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Polling the Electorate
(Elementary/Middle School)

OBJECTIVE

Students will learn what issues adults consider most important by conducting a poll and tracking the opinions of a candidate or current officer holder.

PROCEDURE

  1. Give each student two copies of the handout. Tell students to ask two people over the age of eighteen to respond to the poll. The students should place a check mark in the column next to the three issues the adults choose. Practice interviewing and completing the form in class. Remind students to thank participants.

  2. After polling, divide students into groups of four or five. Have each group tally the poll results and record them on the chalkboard or a large sheet of paper. Once all groups have recorded their responses, have students add the number of participants and figure the percentage choosing each issue. Place the three top issues on a chart

  3. Select two current candidates for an elected office- one from each major party. Using collected newspapers and other resources, have groups of students find and record opinions of the candidates on the issues, paying attention to differing perspectives.

  4. Have students draft laws they think might help address these issues, and invite an attorney to class to discuss the laws with the students.


ISSUES INTERVIEW

Are you a registered voter? Y N

Which three issues from the list below do you think are the most important and why?

ISSUE
Ö
WHY IMPORTANT
Health Care    
Education    
Crime    
Economic Conditions (Employment/Jobs)    
Foreign Affairs (Involvement with Other Countries)    
Ecology/Environment    
Budget/Government Spending    
Other: ___________________    

From: VOICE (Violence-prevention Outcomes in Civic Education) Copyright @ 1997 Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago. Lesson may be reproduced for classroom use.