Election Unit for Fourth Grade
Elections are always a nature learning opportunity. My twins were in fourth grade during the 2020 presidential election and we really leaned into the excitement and interest in the election as part of our social studies learning.
We voted via drop-off ballot in California. Our ballots arrived in early October so I showed them to my fourth graders and we talked a little about the different parts before I filled it out. Then they walked with me to our local drop off spot to turn it in. In previous years they have always gone with me to vote before school on Election Days.
No matter what year it is and how tense or invested the country feels in the current election cycle, using it as an opportunity to teach kids about government and democracy feels useful.
affiliate links are included below.
Two Weeks Before the Election
- Read DUCK FOR PRESIDENT and do this writing activity from TpT
- Watch the Debates together
- Share any of the flyers you get in the mail with them. Compare and contrast ones you get from different parties. What do they like? What makes sense to them? How do they relate to advertising in other areas of their life?
- My daughter started reading HEIDI HECKELBECK FOR CLASS PRESIDENT by Wanda Coven
One Week Before the Election
- This is a fairly comprehension Elections Unit by Sonlight that covers a lot of information about the election process. The week before the election we did about half of this unit.
Election Week, Day and Night
- Decorated with Red, White, and Blue
- We watched 2 videos on TedEd about Why We Vote on Tuesdays and on the Electoral College.
- My kids really wanted to pretend to vote so we used these Election Day Worksheets from Confessions of a Homeschooler.
- Played this Printable Election Math Game from Royal Baloo
- Did this Free Patriotic Music Lesson from Music in our Homeschool.
- Used this Electoral College Map with a math activity you can do beforehand to see how different states can be combined to get the total number of votes needed. This also includes some geography as you find states on the USA map.
- Electoral College Map to track the race as votes come in. If you’re teaching in a classroom you could send this home with the kids or fill it out together the next day when they return to class.
