Vote! Approximately 50% of all people in the United States over 18 years
old vote when it is time to elect a president. If 50% of your class voted, how many people would that
equal? How about in your
grade? How about in your
school? How about in your town or
city? Was this percentage easy or
difficult to work with and why?
What would happen if the percentage was 75%? Would you use the same strategy or a different strategy to
find your answer?
Surveying
groups. Opinion polls are used in elections to help
determine what people think about an issue. Choose some issues that are important to you. Survey 10 students in you class and 10
adults. Make a double bar graph to
compare the responses of the two groups.
Possible questions include the following:
· Should students be required to wear school
uniforms?
· Should vending machines be allowed in schools?
· Should school be year-round?
Discuss
any differences or similarities in your findings.
Campaign
dollars. In past presidential campaigns, candidates used
about 50% of their campaign funds for radio and TV advertisements. Contact a local TV or radio station and
find the cost of one minute worth of airtime. Write an advertisement for an issue that is important to
you. Time yourself reading the
ad. How much would your
advertisement cost?
From
coast to coast. The United States spans eight time zones. If polling places close at 7 p.m. in
New York what time is that for voters in Hawaii? What time will in be in New York when it is 7 p.m. in
Hawaii? Discuss how media
projections of winners in East Coast states in the Atlantic Time Zone might
affect the voting habits of citizens living in Hawaii. (Many telephone books include a map of
the United States and time zones.)