Lesson
Methods of Election: The Popular Vote and the Electoral College
Guiding question
What is the difference between the popular vote and the Electoral College vote?
How do the different methods of federal elections work?
Guiding Questions
- What is the difference between the popular vote and the Electoral College vote?
- Which elections utilize the popular vote?
- Which elections utilize the Electoral College?
Objectives
- Students will be able to explain the difference between the Electoral College and popular vote, including the offices for which each method is used.
- Students will understand the structure of the Electoral College.
Materials
Lesson Components
ActivityMethods of Elections, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College Activity
What are the differences between the popular vote and the Electoral College vote?
ActivityElections and the Constitution
The text of the Constitution and corresponding analysis questions that explore it's provisions for elections.
ActivityElectoral College Primary Sources
Analyzes the Electoral College through primary sources, including Madison's Federalist #39, Article II of the Constitution, and the Twelfth Amendment.
EssayElectoral College Case Study
Examine the history and controversy surrounding the Electoral College, analyzing its evolution and impact through key elections such as 1800, 1824, and 2000.
Lesson plan
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