Voting Rights and Political Participation

Voices in Democracy: The Journey to Voting Rights and Political Participation

Government -- 12th Grade

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to analyze key milestones in the history of voting rights by examining historical amendments, laws, and advocacy efforts. They will construct a timeline highlighting significant milestones, identifying groups that fought for suffrage, and exploring additional forms of political participation.

• Analyze key milestones in the history of voting rights in the United States by examining historical amendments, laws, and advocacy efforts.

• Construct a visual timeline highlighting significant voting rights milestones and the groups that fought for suffrage.

• Explore additional forms of political participation beyond voting. 

Language Objectives: Students will be able to define and use key terms related to voting rights, summarize the significance of historical milestones in writing, and present their timeline findings using clear and academic language.

• Define and use key terms regarding voting rights and suffrage (e.g., suffrage, disenfranchisement, Voting Rights Act).

• Summarize the significance of voting rights milestones and their societal impact in writing.

• Present and explain the visual timeline using clear and academic language. 

Common Core Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
  Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
  Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media to address a question or solve a problem.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1
  Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Lesson Overview:

• Focus: Students explore the history of voting rights in the United States by analyzing historical amendments, laws, and advocacy efforts. Through a video lecture and timeline activity, they identify significant milestones, reflect on the concept of disenfranchisement, and examine additional forms of political participation beyond voting.

• Agenda Highlights

  • • Warm-up activity: Reflecting on the impact of disenfranchisement. 

    • Video lecture and graphic organizer activity to analyze milestones. 

    • Vocabulary activities to reinforce terms related to voting rights and political participation.

Key Activities: 

• Warm-Up Activity: Students reflect on historical "what-if" scenarios, such as women or African Americans not gaining the right to vote, to consider the impact of disenfranchisement.

• Video Lecture and Graphic Organizer: Students watch a video on the history of voting rights and complete a graphic organizer to track key amendments, laws, and their impacts.

• Vocabulary Activity: Students complete a vocabulary sheet or crossword puzzle to reinforce terms like suffrage, poll tax, disenfranchisement, and grassroots movements.

Assessments:

• Formative: Completion of the graphic organizer and vocabulary activity. Participation in class discussion and timeline creation. 

• Summative: Reflection on the societal impact of disenfranchisement or key voting rights milestones.