Election 2020 Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie:

What do you know about the 2020 Election?  (Tap prior knowledge)

What do you hope to learn? (Set goals)

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 2:39: What does it mean to be a “swing state” and why are these states considered the battleground of an election? (Recall; Draw conclusions)

Timecode 4:25: Why aren’t many people voting in person this year? How might this affect the election process? (Identify cause/effect)

Timecode 5:49: Why should you be skeptical if a candidate claims early victory? (Draw conclusions )

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Elections Night 2020 topic. (Make connections)

Why is it important for adults to vote? (Make inferences)

Why is the Associated Press a good source for a reliable projected outcome of an election? (Summarize)

BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Election Night 2020 Topic Page to your class or have students read independently. Then have them watch the movie once through without pausing. Then, watch it again as class, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.