Thinking Geographically Teacher Workshop 2016
Activity Plan Template
Created by: Peggy Emling, Liberty Middle School, Edwardsville, IL
Overview of activity (in brief)
Students will decide where candidates should campaign based on population data and electoral results from previous elections. Where should candidates spend their time and money? Why should they campaign in only certain places, maybe several times, but they shouldn’t go to others? Students will use population density maps, past electoral results, and current polling data to understand why the candidates choose certain cities in which to campaign.
Students will study electoral results from 2012 and from 2004, the last two elections the United States chose a Democrat and a Republican, respectively.
Background Knowledge/ Context for activity (can be for both teacher and students)
This is an election year. Students will have heard a lot already about the candidates, but they might not understand the election process. This lesson will introduce the concept of the electoral college and the importance of population density.
Grade level/s
6-8
Core Subject area/s
Social studies
Investigative Question-
Why do presidential candidates go to certain cities and states to campaign, but not to others?
Learning Objective/s
Students will choose and locate on a map where to send their presidential candidate to campaign.
Students will be able to use the 2010 U.S. population density map, electoral maps from two past elections and current polling data to understand why candidates decide where to spend their time and money while campaigning for the presidency.
State Learning Standards Addressed (Geography & CCSS as a minimum)
SS.G.1.6-8.LC: Use geographic representations (maps, photographs, satellite images, etc.) to explain the relationships between the locations (places and regions) and changes in their environment.
SS.G.1.6-8.MdC: Use mapping and graphing to represent and analyze spatial patterns of different environmental and cultural characteristics.
Time Required
1-2 classes
Materials Needed (Teacher and Student/s)
For example: Handouts, markers, paper, projector, etc.
· Computers for each student or for groups. (Or this can be a paper/pencil activity.)
· Each student or group will need to create an online account at Arcgis.com. (If computers are not available, students could use blank U.S. maps with state borders.)
· Primary source analysis tool for maps
· Handouts or online resource for electoral results from 2004 and 2012. (These were chosen because they were the last times a Republican and a Democrat were elected, thus providing just enough information about recent voting patterns in the U.S. for the students to make informed decisions.)
· Handout or online resource for U.S. population density. (U.S. Census Bureau)
· Current polling data by state. (www.270towin.com compiles data from several sources and presents them using maps and pie charts.)
Primary Source/s and non-primary source/s (Secondary sources)
Nolan, J. V. & Congressional Cartography Program. (2012) United States presidential election 2012, results by state, November 6, 2012. [Washington, D.C.: Congressional Cartography Program] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2012587690 .
2004 Presidential election results,
http://www.270towin.com/historical-presidential-elections/timeline/ .
2010 U.S. Census by county or county equivalent.
"2016 Election Forecast." FiveThirtyEight. ESPN Internet Ventures, 29 June 2016. Web. 20 July 2016. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/?ex_cid=2016-election
Procedures
Day 1: Discuss why candidates might campaign in certain locations and not in others. Why were the party conventions in Ohio and Pennsylvania? Let students hypothesize. Put students into groups of three and give them copies of the 2012 and 2004 election results. Make sure students understand who are the Democrat and Republican candidates are in 2016. Have students use the primary source analysis tool to compare and to contrast the two maps. Students should generate questions and hypotheses about election results. (Depending on your class, decide how much your students know already about presidential elections and how much they need to know before you begin.)
What are the similarities? Differences? Are there regional similarities/differences? Why? What do you know about these locations? Encourage students to think about the history and the geography of those places. Students should record their ideas on their analysis sheet.
Day 2: Students will use the computer lab or printed sources of information (population density and polling data) to help answer their questions. [Hopefully, students should see a difference between a state like California, which historically is a solid Democrat-voting state, and a state like Pennsylvania, which can go back and forth. Also, they should see that it’s not always population density that determines where candidates campaign a lot. For example, large-population states like California and Texas are not common campaign stops anymore because they tend to vote predictably.]
Assign each group one of the two major party presidential candidates. Their job will be to decide five locations in the United States where it would make most sense for their candidate to campaign. Locate and label the five locations on a blank U.S. map (either paper or online) and write a summary of their findings and an explanation for their choices. Groups will present their findings at the end of class (or a third day if time does not allow). Display their results on a large map for the class to see.
Have each student do one of the tasks: written summary, properly labeled map and class presentation.
The maps should be properly labeled with title, compass rose, date, author, and legend.
Wrap-up Introduce the electoral college and discuss the state-by-state election process.
Evaluation
5 – The written summary, the properly-labeled map and the class presentation demonstrate understanding that not only are population centers important but the “battleground” states are also important. In other words, the group has located five cities in large-population states that could vote either way in the election.
4 – The group has located four cities in large-population states that could vote either way in the election.
3 – The group has located three cities in large-population states that could vote either way in the election.
2 – The group has made an attempt at the assignments.
This could be an individual or group grade, depending on how the students divided the labor.