Resources and Lessons
This curriculum, produced by a Philadelphia social studies teacher, helps students learn about the history of American voting rights, how students can evaluate who they would vote for, and then practice casting their ballot in a mock election. This curriculum has two weeks of lessons, plus extension activities, for teachers to incorporate into their classroom.
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Cast Your Ballot
Lesson 1: Who Is Running For Office? Researching the Candidates
While students wait for their mail-in ballot or to vote in-person on Election Day, they can find out what offices and candidates are on their ballot. (45 minutes)
Cast Your Ballot
Lesson 2: Finding Partisan Information on Candidates
Students explore candidate campaign websites and other sources to investigate policy actions by candidates on issues they care about. (45 minutes)
Cast Your Ballot
Lesson 3: PA Youth Vote Mock Election
The mock election gives students hands-on experience with researching candidates, casting their vote, and a preview of results of the actual vote on Election Day.
Extension Activities
Candidate Interviews
Host a candidate interview in your classroom. (60 minutes)
Extension Activities
Ranked Choice Voting
Discuss and practice ranked choice voting with students. (45 minutes)
Extension Activities
Exploring Political Endorsements
Political endorsements are an influential source of information for voters. This lesson discusses how students can use them. (30 minutes)
Extension Activities
Serve as a poll worker
Poll workers are crucial to Election Day. Many counties accept 17-year-olds to work the polls, and get paid for doing so. (10 minutes)
Extension Activities
Governor’s Civic Engagement Awards (GCEA)
Every year, the Governor of Pennsylvania recognizes the efforts of Pennsylvania high school students “that educate, engage and inform” their peers in democratic processes.
