Obama vs McCain Anyone?

[LisaD]

Well, the US presidential election process is in full swing! And I thought it might be a great (and FUN) opportunity for us to use our Activotes to VOTE for the President.

So, obviously we will be having a theme about this coming up soon but I thought it would also be interesting to have some sort of ONLINE activity as well.

What do you think about this idea? :rolleyes:[clap]:eek:


We get 50 classrooms or schools to participate (one assigned for each state)
Each participating group would vote for the president using Activotes (we will provide templates and ideas)
The sponsoring teacher will submit the results using an online form. (Popular vote only).
The Planet team will collate and post the results per state (of only the popular vote).
Teachers can download the results and the students can figure out who won. (Using the electoral college system. We can provide templates for this as well.)
Anyone game? If so, just post here. If there is enough interest, we can create a participation form and instructions. I think this could be open to any classroom in the world. We'll just assign you a state (with its electoral college numbers).

What do you think? :p

Lisa

[davidlloyd]

I think it's a great idea especially if the classrooms get some political debates going too.

[LisaD]

Absolutely. I'm working on some debate templates covering main issues and platforms as well!

Lisa

[griffinc2]

Really cool idea! Can't wait to see it!

[sqircle33]

What a wonderful idea.
I would love for my school to participate.[clap]

[LisaD]

Let's spread the word, then! I will be glad to do the behind the scenes stuff on this but would really be disappointed if we didn't have 50 participants (and even worse) if they didn't send it their responses on time.

A question.

On the voting template for the students to vote, other than your basic Democrat and Republican tickets, should I add other options? (Libertarian, Green...)? I'd hate to leave them out but on the other hand, we don't want to have it too complicated either.

Any thoughts on this?

Lisa

[BenPosner]

I think you have to include as many options as humanly possible for the most accurate results. Remember Ross Perot and Ralph Nader?

~B

[lsmith2]

I would volunteer to do it for Ohio! I think it would be so much fun especially considering we will be teaching about government at that time. What a fabulous way for students to grasp the difficult concept of the electoral college. Thanks for putting this together, Lisa!

[LisaD]

Thanks, Laura.

Hopefully we'll have fifty volunteers! Be aware that if you want to participate, I most likely will have to "assign" a state to each group as it would be very unlikely that we will get someone from each state (and I don't want fighting over certain states!) Plus I hope to have classroom OUTSIDE of the US participating as well!

Spread the word! We'll have a sign-up sheet available in the next couple of weeks for those who want to participate. In the meantime, others can jump in to express their interest (so I'll know that this idea will be a go!)

Lisa

[mikeontoast]

I'm def up for what your saying, I'm in the UK, and we'd like to get our 7year olds involved

What do I need to do??, got the activote up and working.

let me know

Thanks

Mike Elliott

[jhjhcz]

What a great idea!! [clap]

I'd love to represent Mississippi. What if we involved a few of our other ActivClassrooms on different grade levels and sent a total number from our school?

Cheryl Jones
Sumrall Elementary
Sumrall, MS

[LisaD]

Cool! Will post more info when the "sign-up sheet" is ready to go!

Lisa

[bswearingen]

Hello,
I would really like my classroom to participate in this Activote Presidential Election vote.
We are a 5th grade (American History) classroom in Imperial Beach, California.
Please let me know if, when, and how we can officially participate in this meaningful
project.

Thank you,
Ben

5th Grade Teacher
Imperial Beach Elementary

[emdisi]

Speaking of the elections, does anybody know of a map that will alllow me to color the states blue or red, individually using the fill tool? The map from the US resource pack fills multiple states as if the lines are not bold enough between states to hold color by themselves.

Thanks for the response!

[LisaD]

I've got one!!! I'm just about to post it up on Planet as part of a Resource Pack. Give me about an hour to get it done!

Lisa

[LisaD]

OK, I've posted it. I didn't get to double (and triple) check it. It will be a part of a future theme but since you need it now, why NOT!

Here the link:
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.15845

US Presidential Election Template Pages Resource Pack

This resource pack includes 14 template pages that you can use for the 2008 US Presidential Elections. You will find:

A Voting page with the candidates
A State Results page
A Results Tally page with built in pdf and spreadsheet
A Results Tally page will fill boxes tallying results
A Voting Results Map page that can be colored with the fill tool
A Speech Key Points Page
8 Debate pages for key issues This resource pack will install in Shared Collections/Resource Packs.


If anyone have any problems with it, please let me know!

Lisa

[wgamage]

I also think it's a wonderful idea. I'm in!

Wendy Gamage
South School
Grade 4
Rockland, Maine 04841

[flamingc]

Please count Kansas in. My 5th teachers are just waiting for an opportunity to involve their students in the upcoming election. [clap] [clap]

Cheryl Flaming
Washington Elementary
McPherson, KS

[mpatton]

Naturally Presidential Election is a hot topic this year; your idea, Lisa, will generate positive interest and excitement; our 8th graders will especially be delighted to participate as they study America's history. Our home is Illinois but we will be happy to represent any of the 50. Do you ever sleep? or just lay awake at night formulating these awesome tasks for us?[clap]

[lmims]

This is a great idea. My students and I are interested in participating![clap] We are in Ohio but will proudly represent any state.

Thank You,

LaDawn Morrow

[phoffman]

I would love to have my class represent IL. Where do we sign up/ or know that we are able to represent the state?

[LisaD]

We're working on the sign up sheet right now. Hopefully it will be ready early next week. We'll post the announcement of the form.

Be aware that you likely will be assigned a state as we have no way of being assured that all states are represented otherwise! Do you think that would be OK? (It could give your students the opportunity to learn more about their assigned state!)

Lisa

[kathleen]

I will gladly post this voting activity to the Classroom 2.0 groups I belong to...when we have a web location link!

[jstanek]

I would be interested in participating for New Jersey.

[emartin21]

I am from North Georgia, we are a small school ,but would love to have several classes participate. GREAT IDEA+wave+ I will download the mentioned templateand get our reslts. If someone will let me know when and where to send our this I will be sure they are there. I would also be happy to do any leg work necessary. Please just let me know what I can do!

Erica Martin
4th Grade
Liberty Elementary School
Toccoa, Georgia

[LisaD]

Great to hear! I expect the sign up sheet will be ready in the next days! Will post as soon as I hear!

Lisa

[tshireman]

Yes I am very interested. Tracy Shireman Jackosnville, IL 4th Grade Lincoln Elementary.

[missmorrow]

My sixth grade class in Ohio will be doing a mock election so this would work out great! Please include our class!!!

Lisa M R.River, Ohio

[otwoteach]

Sounds great, I have about 98 5th graders that would like to cast their vote.

John Mundy
North Bay Elementary School
Biloxi Mississippi

[zetaschild]

This sounds great to me. I just posted a flipchart that I'm going to be using with my students to look at the race for the white house. This would give our students an greater understanding of the campaigning and election process.

LaVerne A. Stewart
Whale Branch Middle
Beaufort, SC

[tlandry]

Yes very interested and I'm sure I would have more than one classroom participate.

[LisaD]

Hello all!

The Voter Registration form is NOW open! But act quickly as we will be taking only the first 50 groups to represent the 50 states. {}{}{}

Here's the link:
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.4711

After we have 50 groups registered, we will send you an e-mail notifying you of the state that you are representing as well as a link to submit your popular votes.

(Don't worry if you aren't in the first 50 though because your students can still use the submitted data to figure out the winner!)
:D

Lisa

[lalcala1]

Hello Everyone,

We've already received several registrations for the online voting activity! Thanks to those of you who are willing to participate! Keep 'em coming!

I'd like to call on some of our international members to sign up, as well. It would be really interesting to see how students from other countries vote! :)

-------------
Lori Alcala
Promethean Planet Team

[bollingberg]

Sounds like a great idea! We would be interested in ND. REgistered now...sorry didn't see the post.

[lalcala1]

Great! Please be sure to fill out the signup form if you're interested!

Here's the link: http://www.Prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.4711. (http://www.Prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.4711)

----------
Lori Alcala
Promethean Planet Team

[tai_ann2003]

I just submitted a flipchart (not sure how quickly it will be available... a few days or a few weeks?) But for those who miss out, maybe the flipchart I put together would be adaptable and appropriate for your own opinion vs. fact polling flipchart. If it becomes available, I'll post the link for it. I'd love to see the results posted on the forum for the voting that Lori is putting together! :D

[LisaD]

The submissions for voting are coming in but starting to slow :eek: and we are still needing more participants! Don't delay if you want to participate (or I'll start panicking!) :(

To all you non-US folks! You can participate, too! Don't you think it would be WAY cool if we had classrooms from around the world joining in!

TLC's/TLA's: Help us spread the word! ????

Planet members: If you know of Activpeers that may not have heard about the project, please spread the word. I know that many teachers can't get on the forum or Planet every week and they may not know about the project.

However, I do note that over 400 teachers have downloaded the Voting Templates Resource Pack! So there must be interest in the subject!

Register today!

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.4711

Lisa

[LisaD]

I just submitted a flipchart (not sure how quickly it will be available... a few days or a few weeks?) But for those who miss out, maybe the flipchart I put together would be adaptable and appropriate for your own opinion vs. fact polling flipchart. If it becomes available, I'll post the link for it. I'd love to see the results posted on the forum for the voting that Lori is putting together! :D

Looks like your flipchart is live!

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.16051

Lisa

[LisaD]

Just fyi, there are a few more "states" available for the Election 08 Presidential Election simulation.

Register quickly! :D

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.4711

I'm so excited to see such variety of classes planning on participating. While we have an abundance of 5th grades participating, we also have received submissions from 1st grade and high school classes. Some entire school are participating. [clap][clap]

Again, there are still a few more states available. (Non-US classes can participate too!)

If you have registered already, we have you on the list and will be sending out an e-mail towards the end of the month with your assigned state and how to submit your results!

Lisa

[LisaD]

Just a few more states left to assign! Spread the word!

Also, did you know that the US Election Template Pages Resource Pack has been downloaded 577 times!!! {}

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.15845

If you plan on registering to participate in the voting simulation project, here is the link!

Register here! :p

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.4711

Lisa

[knappbar]

What an awesome idea!:)

[LisaD]

Thanks! Spread the word! We still have 5 or six states slot left to fill!

Lisa

[Kaylea]

Hi Lisa,
Just completed the form. How do I know if I got in on the 50....Maybe I was the 50th person !!! How neat would that be....WE are so excited and ready to get involved. Brenda

[LisaD]

Hi Brenda and all!

Yes, we now have plenty of participants. In fact, we didn't pull the form quick enough so we actually got a few more than we need. So the form is now closed!!!

Thank you all!

Early next week, you all should receive an e-mail from us with your assigned state. (Not sure yet what we'll do for the extra folks though!) Andy ideas?

Lisa

[LisaD]

FYI, an e-mail was just sent to all those who registered for the Cast Your Vote: Decision 08 electoral simulation.

Please check your e-mail inbox for your assigned state and the link to the voting submission form.

Remember, the deadline to submit your votes is Midnight, October 29th so we'll have time to post the popular votes for everyone to figure out the winner. Hopefully, this will be a great learning experience for the students!

If you registered and did NOT get an e-mail, please let me know!

Lisa

[emartin21]

My name is Erica Martin from Liberty Elementary School in Toccoa Georgia and I did not recevie an email. I registered very early. Pleae let me know what I need to do?

[LisaD]

Aha! I see that I DID e-mail you but the address you submitted had a typo in it! :eek:

I will resend it to you!

Lisa

[LisaD]

Hey, when I e-mailed everyone who registered to vote, some (about 6) bounced back to me! :eek:

So if you registered and did NOT get the e-mail I sent to you with your assigned state and the link to the voting page, please send me a private message or e-mail me.

I really want to make sure everyone has the information they need to vote!

Thanks! :D

[LisaD]

A list of all of the "registered voters" can be found here:
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=nav.16041

Check it out!

If you registered, you can see which state your class was assigned. (You should also have gotten an e-mail with this information along with the link to submit your class's popular votes. If you didn't get the e-mail and need the link, please let us know asap!)

Lisa

[LisaD]

We made the news at techLEARNING.com website!

http://www.techlearning.com/

Lisa

[Cindy H]

Yay, good job everyone!

Cindy

[LisaD]

Hey, the votes are starting to come in. We have received the votes from the state of Hawaii! (Represented by a second grade class in Dunwoody, GA!)

Keep 'em coming! (Just one more week to submit! Deadline is midnight (EST), October 29th!)

Lisa

[LisaD]

Reminder: Only two more days to submit your votes!

Lisa

[swvalley]

Can anyone tell me where a teacher would submit her results?? I talked to Lisa on the phone and she told me, but I must be too slow to figure it out.. :)

[LisaD]

Back online. (Hi Sean!)

Click below to submit your votes
http://www.Prometheanplanet.com/serv...how=ConForm.45 (http://www.prometheanplanet.com/forum/../server.php?show=ConForm.45)

Be aware, I THINK we just got our last one though!

Lisa

[swvalley]

Back online. (Hi Sean!)

Click below to submit your votes
http://www.Prometheanplanet.com/serv...how=ConForm.45 (http://www.Prometheanplanet.com/forum/../server.php?show=ConForm.45)

Be aware, I THINK we just got our last one though!

Lisa

Counting on the fact that Florida is the only state that makes Washington State's election process look good, I'll have her submit her totals anyway and then you'll have an ample supply :)

[LisaD]

Thanks, Sean!

Voted this morning, myself. Only had to wait 1 hour in line and everyone was super nice! I'm wearing my little sticker right now! (With a little peach on it from Georgia. Do your stickers have apples on them?) :p

Hopefully, we'll have the results and a map up soon. Can't wait to hear from teachers how the students learned from the experience!

Lisa

[LisaD]

Who won?

The results are in! http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=nav.16334

You can look at the popular votes NOW and apply them to the electoral college votes.

Share here what results YOU come up with. VERY INTERESTING NUMBERS and complex scenarios to work through! :eek::D:confused:



Lisa

[LisaD]

Well, the election results are in!

The real ones and the sample data we generated.

And while the sample voting data is far from the reality, you should see if for yourself and allow your students to use it to calculate the "winner" so that they can better understand the electoral college voting system!

Here is the page with the voting results map (I wouldn't show this first to the students though!)
http://www.Prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=nav.16342

Here is the page with the popular vote results so that you students can make the calculations!
http://www.Prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=nav.16334

Here is the submission form where you can submit your story of the learning experiences the students had learning about voting and the electoral college system.
http://www.Prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConForm.83
(You can upload any interesting photos supporting your story as well.)

So what's next?
Perhaps now's the time to discuss what's next for our president-elect!
What terms should students know?


Cabinet
Lame Duck
Inauguration
Concession speech
Oath of office
100 days
Transition process



According to "Ben's Guide"
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/election/electoral.html
After Election Day, on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, these electors assemble in their state capitals, cast their ballots, and officially select the next President of the United States. Legally, the electors may vote for someone other than the candidate for whom they were pledged to vote. This phenomenon is known as the "unfaithful" or "faithless" elector. Generally, this does not happen. Therefore, the candidate who receives the most votes in a state at the general election will be the candidate for whom the electors later cast their votes. Two votes are taken, one for President and one for Vice President. Electors are restricted from voting for two candidates from their state. The candidate who wins in a state is awarded all of that state’s Electoral College votes, except in Maine and Nebraska where the electoral may be split.
The votes of the electors are then sent to Congress where the President of the Senate opens the certificates, and counts the votes. This takes place on January 6, unless that date falls on a Sunday. In that case, the votes are counted on the next day. An absolute majority is necessary to prevail in the presidential and the vice presidential elections, that is, half the total plus one electoral votes are required. With 538 Electors, a candidate must receive at least 270 votes to be elected to the office of President or Vice President.
Should no presidential candidate receive an absolute majority, the House of Representatives determines who the next president will be. Each state may cast one vote and an absolute majority is needed to win. Similarly, the Senate decides who the next Vice President will be if there is no absolute majority after the Electoral College vote. Elections have been decided by Congress in the past. The House of Representatives elected Thomas Jefferson president in the election of 1800 when the Electoral College vote resulted in a tie. When the Electoral College vote was so split that none of the candidates received an absolute majority in the election of 1824 the House elected John Quincy Adams President. Richard Johnson was elected Vice President by the Senate when he failed to receive an absolute majority of electoral votes in the election of 1836.
The President-elect and Vice President-elect take the oath of office and are inaugurated two weeks later, on January 20th.




Lisa

[davidlloyd]

With all your knowledge Lisa, why are your party colours red for the conservative Republicans and blue for the leftish Democrats? In Europe it's usually the other way around.

[LisaD]

:(:(:( i think u are right. I got confused. Hoping no one had noticed!


Lisa

[htemske]

I actually went and switched them all before I did it with my class. I wasn't going to say anything. :) You are my hero after all. As a matter of fact I was just saying that to a room full of people (well partly full) today at GaETC. Good luck with yours tomorrow. It's too bad I didn't get a chance to meet you in person.

[LisaD]

Shoot! I wish I was there. I'm going today. Have a session at 8:30. Hope folks are still there on Friday!

Lisa