Is anyone doing anything on the election with their 1st grade classes? I think it's important for them and am wondering how I can do this as an added "extra." I just got the VOTE Scholastic issue for October and it has a book that I've not read yet -- Otto for President -- and it says to use it with the fun, Duck for President.... thoughts? would you use the real candidates? How are you handling this current event?
I think that I am going to use Duck for President as a read aloud this year. I don't think I will do anything with the real election. It may offend some parents and I don't think that young students know enough to decide about the election. I do remember when I was in sixth grade and there was a presidential election...we did a mock vote. It was really fun. We went into private areas and casted our votes. This was powerful for an older grade....I remember it and liked it. But at the same time, I voted for the person who my parents were voting for. As an adult I look back and laugh b/c I would now vote in such a different way! Younger kids,even 6th graders tend to want what their parents want and would "vote" that way. I think that it may be too much for first grade/other grades to use real candidates. Fictional books and a discussion about elections would be great. Also, you could read two books and then have the students vote on their favorite book . They will get the concept of voting and it will be meaningful to them as well.
I wasn't planning anything huge. I'm planning on reading our Scholastic News magazine about voting and the election, but not much else on top of that.
I downloaded a cute Kinderreaders book set from this site. There are 4 different text levels of the same book. The book is about a fox and a bear that both want to be president. At the end of the book, students vote for who they think should win. It's very cute!
Our school was thinking of having a school wide election....I think it would be fun...but we don't really know where to start!
This is from a non-elementary, non-social studies person. How about choosing a class mascot or a class nickname? Open the floor for nominations, narrow it down to two, and have the kids debate the merits of their choice. Then, right before election day, have your election. I don't think I would use the real candidates or the real issues for kids this young.
We have Weekly Readers and I just got next months in and it actually has both of the candidates in it and explain to them who they are. I am going to read over it with them just so they know what an election is and what it's all about. I too was planning on maybe reading Duck for President. I was also planning on doing some kind of ballot with my kids too. Just something simple like their fav. candy or something. One of our standards this year is for students to learn about voting. It goes along with our citizenship theme. I was trying to think of something to do in the classroom but Im not sure my kids are mature enough to handle a mock election type thing.
During my student teaching in third grade we did an election for class mascots. It was fun! We registered to vote, had a primary election, and then a general election with two of the winners from that. Children gave campaign speeches and used "money" to purchase signs, buttons, etc. Don't know what I'm doing with my first graders yet. Duck For President is a good book though, my k's used to laugh a lot during it!
