Curriculum Outlines

Here's a look at the contents of our Illinois Student Vote Curriculum.  Teachers who sign up to take part in the League of Women Voters' Illinois Student Vote Mock Election will be given a password to access general information and curricula.  All curricula will be available regardless of the grade level on your registration form.  Teachers are encouraged to choose the activities most appropriate for their specific classrooms.

We encourage the report of mock election results on this web site between November 1^nd and November 7^th. The Mock Election is November 2, 2006. All votes submitted to the Illinois Student Vote headquarters by the 2nd will be tallied with returns from across the state and reported to the National Student/Parent Mock Election headquarters.

If you need a hard copy of the curriculum materials, please send $10 with your name and address to LWVIL, Suite 1050, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.  Make the check payable to the League of Women Voters of Illinois Education Fund.

Contents of Curriculums

General Information

1. Instructions
2. Election Calendar
3. Election Related Vocabulary
4. Offices up for Election 2006 in Illinois
5. Election Process
6. Student/Parent Activities
7. All School Registration Day
8. Registration Cards
9. Help America Vote Act Summary
10. Mock Election Activities
11. How to Find District/Candidate Information
12. Election Resources

K-2

1. Introducing the Word Vote
2. Voting in the Classroom
3. Completing Registration Cards
4. Introducing the Word Register
5. Introducing the Word Ballot
6. Identifying the Candidates for Governor

3-5

1. Introducing Vocabulary Words
2. Understanding Voter Qualifications and Registration
3. Understanding Voting and a Secret Ballot
4. Exploring Information About Candidates and Issues
5. Puzzles and an election report

6-8

1. Introducing Vocabulary Words
2. Understanding Qualifications for Voting
   • Voters Rights Exercise
3. Understanding Voter Registration
   • Who Can Vote?
4. Understanding the Political Party System
   • Candidates' Worksheet
5. Understanding state-wide offices
   • Fact finding worksheet
   • Election report
6. Evaluating TV campaign ads
   • Ad watch guide

9-12

1. Defining Vocabulary Words
2. Tracing the History of Suffrage
   • Who can vote?
   • U.S. Constitution and Voting Rights
   • Mock Elections with Historically Accurate Roles
   • Voter Rights Exercise
3. Understanding Voter Registration
4. Understanding Political Labels and How the Issues Affect You
   • The Political Spectrum
   • Political Spectrum Chart
   • Where Do You Fall on the Political Spectrum?
5. Identifying Candidates and Researching Their Position
   • Candidates and Responsibilities of the Iffice
   • Fact Finding Worksheet
6. Identifying Distortion Techniques in Campaign Materials and Coverage
   • Ad watch Guide
   • Finding the Facts: Advertising
   • Finding the Facts: Campaign Literature
   • Finding the Facts: News Media
7. Choosing a Candidate
   • How to Judge a Candidate
   • Candidate Report Card
8. Sample Voter Registration Form