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Just the Facts, Please: Holding a Mock Presidential Election
Language Arts, Social Studies
9, 10, 11, 12
By: Debby Lind
Primary Subject – Social Studies
Secondary Subjects: Language Arts
Grade Level: 9-12
Students will be able to:
- Identify presidential candidates’ positions on issues such as jobs and the economy, taxes, national security, healthcare and education
- Compare and contrast these positions
- Debate election issues with their classmates
- Vote in a mock election based on how well a candidate represents their values
- Research resources: election coverage from newspapers, websites, and television
- Pencils and paper
- Ballots and ballot box for mock election
This lesson should take place in the five weeks leading up to an election. Each week, students are given a new presidential position to research. For example, on Week One, students research candidates’ positions on the economy; Week two, national security, and so forth. Information that students collect is put into a T-form with the heading of an issue. Example:
At the end of five weeks, all the information is compiled individually for each of the candidates, and a debate is held during class.
Students then vote on the candidate that they feel will make the best president based on the facts they have researched and conclusions they reach. On the day after the election, votes are tallied to see if the students chose the same president as the citizens of the United States.
Students will be evaluated based on completing research each week and on participation in the classroom debate.
Sharing thoughts on the outcome of both the mock and national elections.
E-Mail Debby Lind !