Presidential Election 2012: The Road to the White House

 The upcoming presidential election in the United States is a great time to have your students brush up on some Election Day facts. The events leading up to the November elections provide many great opportunities for students to learn about the office of the president, the responsibilities of that position, and what it takes to become the president.

Give some of these activities a try to make the Election of 2012 a great learning experience for your students.

The Road to the White House

Brainstorm with your students the steps they think a person would need to take to be elected to the office of the President. Help them to include these steps: declaring as a candidate, winning the nomination, outlining a platform, campaigning, winning the electoral votes, being inaugurated. Next, give each student several 3" x 18" pieces of black construction paper which will be used as the "road." Along this "road" have students use index cards to illustrate each of the steps they have listed as candidates follow the road to the White House.

Can You Be President?

Ask students to make a list of the requirements for becoming the president. Then have them share those ideas and create one class list. Next, share the actual requirements with the class and discuss the similarities and differences between their lists and the actual requirements. You may wish to have students write about why they chose some of the other things that they included on their lists.

Mock Election

Prior to the actual election, hold a mock election in your class or school. Have students nominate classmates for class president, vice president, and any other offices you choose. Have them follow the steps the actual candidates go through, making speeches, getting the nomination, and the actual vote.

Straw Poll

You may also wish to conduct a straw poll of the actual candidates in your school. On Election Day, have students take informal votes in other classes. Tally the votes at the end of the school day, and then compare your results with those of the real election.

Don't Forget to Vote Posters

Help students encourage their parents to vote by having them make "Don't Forget to Vote Posters." On a 12"x18" piece of construction paper, have students create posters detailing the importance of voting. Encourage them to display the posters at home and remind their parents to vote on Election Day.

Electoral College

The concept of the Electoral College is difficult for many voters. Help your students to understand this idea by discussing how actual votes translate into electoral votes, and how that determines who wins the election. Discuss the importance of states that have the largest number of electoral votes, and the strategy the candidates may use while campaigning.

Winning Web Sites 

Use these sites for information and other resources to enchance your study of the election:

The Election: Classroom Activities
Brain Pop: The Presidential Election
Project Vote Smart
Who Elects the President?
The Electoral College
POTUS: President of the United States
The American President
Kids Voting USA
Election Comic Strips

Original copyright 2000 Irene Taylor. The copyright of the article The Road to the White House in Teacher Tips and Lesson Plans is owned by Irene Taylor. This article is reprinted here with the author's permission. Permission to republish The Road to the White House in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.