The Electoral College

Dennis ReesArizona Geographic Alliance

Grade 8 and High School2 Class Periods

Overview

The Constitution of the United States outlines the process of how the president is elected. Students need to be aware of this process because they are the voters of the future.

Purpose

In this lesson students will learn how the members of the electoral college are determined, how the electoral college operates, and its effect on presidential elections.

National Geography Standards

Element One: The World In Spatial Terms1. How to Use Maps and Other Geographic Representations, Tools, and Technologies to Acquire, Process, and Report Information From a Spatial Perspective.

Arizona Geography Strand

Concept 1: The World in Spatial TermsGrade 8PO 1 Construct maps, charts, and graphs to display geographic information.

High SchoolPO 2 Interpret maps and images.

Concept 6: Geographic ApplicationsGrade 8PO 3 Use geographic knowledge and skills (e.g. recognizing patterns, mapping, graphing) when discussing current events.

High SchoolPO 1 Analyze how geographic knowledge, skills, and perspectives (e.g. use of Geographic Information Systems in urban planning, reapportionment of political units, locating businesses) are used to solve contemporary problems.

Other Arizona Standards

Strand 3: Civics/GovernmentGrade 8Concept 2: Structure of GovernmentPO 3 Explain the electoral process (e.g. primary and general elections, electoral college).PO 4 Explain how a candidate can be elected president (e.g. Adams-Jackson, Hayes-Tilden, Bush-Gore) without a majority of popular vote.

High SchoolConcept 2: Structure of GovernmentPO 6 Analyze the structure, powers, and roles of the executive branch of the United States government:d. Election of the president through the nomination process, national conventions, and electoral college.

Strand 1: American HistoryConcept 4: Revolution and New NationGrade 8PO 6 Describe how one nation evolved from thirteen colonies:a.Constitutional Convention

High SchoolPO 4 Analyze how the new national government was created:c. Constitutional Convention

ELA Common Core StandardsReading Standards for 6-8 for Literacy in History/Social StudiesKey Ideas and Details6-8.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.6-8.RH.3 Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g. how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

11-12 Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social StudiesKey Ideas and Details11-12.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

Objectives

The student will be able to:1.describe how the electoral college is organized.2.describe how the electoral college is used to elect the president.3.analyze how the electoral college affected the results of presidential elections in 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000.

Materials

•The Electoral College handout•Electoral College Worksheet and Answer Key•United States (with state names) map•United States (with state names and electoral votes) map•Electoral College Quiz and Answer Key•Teacher Key for Maps

Procedures

Session One1. Distribute The Electoral College handout. Instruct students that while reading the handout, they are to highlight or underline important information on how the electoral college is determined, its function in presidential elections, and any effects the Electoral College had on elections. Then, as a class, read and discuss the handout.

2. After finishing the reading and discussion, distribute the Electoral College Worksheet and the United States (with state names) map.

Instruct students they are to do Question 1 on the worksheet and complete the coloring of the map; when done, they are to come get the United States (with state names and electoral votes) map to complete Question 2 and the coloring of that map. When this is completed, they are to continue working on the worksheet using the Electoral College Handout as a reference. This may be done as homework.3. Collect the maps if you wish to use them as an assessment.

Session Two1.Collect the Electoral College Worksheet if you wish to use it as an assessment.2.Review the material from the Electoral College Handout.3.Distribute Electoral College Quiz and have students complete it. Collect the quiz as they finish as it is used as an assessment.

Assessment•The Electoral College Quiz is used to assess American History and Civics; the Teacher Answer Key is provided. Eight out of ten points or 80% is considered mastery.•The Electoral College Worksheet may be assessed for American History and Civics; the Teacher Answer Key is provided. Twenty-four out of twenty-nine points or 80% is considered mastery.•Using the Teacher Key for Maps, the United States (with state names) map and United States (with state names and electoral votes) map may be assessed for a Geography grade. Sixteen out of twenty points or 80% is considered mastery.

Extensions

•Students could create a power point which explains the electoral college.

•Using Glogster (http://www.glogster.org) students could create a poster describing the electoral college.

•Students could create historical maps showing the electoral college results for the election of 1824, 1876, 1888, or 2000.

•Divide students into groups and give each group either a regional map or list of states with each state’s electoral votes. Then have each group create a cartogram of their region and report their results to the rest of the class. The class could then discuss if there is a region or regions that carry more weight due to their electoral votes.

•Students could research to find out if there were ever any elections where an elector did not vote as pledged and if it affected the outcome of the election.

•As a writing activity, student could compose a persuasive essay on one of these topics:1.The Electoral College works very well.2.The Electoral College needs to be revised.3.The Electoral College should be replaced with a new system.

This could be a collaborative or independent activity, and could be assessed using this criteria: 1.Essay has a good topic sentence.2.Essay has relevant supporting details.3.Essay has a strong conclusion.

Sources

www.house.gov/house/Constitution

www.usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepolitical