BrainPOP and iCivics: Election Season!
Posted by jglassman on
With election day right around the corner, now is a perfect time to remind students that voting is more than just a right—it’s a responsibility! Point out that elected representatives make decisions about everything from taxes to declarations of war, and everything in between, so voting affects everyone and student’s should be prepared to make an informed choice.
To help you plan Election Day lessons, explore the following election-related resources, including a game from our partner, iCivics:
Explore BrainPOP’s Election-Related Resources
How did the idea of voting for our representatives come to be? Why is voting an essential ingredient to democracies? BrainPOP’s Voting movie provides the answers to these questions and more!
A democratic government is based on three ideas — discover what they are in BrainPOP’s Democracy movie.
Democrat, Republican, or Green party–this movie describes how people form political beliefs, and how political ideologies divide opinions.
*Play the newly reimagined iCivics Game Cast Your Vote
iCivics’ new Cast Your Vote game is a simulation that challenges players to take on the role of a voter researching candidates and issues for an upcoming city-wide election. Students learn to evaluate ballot measures and research candidates’ platforms, promises, and qualifications through town hall speeches, news stories, and voting records. Using what they learn, students then cast their vote!
Designed to teach analysis skills required for local and national elections, the objective of Cast Your Vote is for students to use their time to effectively prepare to vote in an upcoming election in the fictional city of Isley. How they ultimately vote is irrelevant to winning or losing the game.
Teaching Support: Cast Your Vote Game Guide; Be an Informed Voter Lesson Plan
