How Teachers Can Foster Better Conversations About Voting and Elections
With schools re-opening across the United States, and an election right around the corner, how can teachers teach their students about elections and civic engagement in a nonpartisan way?
In the midst of so many deep divides, how might educators foster constructive conversations in classrooms despite the fact that civics education continues to be defunded and deprioritized?
Democracy is not a given. Indeed, teaching democracy may be the most important literacy of our day. We can’t expect our next generation and future voters to “get” what it means to be an informed critical thinker and productive contributor to our future society. This isn’t just about memorizing The Constitution or some basic facts of American history. Rather, this is about helping students understand and practice the democratic values of individual freedom, equality, inclusion, representation, and opportunity for all in a lived and applied way.
Fortunately, a number of organizations have created valuable (often free) resources about voting, history, citizenship, civic engagement and democracy that will ensure that any teacher, no matter their level of expertise or available funding, will be able to engage students of any ages in these important learning experiences.
Teaching for Democracy Alliance
This non-profit organization believes that students who receive better civic education are more likely to vote and be civically engaged. To help increase the numbers of schools where this type of education is offered, they have created a variety of resources including a helpful rubric for teachers, schools and districts to identify the right lesson plan for topics ranging from voter registration to media literacy. They also offer a handy checklist for how to get started. http://www.teachingfordemocracy.org/
Generation Citizen believes all students have the right to civics education that prepares them to participate in our democracy. They offer semester-long curriculum and curriculum frameworks that culminate in a Civics Day, a youth-led community-based day of civic engagement. They also offer teachers an online course in how to teach ‘action civics,’ their collaborative, project-based approach to teaching civics education. https://generationcitizen.org/
iCivics offers free resources, including lesson plans and games, for teachers who want to engage students in meaningful civic learning. Their election headquarters offers resources focused on primaries, political parties, caucuses and conventions, while their timely Impact Points Challenge is designed to help everyone contribute in a meaningful way during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.icivics.org/
This organization was founded to increase the youth voice and participation in civic and political life in order to create a stronger, more inclusive democracy. They invite youth to engage in real-life democratic activities, and provide teacher resources including curriculum, training and support to encourage student-focused, project-based experiential civic practice. https://mikvachallenge.org/
Vote by Design offers a free digital curriculum that allows teachers to help new voters explore what leadership qualities are most important to them in a U. S. president, and why. The organization offers teacher-trainings and a step-by-step guide on how to run a Vote by Design session in any classroom or community. [Full disclosure: I am one of the co-founders of Vote by Design] http://www.votebydesign.org/
Launched in 2018 by co-chairs Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, When We All Vote offers the My School Votes program which works to change the culture around voting by guiding elementary, middle, and high schools to become hubs for voter activity. https://www.whenweallvote.org/
Facing History has long been the go-to for thoughtful, thorough, and interdisciplinary lesson plans on difficult but urgent topics Facing History’s lesson on voting rights helps students explore the history of voting rights in the United States, the impact of the Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder, and questions around voting rights today. https://www.facinghistory.org/
Common Sense Education’s Digital Citizenship Program addresses top concerns for educators, prepares students to make smart choices online and in life, and engages the whole community through family outreach. https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship
Stanford History Education Group
In a time of rising fake news and disguised propaganda, Stanford History Education Group’s Civic Online Reasoning helps students become critical readers and consumers of online content. The pioneering curriculum provides free lessons, inquiry-based activities, and assessments that help educators teach students to evaluate online information that affects them, their communities, and the world. https://sheg.stanford.edu/
Presidential Podcast by the Washington Post
There’s a lot of conversation these days about Presidential leadership. What is it? What does it look like? In 45 chronological episodes, the “Presidential” podcast takes listeners on an epic historical journey through the personality and legacy of each of the American presidents. If you like what you hear, check out the “Constitutional” podcast, too! https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/podcasts/presidential/
This 7-week self-paced school curriculum provides a multitude of ways that schools can productively engage in election related curriculum and activities that foster stronger school culture and climate. Leadership + Design, the creators of the program, recognize that school leaders have an opportunity to only help students productively engage in civic discourse ahead of the election, but equally important, educators need to invest in productive and inclusive dialog to support what happens after.
Vote with Love is a non-partisan campaign produced by a collective of artists, freelancers and social entrepreneurs to grow empathy and help voters prepare to cast a more thoughtful and informed vote. Their empathy challenges help voters reflect more deeply about their personal values and fmily history of voting. https://www.votewithlove.org/
According to Tuft’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement’s extensive research on what it takes to engage young voters for a lifetime of civic engagement, “When more — and more diverse — young people are politically engaged earlier in life, they are more likely to remain engaged in the future and to be part of an electorate that is more representative of the country, which should be a key goal of our democracy.”
This is true not only as we count down until November, 2020, but as a long term investment in shaping a future that’s built on a robust and healthy democracy.
Whether you’re an educator, administrator, parent, or concerned citizen, I hope these resources give you a head-start for the work ahead.
