Social Studies Skills TEKS s1

Kindergarten Social Studies Unit: 04 Lesson: 03 Suggested Duration: 2 days Votar Lesson Synopsis: In this lesson, students learn voting is a fair way for groups to make decisions. In the United States of America voting is a privilege and a responsibility of its citizens.

TEKS: K.10 Citizenship. The student understands important symbols, customs, and responsibilities that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identify. The students is expected to:

K.10D Use voting as a method for group decision making

Social Studies Skills TEKS: K.15 Social studies skills. The student communicates in oral and visual forms. The student is expected to:

K.15A Express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences; K.15B Create and interpret visuals, including pictures and maps.

GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION Performance Indicator(s):  Draw a picture of people voting and write/dictate a sentence that explains the use of voting as a method for group decision making. (K.10D) 1C; 3D

Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:  Los grupos pueden tomar decisiones justas al votar. — ¿Qué es votar? — ¿Cómo votamos? — ¿Por qué votamos? — ¿Cómo sabemos quién o qué ganó? — ¿Cómo garantizamos una elección justa? — ¿Cómo el votar promueve la justicia? — ¿Por qué el votar se usa para tomar decisiones entre un grupo de personas?

Vocabulary of Instruction:  voto  boleta  democracia  toma de decisiones  urna de boletas  registro de votantes  mayoría  sitio de votación  ciudadanos  elecciones  elección

Materials:  Refer to the Notes for Teacher section for materials.

Appropriate materials may be substituted as needed to incorporate district resources and availability.

Attachments:  Handout: Voter Registration Cards  Teacher Resource: Sample Ballot  Teacher Resource: Voting

Resources and References:  Possible, optional children’s book suggestions: — Vote! by Eileen Christelow

©2012, TESCCC 04/28/13 page 1 of 5 Kindergarten Social Studies Unit: 04 Lesson: 03 — Duck for President by Doreen Cronin — The Ballot Box Battle by Emily Arnold McCully — Papa’s Mark by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert — So You Want To Be President? by Judith St. George  Possible, optional web resource: — Project Vote from the Texas Secretary of State office: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/projectvote/kids/index.shtml

Advance Preparation: 1. Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson, including the idea that voting is a way to make group decisions. 2. Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson. 3. Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson. 4. Preview materials and websites according to district guidelines. 5. Prepare materials and handouts as needed.  Locate age appropriate picture books for reading aloud and placing in the book center.  Locate appropriate pictures to use in the lesson: polling place, ballot box, voter registration card, sample ballot.  Locate and decorate voting booth (large box or puppet theatre). Cover it until needed in the lesson.  Locate and decorate ballot box (shoe box works for this).  Make voter registration cards for students. If desired, use the Handout: Voter Registration Cards. Add digital photos of students or thumbprints to make them more personal.

Background Information: Voting: an expression or preference for a particular person or issue that needs to be validated; the majority always wins.

Students have voted in past lessons.

GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners. The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page. All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area. INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES Instructional Procedures Notes for Teacher NOTE: 1 Day = 30 minutes ENGAGE – Introduction to voting Suggested Day 1 – 10 minutes 1. Read a children’s book about voting. Materials:  Children’s books about voting 2. Discuss concepts discussed in the book. Focus on word meanings relevant to voting. Purpose: To introduce voting as a way for groups to make decisions.

TEKS: K.10D; K.15A, K.15B

Instructional Note: Although voting was used briefly in Unit One as a way to make a decision in the classroom, this is a more in-depth look at voting and the way we use it in our democracy.

EXPLORE – What is voting? Suggested Day 1 (cont’d) – 7 minutes

©2012, TESCCC 04/28/13 page 2 of 5 Kindergarten Social Studies Unit: 04 Lesson: 03 Instructional Procedures Notes for Teacher 1. Ask: Materials:  What is voting? (When a person chooses one thing or person over  Pictures of: people at a polling place, another.) As citizens of the United States of America we make ballot box, sample ballot choices as a group of people by voting. We vote for president, for the people who make laws, and for whether or not we want the Purpose: government to spend tax money on certain projects. Voting is a way To help students understand what it for people to voice their opinions. means to vote.

2. Ask: TEKS: K.10D; K.15A, 15B  Why is voting a fair way to make decisions as a group? (Because each person gets one vote. Each vote counts the same as every other Instructional Note: vote.) When counting votes, this is a good time to review one-to-one 3. Ask for and provide examples of voting in real life. These could include their correspondence. Compare the sets of parents voting in elections such as the election of the president or votes one-to-one. The set that has governor, in school board and school bond elections, etc. leftovers is the set that has more.

4. Some students may have visited a polling place with their parents and be able to describe the experience. If not, describe a voting booth and how a person casts his or her vote.

5. Discuss rules of voting in our country: one person/one vote, majority rules. Before they vote, people have to make a decision.

EXPLAIN Suggested Day 1 (cont’d) – 3 minutes 1. Students use academic language to talk to a partner about the ideas included in the Explore section. (vote, choice, decision, one person/one vote, majority rules; Voting is a way for people to voice their opinions.)

EXPLORE – Deciding and voting Suggested Day 1 (cont’d) – 7 minutes 1. Set up a voting situation (decide what book to read, what snack to eat, Purpose: what activity to do next, etc.). Teach the process of decision making by voting. 2. With students in pairs, ask questions such as those below to highlight the steps of the decision-making process. An example of questions to ask TEKS: K.10D; K.15A, 15B could include:  What do we need to decide? (What we want to have for afternoon Instructional Note: snack) Take advantage of opportunities to use  What information do we have? (We know we have snacks new vocabulary words, such as comply, available.) when appropriate. Use the new word  What are the options or choices? (We have applesauce and and give a quick definition and move on graham crackers.) with the lesson. Students who have the  What would happen if we choose apple sauce? (We would all eat ability will remember these words and applesauce for snack.) their meanings and use them in  What would happen if we choose graham crackers? (We would all conversation. eat graham crackers for snack.)

3. After asking each question, student pairs discuss the questions and then contribute to a classroom discussion of the process to make a decision.

4. Conduct a vote to make the decision (what book to read, what snack to eat, what activity to do next, etc.), and then follow through with the decision of the majority. (Possible methods of voting include hands-up, tally marks, vocal agreement, written ballots, secret ballot.)

5. Part of voting is the understanding that not everyone always gets exactly

©2012, TESCCC 04/28/13 page 3 of 5 Kindergarten Social Studies Unit: 04 Lesson: 03 Instructional Procedures Notes for Teacher what he/she wants. Decisions in our society are made by the majority, and other group members comply or go along with that decision. They do this because as citizens and members of the community they have agreed to go along with the rules of the society.

EXPLAIN Suggested Day 1 (cont’d) – 3 minutes 1. Students use academic language to talk to a partner about the ideas Purpose: included in the Explore section. (choice, decide/decision, option, vote) Offer students an opportunity to process new learning

ENGAGE – The voting booth Suggested Day 2 – 2 minutes 1. Have the voting booth covered or hidden until the lesson begins. Uncover Materials: it and ask:  Materials to make and decorate  What could this be used for? voting booth, which might include a cardboard box or puppet theatre (for 2. Explain that it is a voting booth to use in a classroom election. Notice that the voting booth), red, white, and it only has room for one person at a time because the election will be done blue streamers, bunting, USA by secret ballot. That means no one sees the ballot except for the person symbols or pictures (look for these voting. in retail stores on sale right after the Fourth of July)

Purpose: The purpose of this engage is to create interest in the act of voting.

TEKS: K.10D; K.15A, 15B

Instructional Note: The voting booth can be decorated ahead of time or at least partially decorated. You may want to partially decorate it and let students finish decorating.

EXPLORE – Holding an election Suggested Day 2 (cont’d) – 10 minutes 1. Make a ballot box and ballots for class election. Students can decorate the Materials: ballot box with construction paper, clip art, paint, or drawings. (This could  voting booth be done during center time.)  ballots  ballot box 2. Facilitate a discussion about the idea of secret ballot and why sometimes we  voter registration cards vote “out in the open” (like we did when we voted for class rules) and sometimes we vote by secret ballot, which is done in private. Attachments:  Handout: Sample ballot 3. Conduct an election by secret ballot to make a classroom decision. Purpose: 4. When voting is complete, facilitate a discussion about what needs to happen The purpose is to allow students to act next. (We need to know how many people voted for which option. Include out an election using a voting booth, a discussion of honesty, responsibility to the community, the use of secret voter registration cards, ballots and a ballots, etc.) ballot box to imitate a real election.

5. Show the students how to tally ballots. Let the students actually stack and TEKS: K.10D; K.15A, K.15B count the ballots. After votes are counted, announce the winner.

EXPLAIN 2 – Summarize Suggested Day 2 (cont’d) – 3 minutes 1. Use a strategy such as “Talk a Mile a Minute” to allow students, in Purpose: pairs, to summarize their voting experience. (secret ballot, majority, Offer students an opportunity to process

ELABORATE – Importance of voting Suggested Day 2 (cont’d) – 5 minutes 1. Facilitate a discussion about the lesson’s Key Understandings and Guiding Purpose: Questions: To allow students to verbalize their  Groups can make fair decisions by voting. understanding of the responsibility of — What is voting? voting. — How do we vote? — How do we know it is fair? TEKS: K.10D; K.15A, K.15B

2. Continue the discussion by asking:  Why is voting for offices like the President an important responsibility for citizens?

EVALUATE – Has mastery been achieved? Suggested Day 2 (cont’d) – 10 minutes  Draw a picture of people voting and write/dictate a Materials: sentence that explains the use of voting as a method for group  Drawing paper decision making. (K.10D) 1C; 3D Purpose: Offer students an opportunity to give evidence of their understanding of voting as a way of making group decisions.

TEKS: K.10D; K.15A, K.15B