NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeFaculty/StaffPre-K to 8ServiceAcademics
Second grade holds Mock Election
Nov 2, 2004 8:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
George W. Bush won two presidential elections this year, the national election as well as the one held Tuesday at Darlington Lower School. Lucy Babcock’s second grade social studies students held a nonpartisan Mock Election Nov. 2, in order to increase learning of the electoral process and make active citizen participation a habit that starts early and lasts a lifetime.
For the past two weeks leading up to the Mock Election, students have participated in various age-appropriate activities centered on the election process and voting. Activities included class discussions and debates, creating candidate posters and advertisements, taking polls and comparing results.
Voting was voluntary on Election Day; however students and teachers planning to vote were required to register by Monday, Nov. 1, and look over the sample ballot prior to voting on Tuesday.
“I tried to make this as real as possible and comparable to the real election,” said Babcock. “After collecting voter registration forms, my students alphabetized each class so that we would be ready for check-in on Nov. 2.”
On voting day, students voted in two precincts, each of which was manned by 15 second-grade students. Those in the West District (third through fifth graders) voted in the science lab, and those in the Central District (kindergarten through first graders) voted in Tiger Hall.
Voters signed in, verified their signatures, marked their ballots in private voting booths, placed their ballots in the ballot box and even received an “I Voted” sticker.
After all votes were in, the second grade counted the ballots to determine the winners. Bush was elected president by a landslide: 203 to 21. Babcock will graph the outcome according to the winners, class results and demographics (West vs. Central District). Click here for more photos.
For the past two weeks leading up to the Mock Election, students have participated in various age-appropriate activities centered on the election process and voting. Activities included class discussions and debates, creating candidate posters and advertisements, taking polls and comparing results.
Voting was voluntary on Election Day; however students and teachers planning to vote were required to register by Monday, Nov. 1, and look over the sample ballot prior to voting on Tuesday.
“I tried to make this as real as possible and comparable to the real election,” said Babcock. “After collecting voter registration forms, my students alphabetized each class so that we would be ready for check-in on Nov. 2.”
On voting day, students voted in two precincts, each of which was manned by 15 second-grade students. Those in the West District (third through fifth graders) voted in the science lab, and those in the Central District (kindergarten through first graders) voted in Tiger Hall.
Voters signed in, verified their signatures, marked their ballots in private voting booths, placed their ballots in the ballot box and even received an “I Voted” sticker.
After all votes were in, the second grade counted the ballots to determine the winners. Bush was elected president by a landslide: 203 to 21. Babcock will graph the outcome according to the winners, class results and demographics (West vs. Central District). Click here for more photos.
