Elections

Academic Content Standards – Ohio – 4th grade - Government

Explain why elections are used to select leaders and decide issues.

Subject Headings/Keywords

Election – United States – Juvenile Literature, Electoral college -- United States -- Juvenile literature, Presidents – United States – Election – Juvenile Literature, Voting – Study and Teaching – Ohio – Juvenile Literature, Voting – United States – Juvenile Literature

Dewey Decimal/Call Number – 324.6, 324.97

Resources – Books – Children’s Nonfiction

324.6 Egan, Tracie. Voting. New York: Rosen Central Primary Source, 2004. Contains: The history of voting -- Registration -- Presidential elections -- The electoral college.

324.609 Murphy, Patricia J. Voting and elections. Minneapolis, Minn. : Compass   Point Books, 2002. Explains the election process and how to register to vote,  amid some historical perspective.

324.609 Sanders, Mark C. Your right to vote. Austin, TX : Steadwell Books, 2000. Text and photos explain the American election process, from the pre-primary stage through the electoral college vote, and discuss the importance of voting and the purpose of political parties.

324.63 Granfield, Linda. America votes: how our president is elected. Toronto : Kids Can Press, 2005.Explains the process by which U.S. presidents are elected, examining the history of voting and voting rights, and discussing ballots, campaigning, political parties, primaries, slogans, the electoral   college, and other topics.

324.63 Henry, Christopher E. The electoral college. Examines the way in which the electoral college selects the president, indicates drawbacks of the system, and discusses elections in which the electoral winners lost the popular vote.

324.63 Henry, Christopher E. Presidential elections. New York : Franklin Watts, 1996. Presents information on how presidential campaigns work including the primary election, party conventions, presidential debates, and polling, as well as the role of independent candidates.

324.63 Hewson, Martha S. The Electoral College. Philadelphia : Chelsea House    Publishers, 2002. Discusses the creation of the Electoral College, explains how it works, looks at examples of the Electoral College in action, and considers whether the system should be changed.

324.63 LeVert, Suzanne, The electoral college. New York : Franklin Watts, 2004. Presents information on the United States Electoral College, and describes what role it plays in a presidential race, discusses how electors are chosen,  and explains the origin of the system, how it has changed, and includes an examination of the problems with the 2000 election.

324.65 De Capua, Sarah. Voting.  New York : Children's Press, 2002. Includes bibliographical references (p. 44) and index. Photographs and text provides facts about voting for young readers. True Book Series.

324.973 Aten, Jerry. Electing our President : campaigns and elections. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Instructional Fair, TS Denison, 1999. 100 reproducible activity pages.

324.973 Christelow, Eileen. Vote! New York: Clarion Books, 2003. Using a campaign for mayor as an example, shows the steps involved in an election,   from the candidate's speeches and rallies, to the voting booth where every vote counts, to the announcement of the winner.

324.973 Maestro, Betsy. The voice of the people: American democracy in action. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1996. A basic guide to voting and the election process in the United States.

324.973 Ring, Susan. Election connection: the official Nick guide to electing the President. San Francisco : Chronicle Books, 2004. Addresses issues surrounding a Presidential election including media, ballot issues, liberal and conservative viewpoints, election budgets, travel, and campaigning.

324.977 Kids Voting USA curriculum. Grade 4. Tempe, AZ: Kids Voting USA, 1993.

Resources – Books - YA

324.973 Sobel, Syl. Presidential elections and other cool facts. Hauppauge, N.Y.:   Barron's Educational Series, 2001. Explains the history and process of electing a president of the United States, and provides facts about Presidents, first ladies, and campaigns.

Videos

J 324.973 E381 The election process in America. Thousand Oaks, CA: Goldhil Video, 2002. Explains the electoral college and how government officials are elected. Explains concepts and terms like suffrage, disfranchisement, lobyists and  political action committees, and reviews how each person can become more involved in the workings of our government. VHS

W HOLI ED  Election day. Bala Cynwyd, PA : Schlessinger Video Productions, 1996. From campaigning and debates to rallies and voting, this program explains the activities that precede Election Day. Different levels of public office elections are reviewed along with the constitutional amendments that gave the right to vote to all groups. Children also explore the history of voting and examine the attributes of a good leader by watching as a group of middle school students elect their class president.

Websites

O HI’ O Defined – Voting

http://www.oplin.org/ohiodefined/voting.htm

Explains the importance of voting and why democracy depends on it

Ben’s Guide (3-5): Elections

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/election/index.html

Explains the election process for Federal officials.

Kids Voting USA's Family Guide/Guía Familiar

http://www.kidsvotingusa.org/images/FamilyGuide.pdf

Filled with fun activities for your entire family to do together, the Guide is designed to help you learn about democracy and the value of being an involved citizen.