THE CHOICE 2008

THE CHOICE 2008 Teacher’s Guides
ADDITIONAL LESSON IDEAS: First-time Voters

 

The largest obstacle preventing many young voters from casting a ballot is that they don't know how to vote.

• Have students create instructions to help 18-year-olds in their school (or town) register to vote, find their polling place and vote on Election Day.
• Tell them to be creative in putting together their instructions. (They can be a handout, a laminated card, a blog entry, a video, etc.)
• Direct them to their state's Secretary of State Web site or to the MTV Rock the Vote Web site to get registration information.
• When students have completed this assignment, ask the following questions:


• What information appears in their instructions?
• How did they format this information?
• What are some of the best ways to teach young voters how to register and vote?
• After completing this exercise, do they still have questions about how to vote?
• How can they find answers to these questions?

 

Internet Resources

National Association of Secretaries of State (Elections and Voting)
This site offers links to election information in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

Rock the Vote Election Center
Students can find their polling place, register to vote, and learn about the election at this site.

 

New Voters Project
The New Voters Project is a nonpartisan effort to register young people and get them to the polls on Election Day. "Voting Info" pulldown menu offers links to state election offices and polling places, as well as insights about youth voting.

 

Related Lesson Plans on PBS Sites

NOW -- Voting

 

NewsHour Extra -- Bringing Out the Vote