Welcome Social Studies teachers! This is your one-stop shop for all your 2020 Election needs.
Andrea Annas
(@byhistorygal)
Hillsborough, NC
Hi! I'm Andrea (you might know me better as History Gal) and I love to help make Social Studies more engaging for your students. I began teaching students in 1998 after receiving my B.A. from Elon College (now University). In 2005, while still teaching, I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a M.Ed. I taught Civics, U.S. History, World History, and Current Events to a wide range of students, and I've been creating resources for teachers just like you since 2007. Creating resources for Social Studies teachers is my true passion. I hope these resources for the upcoming election spark students’ interests and help them better understand the Presidential election process.
Isaac Harms
(@MisterHarms)
Slayton, MN
Mister Harms teaches junior and high school social studies in rural Minnesota. He is a fourth generation teacher and has been in education since 2000. When he’s not teaching, Mr. Harms enjoys directing a summer camp with his family, playing guitar, and family road trips. His family’s goal is to visit all 50 states - only three more to go! Follow @MisterHarms on social media and MisterHarms.com.
Jessica Travis
(@wildaboutfirsties)
Nevada, TX
Jessica spent 13 years in the K-1 classroom before transitioning to her current role as an Early Childhood Curriculum Specialist where she supports PreK and Kindergarten teachers and writes curriculum for her district. She is also a national presenter, sharing her ideas and passion with teachers around the country. You can find many of Jessica's ideas, activities, and resources on her award winning website, www.jessicatravisteaching.com.
Jake Miller
Camp Hill, PA
Mr. Jake Miller is an award-winning 8th grade social studies teacher from Central Pennsylvania. Miller has taught all grade levels 6-12 and all core subjects (math, science, reading, English, and social studies). Prior to that he worked as an aide for Republicans in the PA State Senate. He has written for many nationally syndicated periodicals, was a Democratic candidate for Treasurer in his county of 250,000 and serves on the Board of Directors for his teacher’s union political action committee (PAC). You can learn more at MrJakeMiller.com.
Andrea
Annas
Grades 6-12
This doodle notes set will help students understand the Presidential election process. Resources include teacher directions, blank doodle notes for students, fill-in-the-blank doodle notes, a PowerPoint and more.
Isaac
Harms
Grades 6-12
Get the Party Started! In this group activity, students will develop their own political party, election campaign and experience life on the campaign train! Resources include teacher notes, project directions, worksheets, and a rubric.
Jessica
Travis
Grades K-5
A complete collection of election activities for your elementary classroom. You will find vocabulary cards (picture and word) to support all learners, anchor chart templates to help you create visuals for lessons, literature integration with corresponding activities, and multiple printables to support your election day unit!
Andrea
Annas
Grades 6-12
This activity contains 4 different Electoral College map activities, including maps from the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. There is also a 2020 Presidential Election map for students to predict the outcome. An answer key for teachers is included.
Isaac
Harms
Grades 6-12
Guide your students through the presidential debates! Students will stay focused on the various debate topics and offer their own opinions through additional discussion questions provided.
Andrea
Annas
Grades 6-12
This doodle notes set will help students understand the political parties in the United States. Resources include teacher directions, blank doodle notes for students, fill-in-the-blank doodle notes, a PowerPoint and more.
Grades 6-12
This activity will help students debate campaign contributions and if limits should be placed on them. Students identify what their opinion is by summarizing, predicting and then writing to persuade others
Jessica
Travis
Elections can be somewhat of a difficult topic to discuss with our younger students in the classroom, but still an important set of lessons that need to be addressed.
Jake
Miller
My whole life, people approached me and told me one day I’d do it. I pushed back on them...but on February 12, 2019, I announced I would be a candidate for political office, and here’s why.
Jake
Miller
When I lost my election on November 5, 2019, I looked back on the campaign I spent a better part of a year running. Here are the lessons I learned.
Isaac
Harms
One of the most exciting times for any social studies teacher comes every four years. This exciting time that we all know and love is the season leading up to the election of the next President of the United States.
Nicole
Desiato
The late John Lewis said, “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy." Voting is an important American right, from our beginnings as a revolutionary colony protesting taxation without representation.
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
First presidential election
Election of 1800 - Thomas Jefferson beats incumbent President John Adams and the election rules change during the “Revolution of 1800”
The Twelfth Amendment is ratified and changes the election rules to provide separate Electoral College votes for the President and Vice President.
John Quincy Adams is elected president after the Election of 1824, which had no candidate winning the majority of the electoral vote.
The Fifteenth Amendment is ratified and prohibits the government from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race, color, or past history of servitude. Women voting
The Nineteenth Amendment was officially adopted and women in the United States were given the right to vote after a decades-long struggle.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed into law to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the Fifteenth Amendment. It was later amended to include protections for bilingual voters and voters’ with disabilities.
270 to Win - interactive map of electoral college votes
Kids Voting USA - organization focused on showing children the importance of voting
MIT Election Center - election data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Teaching Tolerance - organization focused on diversity in the classroom
iCivics - civic learning resources from Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
