Fifth graders follow an election from start to finish, as candidates campaign, citizens register and vote, ballots are counted, and a winner takes office, and put the steps in order.
Students will be able to…
In a democracy the people pick their leaders, but it takes an orderly process. What are the steps of an election, and who acts at each one?
Project this and put the steps of an election in order — tap each step from the campaign to the winner taking office.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
In a democracy, the people choose their leaders. But how does a country turn millions of choices into one winner?
Students put the election steps in order.
Students match each step to who acts.
Students plan a mock election.
Students reflect on elections.
Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies and Common Core literacy in social studies.
Explain how a democracy relies on people's responsible participation.
Examine the origins and purposes of rules, laws, and key institutions.
Use deliberative processes when making decisions or reaching judgments as a group.
Explain the relationships between steps in a process using the text.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students pick something to vote on, list the steps to run it, and hold a quick vote, so the election process becomes something they do. A printable how-an-election-works worksheet is in the Social Studies library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.