Teaching Civics and Government Fundamentals During an Election Year

In an election year, it becomes increasingly evident just how essential it is to not only arm students with knowledge of the systems and processes that make up our government, but to also equip them with a willingness to engage in civic processes and develop the skills necessary to be an active participant in their communities.

While it can be tempting to avoid the topic of the election with students, it’s important to recognize that teaching about the election doesn’t have to be about politics. The election can be the perfect time to embed civics and government fundamentals that will empower students to understand the systems in place, so that they can develop the necessary skills to play an active role in our society.

In this blog post, we’ll provide tangible steps teachers can use with students to help them learn civics skills, such as how to practice media literacy and what to do to ensure their individual voice and choice can be heard through the voting process — all important skills that will help lead them to become responsible, active, and informed citizens of the future.

Teaching Media Literacy

Information is everywhere. Adults and children alike are bombarded by it on television, phones, tablets, and computers, especially in an election year. The challenge in this digital era is that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to tell the difference between truth and misinformation.

Teaching media literacy — the ability to think critically about stories presented in the media and on social media in order to determine their accuracy or credibility — will help students develop the skill of being able to access reliable and relevant information online and evaluate that information for accuracy and bias.

When students are doing research for a project you can teach them the importance of comparing internet sources by encouraging them to always find multiple websites on the same topic. They might encounter two websites with conflicting information, so they would then be encouraged to find a third or fourth website to clear up confusion and ensure the information they’re using is consistently true and reliable.

Media literacy also applies to the content that students create. Whether at work or at school, students who use media literacy skills, such as understanding their audience or identifying their purpose when creating their own content, such as a persuasive essay or research paper, will have the ability to communicate clearly and directly in their work.

For example, when writing a research paper, you can teach students how to identify the correct audience by asking them to write down how they would approach a paper differently if it were intended for experts compared to it being written for their peers.

Media literacy is an important skill to have at all times, but especially at a time when students will use the information they encounter to inform their decisions.

The Importance of Getting Involved

During a presidential election, students are living through history — in real time — and getting to witness the impact that a single person can have on our country and even within their own communities.

When reflecting on your own lifetime, it’s easy to remember not only the first election you voted in but even the impact that prior presidencies had on our country well before you were able to vote. Experiences and exposure to civic education provided to your students today will live on far beyond this election year as they continue to develop into active, engaged citizens.

The election season is a great time to show students the importance of getting involved, not just leading up to election day but beyond. That said, it’s important to note that civic action takes place every day, even when it’s not a presidential election year.

You can help students get involved in their own communities by encouraging them to volunteer at a local nonprofit organization or attend a school board meeting. You might have them think about something they would like to see changed and then have them write a letter to the government or newspaper.

Leveraging this time to teach students the skills and ways that they can show up for their community is a great way to ensure the civic lessons they learn in the classroom can be applied long after the November election and for the rest of their lives.

The Significance of Voice and Choice

Election Day is when citizens practice their right to express their voice by choosing the candidate who best aligns to the issues that are most important to them.

Voting and the right to vote has a long and interesting history that is important for students to understand in order to grasp its significance. Any time there is an election—especially a presidential election—teachers have a great opportunity to invite students to understand the history behind the voting process, how voting is a fundamental act of participation in democracy, and how just one vote can make a big difference.

One way that teachers can help students understand the impact voting can have is by implementing a mock election in their classroom. Mock election activities are designed to invite students to experience the voting process through simulation, analyze how voting impacts election results, and identify their own reasons to vote as they also apply their media literacy skills in the process.

There are many embedded lessons that can be taught through the process of holding a mock election, such as how to become a voter, how voting works, how elections are kept free and fair, and why voting matters.

Why Civic Education Is Important

In a world where students are flooded with information from various media sources at all times, it’s crucial for them to learn to navigate this landscape with a critical eye. Civic education can serve as an important tool to help equip students with the ability to discern fact from opinion, evaluate the credibility of sources, and understand the implications of policy decisions.

Our students are the leaders of tomorrow. Many of them will soon be making decisions that impact our communities, our country, and possibly the world. By using real-world opportunities like the election to teach civic education, we are preparing students to take on these roles with confidence and competence. We are equipping them with the skills they need to advocate for themselves and others, to participate in constructive dialogue, and to work collaboratively towards solutions and become engaged citizens.