Who Votes In Elections? Lesson Plan for 8th Grade Students

Topic: Why don't people vote in elections? and how to change it?

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to explain why people don't vote in elections and how to change it.

Materials

• Handout with reasons people don't vote (e.g. lack of transportation, inconvenience, lack of knowledge)
• Ideas for increasing voter turnout (e.g. mail-in ballots, early voting, voting days >1)

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever voted in an election.
• Ask them to share their experiences and things they liked/disliked about voting.
• Ask students if they know why some people don't vote in elections.
• Allow them to share their thoughts and any they have heard from their peers.

Direct Instruction

• Review the concept of a democracy and the importance of voting in elections.
• Discuss the various reasons people give for not voting, such as being too busy, not being interested in the election, or not being registered to vote.
• Discuss ways to make voting easier and more accessible, such as extending the voting period, making it easier to register, and providing more convenient voting locations.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in small groups to develop a campaign to increase voter turnout in their school or community.
• Each group should come up with a slogan, some advertising ideas, and a plan for reaching out to non-voters and convincing them to vote.
• Have each group present their campaign to the class.

Independent Practice

• Ask students to choose a non-voter in their class and come up with a plan to convince that person to vote.
• Have them present their plan to the class.

Closure

• Review the importance of voting and the reasons why people don't vote.
• Ask students to pledge to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

Assessment

• Observe students during the simulation activity and during the class discussion to assess their understanding of the importance of voting and the reasons why people don't vote.
• Collect and grade the reports from the simulation activity as a form of assessment.