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There are many websites with classroom activities helpful when discussing voting.  You can link to these sites from the listing below.

Think nine-year olds can't influence an election? Read this! If you come across stories about kids involved in the voting process, let me know. We'll try to include links.

If you know about a useful site you would like to add to this list, please e-mail me!

Sites specific to kids learning about voting:

www.vermontvotesforkids.com has wonderful downloadable curriculum
materials designed to teach kids the importance of government and the
value of voting. Useful in any state!
www.kidsvotingusa.org
Most states have a chapter of Kids Voting. Check this website to find out about the chapter in your state.
www.takeyourkidstovote.org
www.pbs.org/elections/kids
www.nytimes.com/learning/
www.loc.gov/learn/features/election

Kids Involved in the 2004 Presidential Election:

www.kidsforkerry.org If you saw the 2004 Democratic convention, you may have heard the 13-year old who gave a rousing speech about kids getting involved in this year's election. You can link to her site below. If you hear of any other sites by kids about voting, let me know!

Who could vote when?

Look at the timeline at the back of my book.
www.archives.gov/digital_classroom
This is a fascinating website where you can find pictures of many of the original documents that have influenced our history. There are photographs, lesson ideas —it will take days to wander through this site.

Who are the candidates?

www.vote-smart.org – factual information on 40,000 candidates for public office from local officials to the president of the U.S. —including links to websites
www.dnet.org – information on candidates from the League of Women Voters.

What are the issues?

Are there issues that particularly affect your students? How about building new schools? The water they drink? The air they breathe? Get your students to brainstorm issues that affect them directly.

www.nytimes.com/learning/ – This is a Learning Network for grades 3-12, connections for students, teachers and parents.
www.student-voices.org – This site from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, at the University of Pennsylvania, offers classroom curriculum. Unfortunately, the curriculum can’t be downloaded. You’ll need to order it. It’s an interesting program for middle school and high school students.

Discuss polling in the classroom.

Who is ahead? Who is behind? Check these three websites:
www.pollingreport.com
www.zogby.com
www.gallup.com/poll
Discuss the questions voters are asked. Does the way the question is phrased affect the answer?

I recently visited an elementary school in Potsdam, NY. The librarian used this site to create polls with some very enthusiastic students: www.polldaddy.com

Do political ads tell the truth?

Anyone who watches TV sees political ads. Tape one or two ads, perhaps for the two presidential candidates. Take a look at:
www.pbs.org/elections/savvyvoter.html for ideas about what elements of the ad you could discuss with your students.
www.factcheck.org This non-partisan site evaluates political ads and statements and takes politicians to task when they bend the truth.

Voting Machines:

Since the tumultuous 2000 presidential elections, voting machines have become a contentious issue. How do people in your town vote? With pencil and paper? On a machine with levers? On a modern electronic touch screen?
There has been concern that voting with the new touch screen machines is possibly subject to more problems than the method that produced the famous hanging chads. Why? With many of the new machines there is no paper trail for a recount. Also people complain the software used on these machines can be manipulated.
www.fairvote.org
www.blackboxvoting.org

Sites with links to other sites:

www.campaignyoungvoters.org