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b. Explain that the students can vote. We can vote in our classroom and you can vote on the playground. If you are trying to make a decision, you can vote to decide and make it fair. c. Reread the article and discuss ways you can use voting in your classroom. 3. Optional: Explain that voting is one way to make a decision; however, there are other ways that groups can make decisions. Discuss other ways that groups can make decisions. See the extended reading article “Making Decisions” and the Poster Pal activity “Making Decisions” for more instruction on this. 4. Have a discussion that guides students to understand what happens when their vote doesn’t win or if they disagree with the vote that wins: a. Sometimes the choice we vote for doesn’t win. We might not agree with the choice that is made. When this happens, we should still support what the group decides. We should be okay with the vote that is picked because the choice was made in a fair way. i. What can we do if our choice isn’t picked? (Answers may vary.) ii. How can we support the group decision? (Answers may vary.) 5. Hold a class vote. Give the students three game options (games you know your class likes to play and everyone is able to play). Explain that you are going to vote on which game you should play. a. Discuss the fairness of voting and the importance of being okay with the group's decision. Everybody gets a choice. The choice with the most votes is picked. We need to be okay with the group’s decision. b. Hold the vote. Use the Poster Pal activity “Let’s Take a Vote!” and tally the results on the Poster Pal. Have a discussion about the results. Answer the questions included with the activity. i. How many voted for each game? (Answers may vary.) ii. Which game had the most votes? (Answers may vary.) iii. Which game had the fewest votes? (Answers may vary.) iv. Which game will we be playing? (Answers may vary.) v. Is it okay if your game didn’t get picked? (Discuss how it is okay because everyone got to share their choice.) c. Play the game that got the most votes. Ensure that this is a game that all students are able to play and enjoy. 6. Practice voting and making decisions throughout the week and the rest of the year. Give students the opportunity to make decisions whenever possible, whether it is by voting, through discussions, in class meetings, or in other ways. a. Examples: what book to read, what snack to have, what game to play, how to walk down the hall, etc. b. When you vote, help students to learn to feel okay when their choice is not picked. 7. Recap the lesson and review what was learned about voting. Materials Needed: Poster Pal activity “Let’s Take a Vote!” Poster Pal activity “Making Decisions”
Online Related Media: N/A Extended Reading Articles: “Making Decisions”
Government | Week 5
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