Tracking the Elections

http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/redistricting/ 

As you know, in 4th grade we study Alabama History. That opens up many unique opportunities for us as teachers. Hopefully, this specific subject matter makes it easier to create some relevance in your teaching for students. Our students strive to understand the concepts we teach, but sometimes their lack of familiarity brings their interest level down to a zero. 

Another big theme in the curriculum this year is government. This is such critical knowledge our students need to be successful in the future. To better understand government, state and federal, we could allow students to research and follow the elections taking place around them. Obviously the presidential election is the most newsworthy, but we could focus mainly on elections happening in our city, county, and state.

 We could create a bulletin board in the hallway that depicts the hierarchy of the state and local government. Students could highlight what positions were up for election and even compare that to the same display of the federal government. There are countless maps and charts students can be asked to interpret or create related to the elections (which is a critical component in our math curriculum this year).

Please share any other ideas you have for creating a cohesive and exciting plan.