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  Elections

Introduction Election Day Voting Election of the President Candidates Political Parties Primary Election National Conventions National Conventions - An Inside View Candidates at the Convention The Campaign Polling Places The Electoral College The Electoral Map The Inauguration

  

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Books & Reading

Books & Reading

What if there was a presidential election and no one voted?

Why can't we have a one-day presidential primary election? Why must it span over months and yet we only have one day to vote in the general presidential election?

If under Article II of the Constitution, people in Puerto Rico can’t vote in the presidential election, then why can they vote in presidential primaries?

Is voting in presidential elections regulated by the states or by the federal government?


Election 2008


 

Primary Election Political Parties Election Day Voting Election of the President Candidates National Conventions National Conventions - An Inside View Candidates at the Convention The Campaign Polling Places The Electoral College The Electoral Map The Inauguration

 
The Election of the President

Ballots
http://www.abcteach.com/Elections/ballot.htm
The ballots can be used while voting in a mock election or classroom election. You can write the candidate names in the blanks.

Choosing Presidents
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?id=18203&origin=5822
These questions span the history of choosing an American president from 1789 to 1996. Remember details about elections you heard about in your social studies or his troy class. Enjoy!

Do You Want to Be President?
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/shorgeshimer/WebPage/
preswebquest.html
WebQuest - It is an election year. You and your team have been asked by your political party to help them elect the next president of the United States. There is no incumbent running in this election and the vice president is not seeking the nomination of the party. This is a special year. This is the year that you can make a difference!

Electing the President-The Electoral College
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/electoralcollege/index.html
Learn about how we really elect the President of the United States and look at the results of the most recent presidential election.

Countdown to Election 2008
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/election2008.htm
Participate in Election 2008 with polls, bulletin boards, games and quizzes.

Election Activities
http://www.abcteach.com/Elections/activities.htm
Ideas for classroom election activities.

Election Bookmarks
http://www.abcteach.com/Elections/bookmarks.htm
Run off on cardstock or laminate.

Election Fun Coloring Page
http://www.abcteach.com/Elections/color2.htm
Print and color

Election Math Problems
http://www.abcteach.com/Elections/ELECTION%
20MATH%20WORD%20PROBLEMS.pdf
Read each problem carefully and look for keywords to help you know how to work the problem.

Losers of Presidential Elections
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?id=19930&origin=5822
Here's a look at prior Presidential elections - from the loser's point of view.

Presidential Election 2000
http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/00-2/lesson0010.shtml
Lesson Plan -- As a group, examine the presidential candidates and their election platforms. Some of you may be eligible to vote within a few years. The activities will help you learn to ask the kinds of questions that result in making informed choices.

Presidential Eligibility
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2103.shtml
Lesson Plan -- Could Ricky Martin be elected president? Sammy Sosa? Steven Spielberg? Learn what requirements determine who can and can't run for president.

Presidential Trivia for Kids
http://www.gardenofpraise.com/quadra.htm
Kids, here's a game about the Presidents of the United States. After you have tested yourself on all the questions, go through the questions again and let Professor Bookworm teach you some interesting facts about all the Presidents. Have fun!

Steps in Selecting a President
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/
lesson_steps.html#extension
Lesson Plan and Activities - Study a flowchart to help them understand the process of electing the president and vice-president.

U.S. Presidential Election Irregularities
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?id=21090&origin=5822
The Bush-Gore contest is not the first Presidential election in U.S. history where things have not always gone smoothly. Here are 10 notable examples. The strength of our system is that these were accounted for in our Constitution and the U.S. went on.

U.S. Vice-Presidents
http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz.cfm?qid=82976&origin=
http://www.funtrivia.com/dir/3371.html
Trivia Quiz - You know the presidents, but do you know their VPs?

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Gerald Ford was the only person to serve as both President and Vice President without being elected to either office.

Surf with Uncle Sam
Surf with Uncle Sam

Word Spy
Word Spy

Projects You Can Do

"1960: The Making of the President" is a very enjoyable U.S. presidential election game. The players take on the roles of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in recreating the 1960 U.S. presidential election. The goal is to finish the game with enough electoral votes to claim victory.

A candidate's support in a state is measured by wooden cubes (red for Nixon, blue for Kennedy). At the start of the game, many states are empty, but some are predisposed to support one candidate or the other. For example, Massachusetts starts with two blue cubes while Ohio and Illinois each start with a red cube.

The game primarily revolves around the 91 campaign cards, which were painstakingly researched and evoke the ambiance of this historic election. These cards allow players to add cubes to the board, collect cubes (which are used at several key points during the game), advertise in a region, and more.

"1960: The Making of the President" is full of tough decisions. You will always want to do more than your resources allow. It captures many of the emotions in a hard-fought campaign, with swings of euphoria and depression, as well as the tactics and strategy needed to win a victory in the Electoral College.

Learn more at: 1960: The Making of the President

 

Awards

 

The Dirksen Congressional CenterCopyright 2008