Lesson Plans for Every Classroom
What are you looking for today?
Congressional Maps, Redistricting and Gerrymandering: What Does it All Mean?
Redistricting congressional maps and gerrymandering have been in the news a lot lately. What are congressional maps, and how does redistricting, when done for political purposes, lead to gerrymandering? While redistricting is a normal process for how voting maps are drawn, racial gerrymandering is often used as a political tool to change or manipulate election outcomes and to give an unfair advantage to a political party. In this lesson, students will learn about congressional maps, redistricting, and gerrymandering, explore the impact of gerrymandering on voters and elections, and analyze news headlines about recent gerrymandering efforts.
Who Gets to Vote? The History and Erosion of Voting Rights
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to prohibit racial discrimination in registration and voting nationwide. It was landmark legislation and passed overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives and Senate, and signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965. It has been seen as extremely successful in overcoming voting discrimination. However, over the years, there has been a chipping away–and some would argue a “gutting”--of the Voting Rights Act because of Supreme Court rulings and voter suppression efforts. In this lesson, students will explore the history of voting rights and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, examine how it has been eroded, and create an original piece of writing that expresses their perspective on voting rights.