Lesson Plan: Voting Rights (6th Grade) AI

 

Lesson Plan: Voting Rights (6th Grade)

Subject: Social Studies

Grade Level: 6

Learning Objectives:

• Students will be able to define voting rights and explain why they are important.
• Students will be able to identify the different types of voting rights and how they have changed over time.
• Students will be able to analyze the impact of voting rights on American democracy.

Materials:

• Whiteboard or projector
• Markers or pens
• Paper
• Handout on voting rights (optional)
• Video on voting rights (optional)

Procedure:

1. Introduction:

Begin by asking students what they know about voting rights. What are voting rights? Why are they important? Explain to students that voting rights are the rights that citizens have to participate in elections and vote for candidates of their choice.

2. Activity:

Divide students into small groups. Give each group a handout on voting rights or have them research voting rights online. Ask students to identify the different types of voting rights and how they have changed over time. Then, have students create a presentation or poster to share their findings with the class.

3. Discussion:

Once students have had time to work on their presentations or posters, bring them back together for a class discussion. Ask students to share what they learned about the different types of voting rights and how they have changed over time. What are some of the challenges that people have faced in exercising their voting rights? What are some of the ways that we can protect and promote voting rights?

4. Assessment:

To assess student learning, you can give them a quiz or test on voting rights. You can also ask them to write a short paragraph explaining why voting rights are important and how they can be protected.

Extension Activities:

• Have students research a specific voting rights movement or organization.
• Have students design and conduct their own survey on voting rights attitudes and beliefs.
• Have students create a public service announcement encouraging people to register to vote and exercise their voting rights.

10 Question Test:

1. What is the definition of voting rights?
2. What are some of the different types of voting rights?
3. How have voting rights changed over time in the United States?
4. What are some of the challenges that people have faced in exercising their voting rights?
5. What are some of the ways that we can protect and promote voting rights?
6. Who was the first woman to vote in a presidential election in the United States?
7. Who was the first African American to vote in a presidential election in the United States?
8. What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
9. What is the Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder?
10. What is the importance of voting in a democracy?

Answers:

1. Voting rights are the rights that citizens have to participate in elections and vote for candidates of their choice.
2. Some of the different types of voting rights include the right to vote, the right to register to vote, and the right to run for office.
3. Voting rights have changed over time in the United States. For example, women and African Americans were denied the right to vote for many years. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to protect the voting rights of minorities.
4. Some of the challenges that people have faced in exercising their voting rights include poll taxes, literacy tests, and voter suppression tactics.
5. Some of the ways that we can protect and promote voting rights include making it easier for people to register to vote, expanding early voting and absentee voting, and making sure that everyone has equal access to the polls.
6. The first woman to vote in a presidential election in the United States was Susan B. Anthony.
7. The first African American to vote in a presidential election in the United States was Frederick Douglass.
8. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a federal law that was passed to protect the voting rights of minorities. The law prohibits discrimination in voting on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
9. Shelby County v. Holder is a Supreme Court case that was decided in 2013. The Court ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which required certain states to preclear changes to their voting laws with the federal government, was unconstitutional.
10. Voting is important in a democracy because it allows citizens to have a voice in how their government is run. When people vote, they are choosing the leaders who will make decisions on their behalf. Voting also helps to ensure that everyone is represented in government.