Are you Ready for Election Day 2024?

  

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

By

Gail Skroback Hennessey

Click here to download this freebie:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidential-Election-FREEBIE-2024-5969770?st=6b9048a51249a6716fb84be4f1c7d9df

Every four years, American citizens vote in an election for the next President of the United States. The next Presidential Election is in 2024. Each state has a number of “electoral votes”, depending on the state’s representatives to Congress (based on population of the state) and each state’s two senators. Additionally, the District of Columbia has 3 electors. That means there are a total of 538 electors. The presidential election is actually a state by state election. A citizen casts his/her vote and the candidate that wins for each state gets either ALL or most of that state’s electoral votes. To win, you need at least 270 electoral votes. The Electoral College(not really a building) votes in December where the electors cast their votes for president. Although the electors USUALLY vote the way of their state election, there have been a couple of times when an elector does not.

If a candidate wins by large majorities in some states, he/she may have more popular votes but may not win the 270 electoral votes to be declared the next president. It has happened FIVE times, most recently in the 2016 election, where a candidate (Hillary Clinton)with the most popular votes (majority of voters picked that candidate) lost the election due to electoral votes.

DID YOU KNOW?
1. Did you know that George Washington was elected UNANIMOUSLY? It was

the only time this has ever happened in a Presidential election!

2. In the election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson(1800),there was actually a TIE for electoral votes and the House of Representatives determined the winner of the election.

3. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected FOUR times and was the only president

to have served for so many terms of office. Fearing a monarchy, the Constitution was changed(1951) limiting a presidential term to two terms(8 years).This was the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.

4. It would take a while to determine the winner of the 2000 election between George Bush and Al Gore. The state of Florida originally went for Gore giving Gore the WIN in the Electoral votes BUT then there was a recount of Florida ballots. The Supreme Court stepped in and said the election went to George Bush.

5. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had over 3 million more votes (48.2 percent to 46.1 percent)than Donald Trump. However, Trump had more electoral votes(306 to 232) and was thus, the winner of the presidential election.

6. Grover Cleveland was the only president to serve two non-consecutive (not in a row) terms Elected in 1884, he lost his re-election bid in 1888. He ran again in 1892 and won his second term.

7. Did you know that only 13 presidents have been elected to serve two terms (and serve out their complete term)?

8. Did you know that astronauts at the International Space Station CAN and DO vote in the elections using secure email from space?

9 .At one time the person with the most votes became the president and the person with the second highest amount of votes became Vice President. Can you think of how this might cause problems? After 1804, this rule changed.

10 . Name calling by candidates is nothing new. Stephen A. Douglas called Abraham Lincoln, “two-faced”. Lincoln replied, “If I had another face, do you think I would wear this one?”

11. The first woman to run for president was Victoria Woodhull (1872), before women could even vote(1920). Her Vice Presidential running mate was abolitionist and orator, Frederick Douglass.

12. The only person to be Vice President AND President and never have been elected by the people was Gerald Ford!

13. Most electoral votes are given in total to the winner of the state voting. However, the states of Nebraska and Maine split up the electoral votes among the candidates. THAT is why your vote matters. In New York, there are 29 electoral votes. Even if the winner of the state wins by a few votes, ALL 29 electoral votes go to the winner.

14. The electoral voting for President, by the Electoral College, takes place in the month of December, the first Monday after the second Wednesday!

15. Women got the right to vote in 1920. Native Americans didn’t get the right to vote until 1924(and some states prevented Native Americans from voting until the 1940s.)

16. In the 2016 presidential election, 54.87 % of voters came out to cast a ballot! (129,085,410 of the 235,248,000 eligible voters)

17. In 2020, former president Donald Trump did NOT recognize the election results

and did not CONCEDE (acknowledged he lost) to President Joe Biden. This is the first time that this has ever happened.

18. In 2024, the Republican candidates are Donald Trump and JD Vance. The Democratic candidates are Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

 

Your Turn:

1. What are three character traits that a president should have?

2. What is an issue that you would like to see the next president work to accomplish?

3. What do you think of the Electoral College vs. the popular vote to elect a president?

4.There are some people calling for Election Day to be a national holiday, so people don’t have to worry about missing work to vote. What do you think of this idea?

5. Do you think a president should be a role model for young people? Explain your answer.

Teacher Page:

1. How the electoral College Works: https://ourwhitehouse.org/getting-the-votes- and-getting-elected-the-popular-vote-vs-the-electoral-college/

2. Check out some presidential campaign slogans: https://www.thoughtco.com/top- presidential-campaign-slogans-104625 Have students illustrate one of the slogans. Both the candidates for the 2020 have used several slogans. One used by Donald Trump has been  Make America Great Again. Kamala Harris has used We are Not Going Back and When We Fight, We Win.

3. https://www.usa.gov/election Posters on the process of electing a President of the USA

4. Have students review a map of which states have the most electoral votes and which have the least. https://electoralvotemap.com

Links for Teachers:

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-presidenttrivia/ https://www.factretriever.com/us-presidential-elections-facts https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_government_voting.php

 Check out these resources during Election Time:

   1. The Election Process: A Webquest: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ELECTION- Process-How-do-we-Elect-a-President-A-Webquest-Distance- Learning-2695264 

2.  Inauguration Day, A Webquest: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Inauguration-Day- A-Webquest-2870347

3. Presidential Trivia, A Webquest:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-A-Presidential-Webquest-338700?st=ddc83951b1709e8a28272bb5aad1c595

4. The White House: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ White-House-Learn-about-the-White-HouseA-webquest-359868

5. First Ladies, A Webquest:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Ladies-of-the-United-States-Webquest-604151?st=ddc83951b1709e8a28272bb5aad1c595

6. Presidential Challenge. Test Your Knowledge: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidential-Facts-To-Challenge-Your-Students-2586425

 

November is Native American Heritage Month

 

 

Y

Native American Heritage Month

Click here for the free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Native-Americans-Heritage-Month-Freebie-7410848

November 2024

Gail Skroback Hennessey

New York was the first state to set aside a day to honor the contributions of Native Americans. Called American Indian Day, it was established in 1916. President George W. Bush approved National American Indian Heritage Month in 1990.

Did You Know?

1. Native Americans shared their cure for Scurvy, a disease caused by the lack of Vitamin C.  They made a tea from evergreen branches and gave it to French Explorer, Jacques Cartier and his men(1536).

2. Did you know that Native Americans shared with the Pilgrims the idea of using dead fish when planting corn? It was a natural fertilizer.

3. At the first Thanksgiving, in 1621, the Wampanoag people shared foods such as squash, corn, maple syrup, cranberries, pumpkins and turkey, with the Pilgrims.

4. Have you placed the game of lacrosse? It was first played by the Native American. Interestingly, it wasn’t a “game” but a way to settle arguments. The French explorers first saw the game and named it.

5. The Native Americans played a game called “shinny”. The French called it hockey!

6. Native Americans shared toboggans and whirligigs(spinning tops) with the colonists.

7. Some ideas in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, came from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The Great Law of Peace included ideas such as people have rights and limited the power of government over people.

8. Moccasins and the Parka(hooded jackets with feathers still attached to skins) were shared with colonists.

9. Native Americans were believers in conservation. They only took what they needed from the Earth.

10. During World War 2, secret messages were sent by both sides. Each side tried to crack the other’s code. The U.S.Army came up with a code that was never broken. It used the Navajo Indian language!

Activities:
1. Some words in English from Native Americans:

manatee, opossum, parka, raccoon, skunk, squash, succotash, woodchuck, moccasin, chipmunk 

Write a short story using all these words.

2. https://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/stories/

Read a Native American short story, illustrate the story and write and summary.

3. Look at the Navajo Code Alphabet:  https://jmcrempsblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/screen-shot-2014-09-25-at-11-13-07-am.png

Write a message and have another person try and  decode it.

4. LOTS of Famous Native Americans: Research one of the following people, draw a picture of that person and write 5 facts learned about them on your drawing. Here are just a few possible people to highlight.

Sacagawea, Sequoyah, Jim Thorpe, Squanto, Sitting Bull, Pocahontas, Chief Joseph, Tecumseh, White Cloud, Geronimo, Crazy Horse, Maria Tallchief, Wilma Mankiller, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte,

More links of interest:

https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/famous-native-americans/

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/topic/native-americans

Resources of Interest:

1. Learn about Sacagawea with this Reader's Theater Script. Sacagawea is a guest on a talk show and the studio audience asks questions about her life and contributions to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. There are 10 questioners, a Did You Know? fun fact section, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension activities, the key and additional links. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series. Sacagawea, A Reader's Theater Script                                                                                                                                         2. Learn about Sequoyah, the only person in history to "invent a written language"! Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee's Talk Show Series. A studio audience ask questions of Sequoia. Sequoyah, the Man that Invented a Writing System: A Reader's Theater Script.                                                                                                            3. Native Americans: A Webquest: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Native-AmericansA-WebquestExtension-Activities-2121792?st=2957771651d42c1f0e3fcb3ba8121b92

Illustrations from Pixabay and WpClipart

November 4th is KING TUT DAY!

  

November 4, 1922, the day Howard Carter uncovered the tomb of Tutankhamen!

NOTE: FREE DOWNLOAD OF THIS INFORMATION: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/King-TuT-Day-November-4th-FREEBIE-2184199

Interesting facts:

1. Lord Carnarvon was bitten by a mosquito, while in Egypt and died days later. It is said that the lights in Cairo, Egypt, went out when Carnarvon died. Also, back in London, his dog is said to have started to howl and, died.  When King Tut's mummy was unwrapped, a mark was found in the same location as the mosquito bit on Lord Carnarvon. It was around this time that the idea of a curse on those that went inside the tomb began to gain in popularity!

2. One of the discoveries in the tomb, in addition to golden statues and a golden throne, jewels and chariots, was a box of UNDERWEAR for King Tut to use in the afterlife.

3. Licorice was also found in King Tut's tomb.

4. Each of King Tut's toes were individually wrapped in gold!

5. Watermelon seeds were found in King Tut's tomb. 

6. With the discovery of the tomb, all things Egyptian became very popular. Women began to wear dresses with Egyptian patterns. Songs about King Tut were written,dances created and beauty products were advertised with Egyptian themes.  This popularity in all things  ancient Egyptian was  called "Tutmania".

7. Twenty-two pounds of gold were used to make the gold mask of King Tut.

8. Many of King Tut's artifacts can be found at Highclere Castle, home of Lord Carnarvon, about an hour from London, England. Interestingly, if you watched the series Downton Abbey, it was filmed at Highclere!

Questions:

A number of people that went into the tomb died under unusual circumstances. However, the person that discovered the tomb,Howard Carter, lived a long life. So, if there was a curse(as stated on the entrance of Tut's tomb), it didn't harm Carter. WHAT might explain why some people may have died from being in the tomb, opened for the first time in centuries?

When Howard Carter discovered the tomb, he waited weeks for Lord Carnarvon to travel by ship to be there for the opening of the tomb. He had guards stand watch at the entrance of the tomb. He did NOT go inside. He felt that since Lord Carnarvon had funded the expedition, he should be there for the "opening". Could you have waited?

Extras:

Read my article, "Mummies Share Their Secrets" at Science News for Students:https://www.snexplores.org/article/mummies-share-their-secrets

You may wish to check  out You Tube for a song done by comedian Steve Martin, "King Tut".(Review it first as there is one word which may not be appropriate). You could just share the lyrics and skip over the word.)

Information on King Tut at this link:https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zvmkhbk#zmtv3j6

Learn about King Tut: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/history/egypt/tutankhamun-facts/

Coloring sheets of King Tut: https://coloringhome.com/king-tut-coloring-pages

Check my Resource on King Tut, A Reader's Theater Script with LOTS of information on King Tut, mummy making and the discovery of his tomb: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/King-Tut-Wrapping-with-a-Mummy-Biographical-PlayTo-Tell-the-Truth-Play-338665