49 Days and Counting

In case you haven’t noticed, the presidential election is right around the corner. As your students are surrounded by media overload about polls, politics, and possible presidents, you can use this inundation of information to motivate your students to learn about elections, government, and the presidency. These books can inspire your students to understand the complicated and crazy mechanics of choosing our leaders.

Electoral College? I Didn’t Apply There! Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio

Grace is appalled when she realizes there has never been a “girl president.” So, naturally, she decides that she’d like to be president. Fortunately, Woodrow Wilson Elementary School is having an election. However, her opponent is Tomas Cobb who is not only the spelling bee champion, and the captain of the soccer team, but is also the blue ribbon winner at the science fair. As the students cast their “state’s” electoral votes, it’s obvious that the count will be close. With the score at 268 to 267 and only Wyoming to vote, Grace’s heart sinks as Sam comes to the podium. Sam from the “Equality” state of Wyoming casts his vote for Grace because he believes that she is “the best person for the job.”

Lesson: This book is obviously timely as a woman is running for president this year. But this book is optimal for explaining the electoral college to students. By having the students in the classes represent states with the corresponding electoral vote, it is perfect for explaining how the electoral college works. For older students, it might be great to debate the value of this system and devise alternative voting systems.

Real Life Election Drama: The 2000 Election by Ted Gottried

“After all, as a wise man once observed, democracy is the worst of systems – except for all the others.” This book about the 2000 election illustrates all the things that can go wrong in an election and actually did. Election law, designs of ballots and voting machines, roles of election officials, and the electoral college all come into question. This book explains the intricacies of the 2000 election that eventually determined that George W. Bush was the president.

Lesson: This book would be a good follow up to Grace for President. After learning about the electoral college, students can read this book to understand how the electoral college really determines the results of elections. Again, students might be motivated to find ways that our election system could be improved.

An Election that Can Make You Laugh: Duck for President by Doreen Cronin

Duck, the star of Doreen Cronin’s Click, Clack, Moo returns to the stage in Duck for President. Duck is discontented. He doesn’t like his work on the farm and decides he should have Farmer Brown’s job. Duck campaigns and is elected, but decides he really doesn’t like Farmer Brown’s job either. So he runs for governor (decides that’s not so great either) and then for president. After deciding that “running a country is no fun at all,” Duck returns to the farm and….. (I just can’t spoil the ending).

Lesson: This book is silly and funny and can’t be taken too seriously. However, it would be a great introduction to elections. It introduces concepts related to campaigning and voter registration.

Campaign Drama in a Dogs’ School: Otto Runs For President

By Rosemary Wells

Barkadelphia School is having an election. The athletic Charles and the popular Tiffany are running for president. They make outrageous promises such as “Soda in the Water Fountain” and “Preferred Seating in the Cafeteria,” while covering lockers with sticky-note insults. Otto, on the other hand, runs his campaign by asking students what they would like to see in the school. As only happens in children’s books, Otto, of course, wins. But even Otto had to admit that as hard as campaigning was – being president is even more challenging.

Lesson:

1. Have students create a list of things they believe constitute a good candidate and campaign.

2. Let the students work in groups to create a campaign including speeches, events, and motto.

3. Have the class critique campaigns using a rubric based on the criteria they selected.

What’s with the Donkey and the Elephant??? Vote for Me

By Ben Clanton

Donkey and Elephant want your vote. And they’ll do anything to get it. They will flatter, “Hey, you with the dazzling great hair and the dazzling smile,” they will insult, “You are a sucker if you vote for him,” and they will bribe, “If you pick me, I’ll give you peanuts.” So who will win? How about the Independent Mouse?

Lesson: This is a cute book for introducing political parties. It also would be a great book for talking about platforms of the parties. After reading the book, students might research the principles within each platform and debate the value of each.