THE CONSTITUTION AND OUR REPUBLIC

VOTING

LESSON OBJECTIVE(S)

	The student will be able to:

·	Discuss voting as a Constitutional right and responsibility
·	Identify voting as a fair way to make choices
·	Record and interpret data in two different ways

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

	Activity 1	Chalkboard or poster board for students to trace their hands
				Scissors	Bulletin board
	
Activity 2	Handout 1 "Bar Graph Activity Sheet"

ACTIVITIES

	Activity 1 - "How We Make Choices" 

Ask students, "If your mother tells you to choose between an apple or a banana for snack, how do you decide?"  Discuss.

Ask students, "If your P.E. teacher says that you can decide to play indoors or outdoors, how do you decide?"  Discuss.

Point out the difference in the two decisions (the first affects only the student; the second affects other people as well).

Discuss how real-life voting affects many people.

Ask students if they have been to vote with their parents.  Discuss that voting may be done by hand, voice, or be secret ballot.  What method is used where your parent(s) vote(s).

Give each student a piece of colored construction paper and have them trace their hand, cut it out, and put their name on the back.

Divide a bulletin into two sides labeled with the two choices on which students are voting.  
Example:  choices of indoor games for a rainy day, such a "7-Up" or "I Spy".

Allow the students to pin their "hand" on the side they choose.

Count and discuss the results.

Activity 2 - Review the "Voting Hands" Lesson.

Tell students that there are other ways to show the result of their choice.  Give each student a copy of Handout 1.  Have them label Choice A and Choice B.  Next tell them to find the number of hands for Choice A on their bar graph.  Tell students to draw a line across the graph at that number.  They should then choose a crayon and color the graph in from the bottom up to the line they made.  Have students then do the same thing with Choice B.  Point out that they will have to look all the way to the other side of their first bar to see the numbers.  Tell them to use their finger or a ruler to follow across to make their line.  After they make their line have them color Choice B with a different color.

Point out that their "Voting Hands" bulletin board shows the same information as their bar graph.  Have students decide which shows the results of the vote better and why.  Discuss.