Lesson One

Motivational Student Activity (10-15 minutes)

1. Conduct a class vote for a current political candidate with only boys voting.
2. Tally votes, but do not reveal results.
3. Conduct a girls' vote.
4. Reveal the winner, based on the boys' vote.
5. Add the girls' vote to the boys' vote.
6. Discuss results. Did the vote change by adding the female vote?
7. Chart or graph results.

Student Brainstorming Activity (10-15 minutes) Discuss these questions with students. How would you persuade someone to vote for you? How could you effect change individually or as a member of a group? Brainstorm and compile a list of strategies that people use to influence others' opinions and, thus, effect change. See example at right. Vocabulary Activity (25 minutes) Review suffrage, campaign and election-related vocabulary: address, association, banner, broadside, convention, declaration, delegate, editorial, endorse, ephemera, issues, pageant, pamphlet, persuade, petition, picket line, platform, political party, proclamation, resolution, strategy, suffrage Tip: Use an online dictionary like Merriam-Webster to access the definitions.