Government & Election Resources

Right now is the perfect opportunity to teach children about the election process and the Constitution. Here is a list of government and election resources for you to use in your homeschool or classroom:

Free Government & Election Printables:

Printable Electoral College Map from C-SPAN Classroom. They also have an accompanying Electoral College lesson plan.

Printable Elections Glossary from OLE Products

Free Printable Presidents Lapbook from Homeschool Share

Free Printable Elections Lapbook from Homeschool Share

American Symbols printable – 2 page print-out appropriate for younger elementary students

Coloring Pages of the U.S. Presidents – Washington to Obama

Elections A to Z Unit Study from The Homeschool Mom

 

Other Printable Government & Election Resources (not free):

Elections Unit Notebooking pages –  85 page download designed to be used while studying any type of election (local, state or national.)

American Government and the Elections Process Unit Study – 52 pg. downloadable unit for grades 3rd – 7th

Elections Lapbook Curriculum – for grades 4th- 8th grade; 28 Hands-On Activities PLUS 1 Fun Extension Activity, a 14-page Research Guide, and an Answer Key.

American Government Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett – Heroes of American History, Patriotic Holidays, American Government, Inauguration 2013, and Elections 2012 unit study package (each can also be purchased separately.)

Presidential Election Process Lapbook 6th -12th Grade –  by Knowledge Box Central: Learn about Political Parties, Electoral College, National Conventions, Primaries, Caususes, History, Vocabulary, and more!

Presidential Election Process Lapbook K-5th Grade – by Knowledge Box Central: Learn about Political Parties, Electoral College, National Conventions, Primaries, Caususes, History, Vocabulary, and more!

Presidential Trivia & Election Games Lapbook – by Knowledge Box Central: Use this hands-on tool to learn about the process and trivia about past presidents.

United States Government (3rd-6th Grade) Lapbook With Study Guide by Knowledge Box Central: This product can stand alone or be used as a supplement to any other curriculum.

United States Government (7th-12th Grade Lapbook with Study Guide by Knowledge Box Central: This product can stand alone or be used as a supplement to any other curriculum.

United States Government (K-2nd Grade) Lapbook With Study Guide by Knowledge Box Central: This product can stand alone or be used as a supplement to any other curriculum.

United States Symbols (K-5th Grade) Mini-Lapbook by Knowledge Box Central:

Government/Election Videos:

Some of our favorite government videos have been from Schoolhouse Rock.

 

Helpful Government & Election Websites and Posts:

Election coverage from Pearson OLE – “The OLE Election Series on OLE Community is a helpful resource for teachers interested in the events of the 2012 Presidential election.”

Election 2012 resources from Pearson OLE – includes videos and lesson plans. Suitable for upper elementary on up.

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government –   This site provides learning tools for K-12 students, parents, and teachers.

iCivics – free lesson plans and online games. Must register (took me awhile to find a reg. link that worked)

American Presidents – Mr.Don.org : free games, lesson plans, and activities suitable for elementary children.

12-week Presidents & Elections Unit from Oklahoma Homeschool

How the President is Elected from Enchanted Learning- nice resource page for elementary students.

Congress for Kids – learn about the federal government via online games and activities. Geared toward students 4th grade on up.

Election 2012 for kids – Time for Kids: articles on the 2012 election

Free 13-week government course from Mom’s Mustard Seeds & Founders Academy- covers Mayflower Compact, The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States of America, The Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers.

What is Congress? – website called Kids in the House. Lots of information for various ages.

Election 2012: Teaching Ideas & Resources from the NY Times

2012 Presidential Election updates, articles, and games from Scholastic

 

Election Books:

 

Government and Election Activities and Crafts:

In 2008, I had my oldest two children pick stuffed animal candidates. They had to create a campaign poster (pictured above), write a party platform, give a 2 minute video speech, and then hold elections. We had our online friends and family vote via an online survey. It was a great way to teach them about the elections process.

We also took a field trip to our local Republican and Democratic headquarters. We were able to talk to our local representatives and ask questions. Take advantage of these live event opportunities going on during the election season.

 

For even more government and election activities and craft ideas, check out my government Pinterest board.

 

Feel free to Pin and share this post with others! Have another election resource I missed? Let me know in the comments. I invite you to subscribe to Spell Outloud so you won’t miss a post!

 

 

 

 

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post. Thank you in advance for supporting this site.