© 1996, Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

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Election '96

Building Background

Ask students why they think November is an important month in the political landscape of the United States. Elicit from students that it is the month that citizens of voting age can choose our national leaders and many of our state and local leaders, too.

Tell or remind students that the Constitution is a written set of laws for the United States. The Constitution lists the qualifications for the office of President and for the members of Congress. (click here to download a copy of the Constitution)

Explain to studens that the Constitution also outlines the role of the Electoral College, and the laws about voting. The fact that the President and Vice President are not voted for directly is often a difficult concept for many students to understand. Print and distribute copies of the Electoral College Fact Sheet. Students can use this sheet now and in January when the votes cast in December are tallied at a joint session of Congress. It is at this point that the election of the President and Vice President becomes official. You may want to consult The Electoral College for more information.

Discuss with students what they know about voting. You may want to ask questions such as the following to spark discussion:

By studying the Constitution, students can answer these questions. For more information about voting to share with students, you may want to refer to the League of Woman Voters.

Activities

Guide students through the following activities:

Science
Predicting an Election Outcome - Students explore ways in which the human brain and computer process data to make predictions.

Reading & Language Arts
Writing Your Members of Congress - Students write a persuasive letter about an issue of concern to their local State Representative.

Social Studies
It's Election Day! - Students familiarize themselves with the vocabulary of elections and voting using a word-search puzzle.

Wrap-up

When students have completed the activities, you may want to encourage them to hold a mock election on a topic of class or school-wide interest.

Are there topics you would like to see covered in the Cross-curricular Project? Tell us you what you think.

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