ELECTING A PRESIDENT: K – 2

Wow! That’s a lot! More than a million votes will be cast on Election Day. This is a very large number. Think of other items that may number a million or more. One example: There may be 1,000,000 fish in the sea. Find a partner and make a list of your ideas. Share your list with another group. Do your lists have any items that are the same? Make a tally of how many different ideas your class comes up with.

Ballots galore. In one small town, 180 people can vote in the presidential election. The ballots are bundled in groups of 12. How many bundles of ballots does the town need in order to have enough ballots on hand if everyone votes? Share you answer and strategy for solving this problem with a partner. Find someone in your class who used a similar strategy to solve the problem. Find someone who solved the problem in a different way.

Oh, brother! The men elected to be presidents are all different. In the past, they were short and tall, funny and serious. Their families are different too. President Benjamin Harrison had 11 brothers and sisters. Ask 12 friends, “How many brothers and sisters do you have?” Record their answers and make a representation of the data. Compare your results with your classmates’ results. Does anyone have 11 brothers and sisters like Benjamin Harrison?

Casting your ballot. Presidential elections are held every 4 years. The next one is in November 2004. To be eligible to vote, you must be 18 years old. In what year will you be able to vote in a presidential election for the first time? Share your solution with a friend.