electoral College, Interest Groups, PACs & Super PACs, Propaganda, and the Bush v. Gore Landmark Supreme Court Case are all included.
7. U.S. Elections, Electoral College, & Interest Groups Review Bundle. Maybe you’re looking for a review of key concepts related to U.S. Elections before the big day? This bundle includes 32 task cards and 4 puzzle games — including a word search, crossword, emoji riddle, and maze escape, any one of which would be great fun to assign as homework during Election Week! These review activities were designed to pair with the resources in the Elections bundle above, and are a perfect cap to your Elections unit!
I hope this helped! Happy Teacher Resources has plenty of resources related to United States Elections — click here for a complete list! I hope this post gave you some good ideas for how you can use some of my products during the coming weeks. Election Night 2024 will be here before you know it, so take a deep breath, stock up on red and blue markers and colored pencils, and get ready for a long couple of nights!
as always,
happy teaching
christina <3
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