This special is one of fifteen Service Learning Standards Based Models 
For more Service Learning activities Connecting Classrooms~Communities~Careers
visit bostonteachnet.org or contact  Barbara Locurto  IMPACT II @ School-to-Career, 
Boston Public Schools

Citizenship
Get out the Vote
for School Elections

Arts, English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies

 

Connecting
Classrooms older & younger students
Communities neighborhoods, public officials 
Careers law & justice, public service
 
Can schools influence participatory democracy? Students address the problem of voter apathy when they hold a school-wide mock election and develop plans to increase community participation in the voting process. As they contact and interact with election department officials, students study registration requirements and launch a publicity campaign to expand voter turnout on election day. Computers become voting machines when students apply their database skills to conduct the schoolwide election. Uniting the school community and motivating students to encourage families and friends to vote, the campaign encourages dialogues about the Rights ~ Responsibilities ~ Respect of citizenship. Successful outcomes demonstrate how the power of an informed and active citizenry starts at an early age. 
Resources Newspapers In Education, We the People…The Citizen and the Constitution
Technology search Internet, word process ballots & flyers, create databases & post election graphs 
Web Sites League of Women Voters, Kids Voting USA, Center for Civic Education
 Community Partners local election department, League of Women Voters, neighborhood councils & legislators

 


Learning Standards Classroom Activities Service Activities
• Conduct historical & social studies research (SS) • Read for information on upcoming election 
• Conduct Internet search on issues & candidates running for local & national elections
• Identify local problem of low voter turnout		 • Meet with school administrators
• Agree to organize a schoolwide election along with a publicity campaign to increase voter turnout
• Use various formats & technology to complete & enhance work (ELA) • Interview election department official on registration & voting requirements
• Word process editorials & letters to the editor 		 • Send editorials & letters to local & school newspapers
• Engage in historical & social issues analysis & decision making (SS) • Organize school election by forming committees: registration, publications & publicity; database creation & analysis, election day  • Enlist support from teachers, other student groups, school family center & parent association
• Use telecommunications to share information & ideas (ELA) • Design flyers informing & defining upcoming election, issues & candidates
• Prepare for classroom debate on candidates & issues by researching newspapers & Internet 		 • Distribute flyers to school community, other local schools & families
• Invite elected officials & candidates' representatives to classroom debates 
• Construct, draw inferences & reason with charts, tables & graphs that summarize data from real world situations (M) • Register student voters on computer database
• Design a database voting record		 • Publicize school election requirements (only registered students may vote)
• Understand & use writing process effectively (ELA) • Word process & design leaflets on voter registration guidelines & dates • Distribute leaflets throughout community
• Notify local media & youth centers 
• Collect, organize & describe data (M)
• Construct, read & interpret data (M)		 • Conduct school wide vote on election day 
• Schedule voting procedures & registration
• Escort classes to & from computer voting areas
• Assist with database ballots & tally results 		 • Invite city officials, media, family members to observe procedure
• Encourage students to accompany family members to the polls 
• Formulate & solve problems that involve collecting & analyzing data (M)  • Announce & compare school election results & percentages with real world results
• Use database to analyze voting patterns 
• Prepare post election presentation of demographic trends		 • Present post election analysis including computer generated tables, charts & graphs throughout school & community
• Publish voter turnout numbers to assess effectiveness of publicity campaign