Lesson Plan

Subject/Grade Level: 7th Grade US History

Lesson Title: The Electoral College

Lesson Duration: 2 class periods (approximately 110 minutes)

Performance Objective: Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to
research and summarize how the electoral process works in the United States government.

Preparation
Framework Strand: Domestic Affairs
Content Standard Competencies/Objectives:
Explain how the electoral college functions in the United States government
Determine the difference between a popular vote and an electoral vote
Calculate the winner of an election when given the electoral votes for each state
MS CCR/CCSS: W. 7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear and relevant evidence.
ISTE: 3c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the
appropriateness to specific tasks
Instructional Aids: PowerPoint Presentation, YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvnN468
Digital electoral college map, padlet https://padlet.com/ , Socrative
http://www.socrative.com/
Electronic electoral map http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoralcollege/map/predict.html#states=000000008000000000
Materials Needed: index cards, notes handout to accompany PowerPoint, states electoral
votes slips (red and blue)
Equipment Needed: chrome books or iPads, projector/computer,
Desired Student Prerequisites: The students will have learned about the rights and
responsibilities of a United States citizen, why it is important to vote, and who can vote in
the United States
Introduction/Anticipatory Set
As the students walk into the classroom, the teacher will hand them an index card. The first
slide of the PowerPoint will be projected on the board. It will instruct the students on what to
do with the index card. The students will write down the type of ice cream they like the
most, but they can only choose from chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. When each student
has written down a choice, the teacher will tally the votes on the board and announce the
flavor with the most votes. Then the teacher will tell the students that they will vote again,
but it will be a little different. This time they will vote in groups. The students will be
US History]: [The Electoral College Lesson] Plan
Global Academic Essentials Teacher Institute 2016: MSU
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assigned to a group of three to four. TTW randomly choose one student from each group to
be the groups spokesperson, or elector. Then the teacher will explain that the group is to
vote on one of the three flavors of ice cream, but if there is a tie vote, the elector decides
what the flavor will be for the whole group. After each group votes again, the teacher will ask
only the elector from each group to tell the flavor of ice cream that the group chose. Again,
the teacher will tally the votes and give the final decision for the flavor of ice cream that the
whole class will eat.
I.

II.

Lesson Outline/Procedures:
PowerPoint Presentation
TTW talk about the introduction activity and the
outcomes of both of the votes. The, TTW ask the students
if they think the vote was fair and if it represented all or
most of the students. The teacher will ask the students if
they know how the president of the United States is
elected. After the teacher hears a few volunteer answers,
TTW explain that the group vote was similar to the way
the electoral college works. TTW ask, Who knows what
the electoral college is? After a few volunteer answers,
TTW click to the next slide on the PowerPoint to begin
instruction of the electoral college. TTW instruct the
students to follow along to answer the questions on their
notes handout.

Youtube Video
TTW show a Youtube video that explains the electoral
college in plain English so that the students see some
examples and get a deeper explanation of how the
electoral college functions

Instructor Notes:
The students will learn
about majority rule,
popular vote, and will
be introduced to the
electoral college vote.
The notes handout will
be distributed while
students are providing
answers about how the
president is elected.
Slides 12 through 15
will be used to show
how a presidential
candidate can win the
popular vote, but not
the electoral vote
(Bush /Gore election in
2000)
The video will also help
answer some of the
questions on the
accompanying notes
handout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvnN468
III.

Electoral College Vote Activity

This part of the lesson will likely begin Day 2. TTW pass
out slips of paper that are either red or blue and remind
students that the video explained that the red states are
Republican and the blue states are Democratic. The slips
of paper will have the abbreviation of a state and the
number of electoral votes that state has written in it. For
example, one slip will have TX 38, which mean Texas had
38 electoral votes. After the teacher has distributed all of
the slips of papers (for all 50 states and the District of
Columbia). She will pull up the interactive electoral map.
As the teacher calls out the state name, the student with
that state will hold it up and tell how many electoral
votes that state gets. The teacher will click on the state
to input the electoral votes. Students will do the same on
their electronic devices. The teacher will stop periodically
to ask questions.
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoralcollege/map/predict.html#states=000000008000000000

The teacher will divide

the swing sates up as
evenly as possible,
assigning them to be
red or blue (based on
the electoral map)

US History]: [The Electoral College Lesson] Plan

Global Academic Essentials Teacher Institute 2016: MSU
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Question/ Answer session

The students will be directed to the Congress for kids
website and given the following directions: 1) Click on the elections
tab. 2) Click on the electoral college tab (on the left-hand side) 3)
Read the 5 paragraphs about the electoral college and click on the
start at the bottom that say Show Your Work 4) Answer questions
1-12 and check your answers
http://www.congressforkids.net/
Application
Guided Practice:
The PowerPoint will be used to guide the students through each step of the lesson.
The You tube video will further explain how the electoral college works.
Independent Practice:
Each student will complete the closed notes handout that accompanies the
PowerPoint presentation.
Each student will tally the election winner
Summary
Lesson Closure: Using the padlet tool, TTW ask the students to give a brief opinion about
the electoral college. The question displayed on the PowerPoint slide will ask, Bases on
todays lesson about the electoral college, do you think the electoral college is a more or
less effective way of representing the majority of American voters? Explain your answer
briefly.
Evaluation
Informal Assessment/Review: The students will use the iPads or chrome books to take a
quiz that was previously prepared by the teacher using Socrative
http://www.socrative.com/
Formal Assessment: Each student will write an argumentative essay, taking a position on
whether or not the United States should keep or do away with the electoral college.

Lesson Extension
Extension/Enrichment: Research other times in US history when a presidential candidate
has won the popular vote, but lost the election, or electoral vote
Accommodations/Differentiation:
Students will be able to use calculators to help tally the votes
References: PowerPoint was modified from the original version found @

chopinlanguagearts302.weebly.com/uploads/2/3/4/3/.../electoral_college__1_.pp

US History]: [The Electoral College Lesson] Plan

Global Academic Essentials Teacher Institute 2016: MSU
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