Young historians investigate how voting patterns have changed by comparing the outcome of the 1960 election to the outcome of the recent election. A creative final assessment has participants making a news show wherein they provide commentary on the election of 1960 or a recent one.

Concepts

presidential elections, data analysis

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Have historians break into groups to analyze the results of another presidential election from the past and present a summary of the data to their peers
• A good stepping stone to a discussion about the merits of the electoral college system

Classroom Considerations

• Some parts of the lesson are written as if a major election is upcoming; use the results from the most recent election if no election is on the horizon

Pros

• Gives a great introduction to data analysis
• The assessment project is a creative and fun way for participants to present their findings and opinions

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.6-8.7