Countdown to Election Day. - November 6, 2012
The 2012 Presidential Election may be one year away but there is ample time for teachers of social studies and civics to gear up for what promises to be a crucial election. The issues are quite divisive. The candidates are confrontational. There are teachable moments all over the place. It is an exciting time.
My interest in presidential politics stems from my seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher, Naomi Satchell. The year was 1960, the upcoming was election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. We discussed the issues in class. We had mock debates and made campaign pins and posters. On Election Day, Mrs. Satchel gave each of us an outline map if the United States and told us to color in which states went for Kennedy and which for Nixon. You may recall that this was one of the closest elections in history which wasn’t decided until the next morning. My mother made me go to bed at eleven o’ clock, despite my protests that I hadn’t finished my homework. We need today’s teachers to ignite that kind of interest in their students. It not just a good civics lesson, it is a lesson in responsibility and the democratic process. There are numerous debates this fall. Then, starting in January come the Primary Elections. This will be followed by the two nominating conventions next summer as well as several debates prior to Election Day. The Republican National Convention will be held in Tampa Bay, Florida (http://gopconvention2012.com/), while the Democratic National Convention will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina (http://charlottein2012.com/)
NARA, The National Archives and Records Administration, has an excellent web site about the Electoral College. It explains how it works, how electors are selected and its role in a presidential election. You can readily pointy out that it is possible to win the popular vote, lose the electoral vote and thus lose the election. Just ask AL Gore.
The National Constitution Center is located in Philadelphia across the street from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. If you and your students are fortunate enough to live in the vicinity, a field trip would be an outstanding experience. There is a brief orientation play and a myriad of interactive activities for school students. In absence of an on site visit, there are a number of useful and effective lesson plans for teaching about presidential elections. While the activities of the site were originally geared for the 2008 election, teachers will find relevant materials for elementary grades, middle school, as well as high school. The web site is http://constitutioncenter.org/ncc_edu_Election_Lessons.aspx.
The Office of the Secretary of State for the State of New Hampshire in Concord is the place where presidential candidates go to register for the New Hampshire Primary. This primary election is one of the earliest and can often be a bell weather of what American voters may be thinking. What is unique about this event is the fact that this is an open primary and anyone can plunk down the $1000 registration fee and get their name on the ballot- as long as they meet the Constitutional requirements to be President of the United States. (Natural Born US citizen, at least 35 years old and have been a US resident for at least 14 years. Article II. Section1). This web site will give you a list of all of the men and women, many you have never heard of, who have registered to run in the New Hampshire Primary (http://www.sos.nh.gov/Candidates.pdf)
No matter which approach you take, be sure to get your students plugged in to the election. Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, believed that in order for our democracy to survive, we needed to have an educated population. As teachers we can be guardians of our democracy by educating our students as to their civic responsibility and teach them about the election process.
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