Interactive Presidential Elections Unit

Please see the link below for a full video that shows every piece of this unit along with my explanations! Also, please download the preview, as it includes photographs of all of the printables and activities that are included!**

Elections Unit Full Description VIDEO

This unit is part of my U.S. GOVERNMENT BUNDLE PACK that includes both this unit AND my Presidential Elections Unit! 200+ pages for less! Please be sure to check it out HERE if you like what you see!

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If you are looking to teach an interactive unit on presidential elections that is relative to students but still mimics the real election process and doesn’t just use the popular vote method, you have come to the right place!

This comprehensive unit covers everything from the Electoral College, to the populations of the states, to historical campaign posters, and even how to debate respectfully.

This unit uses the book, Grace For President by Kelly DiPucchio as a resource, but it is not at all required to teach it. I love integrating literature into my units, and this book happens to be my favorite when teaching presidential election concepts to upper elementary students. Supplemental text is encouraged for this unit. Textbooks, articles and other sources of reading material will help your students understand these concepts well. Students should have some prior knowledge of the three branches of government before beginning the unit.

Please see the link below to the video where I talk more in-depth about all parts of this unit. For such a large unit I wanted to be able to share everything that you are getting. My students had a blast with it and walked away having a solid understanding of hour our nation’s presidential elections work. I hope yours will too! If you have any questions about the unit please feel free to contact me!

Here is all that is included:

• 4 page Unit Guide
• Vocabulary list (19 words total)
• Vocabulary strips for pocket chart (word and definition)
• Vocabulary posters to be used with a projector/SMARTboard (word, definition, illustration/symbol)
• Vocabulary tally sheet (to be used during a real election year)
• I Have, Who Has vocabulary game
• Student vocabulary track sheet (students keep track of the words they already know and those they need help understanding)
• *ELECTION YEAR ACTIVITY* - Vocabulary tally sheet to be used during actual presidential debates or speeches
• 3 mock candidates for school president and their views on common school issues (they are on three separate pages/posters along with their “speeches”)
• Candidate Comparison Chart to compare/contrast the views of the candidates on different issues
• What are the requirements to run for president in the U.S.A.?
• Photo examples of past presidential candidates’ campaign posters
• Photo examples of posters from student candidates running for class president
• Student activity – Create a campaign poster
• *ELECTION YEAR ACTIVITY* – students evaluate a real presidential candidate’s campaign poster
• Voter registration cards
• Ballots
• Editable ballot
• “I Voted!” stickers (ready to be printed with Avery 22806 2”x2” square labels)
• Debate assignment that allows students to learn how to formulate an opinion on a topic, research and provide reasons to support that position and present it to their peers
• Rubric for class debate assignment
• Voting activity that simulates a real presidential election using the electoral college
• Electoral college cards for every state that include the state abbreviation and number of electoral votes (to be used with voting activity)
• state population research assignment (to help students understand that a state’s population is not always parallel to its physical size)
• Tally chart for Election Day activity
• What happens on Inauguration Day?
• Unit assessment (2 assessments to choose from: one over vocabulary and one written response over concepts. Use either or both!)
• Extension ideas

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