Warm-up
Does the US Constitution guarantee all US citizens the right to vote? Explain why or why not. This 2022 piece from the New York Times is helpful to reference.
1. Write down your response and post on Padlet or Jamboard.
2. Discuss responses.
View the chart “US Popular Vote for President as Percentage of Total Population” (data sources: US Census Bureau & US Election Atlas)
❑ Record the years of the lowest and highest percentage of the US population that voted.
What are the approximate lowest and highest percentages of population that voted?
❑ When have a majority of US residents elected a president to office?
❑ Describe the trend over time (upward, downward, stayed the same).
❑ What events or factors do you think lead to this trend?
❑ What years did the percentage decline? What events might have caused this decline?
Check for understanding
On the Padlet or Jamboard, what questions do you have about the data?
Individual activity or homework
Watch, read, or listen to a current news story about voting and elections, either in Pennsylvania or another U.S. state. Write down new vocabulary and questions to ask. Summarize the news item through the lens of the New York Times article above. Analyze a law, policy, event, or action in the news and explain whether if it expanding the right to vote or contracting it.
