On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, citizens across the United States will cast their votes for President and U.S. Congress. Additionally, here in Maine, we will be voting for all 186 seats in the Maine Legislature.
Elections offer a prime opportunity for civics education, encouraging students to envision the world and their future. Here are some resources and book recommendations to help teach students about the election process.
Online Resource Libraries and Lesson Plans
→PBS Election Center
PBS Learning Media is a comprehensive educational guide designed to help educators bring the electoral process into their classrooms. The guide includes engaging, age-appropriate materials tailored for different grade levels, interactive videos and activities, and ready-made lesson plans that can be shared directly to your Google Classroom to encourage students to think critically about local and national issues.
Learn More: bit.ly/meapbselection
→C-SPAN Classroom
C-SPAN Classroom offers a wealth of election resources designed to help teachers educate students about elections. C-SPAN Classroom has a variety of classroom resources, including videos and lesson plans, all designed to be adaptable, dynamic, and interactive ways to teach the election process.
Learn More: bit.ly/meacspan
iCivics Voting Games
Founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics utilizes gaming to explain complex topics to learners. All the iCivics teaching resources are nonpartisan and geared towards engaging high school, middle school, and elementary students. Each game takes between 15 to 30 minutes and includes teacher resources and, in some cases, web-quests for students to dig deeper into the topic.
→”Cast Your Vote”
Cast Your Vote is a simulated election game where students learn about candidates and issues, attend a Town Hall debate, ask candidates questions about important issues, and rate candidates’ responses.
Play Here: bit.ly/meaicivicsvote
→”Win the White House”
In this game, also offered by iCivics, students learn how candidates run for President. Gamers will act as presidential candidates, pick a slogan, develop arguments to support issues, raise funds for their campaign, poll voters, and make personal appearances. Students will need to keep an eye on the Electoral College tally as election day draws near to see if they win the White House.
Learn More: bit.ly/meaicivicswhitehouse
Books
ELEMENTARY
→Vote for Our Future
By: MARGARET MCNAMARA illustrated by MICAH PLAYER
The students at Stanton Elementary School might be too young to vote themselves, but they find ways to use their voices to encourage their parents, friends, and family to vote.
FMI: bit.ly/meabookvote
MIDDLE
→This is Our Constitution: Discover America with a Gold Star Father
By: Khizer Khan
Learn more about the Constitution and how to uphold its principles from a citizen who is passionate about his adopted country.
FMI: bit.ly/meabookusa
HIGH SCHOOL
→One Person, No Vote (YA Edition): How Not All Voters Are Treated Equally
By: Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden
This history of unconstitutional voter rights suppression in America is filled with statistics and stories sure to inspire soon-to-be voters to take action to ensure the basic right to vote for all Americans.
