Campaign for Politically Savvy Students

teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/election2008.htm

Kids seeking information on the presidential election should visit here. Designed for students in grades 3–8, 'Countdown’ also offers a game called “You’re the President” in which kids select their own advisors and create a balanced budget. Created by: Scholastic, Inc, New York, NY. Don’t miss: The podcasts—found in the “Campaign Connect” section—posted by the Scholastic Kids Press Corp. Also, check out the message boards, where youngsters get to exchange political opinion. Detour: Scholastic’s “Parent Guide to the 2008 Presidential Elections” can help spark discussion at home. Go to www2.scholastic.com/browse/parentsHome.jsp and insert the search term “elections.”

pbskids.org/democracy

Here, three activities explain why it’s important to help decide who represents us in government. In “Be President for a Day,” students get a taste of the commander-in-chief’s daily routine. What laws and regulations govern play and learning? Click on “How does government affect me?” (the schoolhouse icon) to find out. “Step inside the Voting Booth” demonstrates how one vote can make a difference. Created by: The Public Broadcasting Service, Arlington, VA. Detour: For more kid-friendly information about democracy in action, be sure to visit “Ben’s Guide to the U.S Government—Election Process” at bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/election/index.html. To find information written for grades 6–12, click on one of the kites at the top of the home page.

www.nytimes.com/learning/issues_in_depth/20080204.html

This New York Times site for teachers provides timely lesson plans on the primaries, candidates, and issues, all suitable for teens. Bookmark this site, as new lesson plans are always being added. More nifty stuff includes links to election-related crossword puzzles and choice political resources via the Times “Politics Navigator.” For current information, from the major issues to campaign finances, click “Election Guide 2008”—a super reference for librarians. Created by: The New York Times Learning Network, New York, NY. Don’t miss: “The Caucus,” a political blog of the Times. Detour: For information on the importance of voting and how to register, visit “Rock the Vote” at www.rockthevote.org/home.php.

www.weeklyreader.com/election

This kid-friendly site for grades 3–6 offers accessible information about the candidates, as well as an election calendar that lists all pertinent events. Click on “How It Works” to learn about voting, presidential debates, and the electoral college. “Election Fun” provides crosswords, word search puzzles, and more online activities. Created by: Weekly Reader Inc., Delran, NJ. Don’t miss: The coolest election-related resource on the Web is Weekly Reader’s “Election Word Wheel.” Here, kids (and you, too) can find definitions for most of the political and election terms heard on the news. Can you explain what a superdelegate is? Better check the Word Wheel.

memory.loc.gov/learn/features/election/home.html

This site offers much for tweens and teens studying the democratic process, in five sections. “Candidates” covers the constitutional requirements for running for president and the campaign process. “Voters” describe the struggle for the franchise faced by women, African Americans, and Native Americans. The third section, “Party System,” provides background on this American tradition. And in “Election Process,” students learn about electoral votes and primaries, both past and present. Finally, “Issues” covers various topics, from slavery and anticorruption to the press and foreign policy. Created by: The Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Detour: There are complex topics, and there are complex topics. To learn once and for all what electoral votes are, visit the “U.S. Electoral College” at www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/index.html.