Register
Play & Learn
Teach
Register
Home > Elections and Voting > The Electoral Process
Lesson Plan
Elections and Voting

The Electoral Process

6-8
One class period
Sign up to save to your favorites

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to...

  • Describe the electoral process in primary and general elections.
  • Compare the popular vote with the Electoral College as a means to elect government officials.
  • Explain how a candidate can be elected without receiving the majority of the popular vote.
  • Contrast primaries and caucuses as ways to nominate someone within a political party.
  • Explain the role of local, state and national conventions in political parties.
  • Identify key dates for national elections.
Take a peek into the electoral process with this lesson - from party primaries to the general election. 
Sign up to assign Sign up to access

Overview

Take a peek into the electoral process with this lesson - from party primaries to the general election. Students will learn the distinctions between the popular vote and the Electoral College, and exercise their critical reasoning skills to analyze the differences between the presidential and congressional elections. Students will also contrast the various nomination processes and learn about the role of party conventions in American politics.

Explore all of our free election curriculum and teaching resources at our Election Headquarters. 

Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's activities below! Love this lesson?

But wait, there's more! Looking for a quick and fun way to check student understanding? Use our Kahoot! after students complete this lesson.

 

Access engaging resources with an iCivics account!

Create your free iCivics account and discover standards aligned lessons and games that meet all of your instructional needs. Our nonpartisan classroom resources engage students with complex concepts in ways they can understand and relate to.

Tags

Tech Options
No Tech Required
Web browser
Integrations
Kami
Nearpod
PDF
Kahoot
Google Slides
State standards icon

View state standards alignment

Search State Standards

Use the Scope & Sequence to help you plan your iCivics classroom experience!

Whether you enjoy finding opportunities within a well-structured sequence of resources or prefer looking around for pieces and bits that can be jigsawed together, our Scope & Sequence documents are a perfect reference point for planning. Scope & Sequence documents are available for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and list all of our resources in one place.

View the Scope & Sequence