Grade Level:  8 
Subjects:  Social Studies, Mathematics, English/Language Arts, and Vocational/Technical 

Learner Outcomes:

• Students will use a Microsoft table of hyperlinks to examine Article IV of the West Virginia Constitution and demonstrate an understanding of the constitutional basis for voting procedures by outlining the article.
• Students will read information online at the West Virginia Secretary of State's web site, the West Virginia State Elections Commission, and the West Virginia Main Page to learn more about voting in West Virginia.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the political patterns of West Virginia voters by creating a Microsoft Word table to compare/contrast voting statistics.
• Students will exhibit technological skills by selecting an area of special interest from this unit of study to research further independently and create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to share with the class, as well as other eighth graders.

Materials:  Students will need to peruse their portfolio of research, maps, tables, graphs, outlines, and notes compiled during this unit.  Teacher may choose to preview sites included in the teacher resource tables of hyperlinks in this unit to guide students in their selections.  Pairs or cooperative groups of three could be encouraged to work together for the Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.  Creativity should be encouraged.
 
 

Technology Tools/Courseware:

Microsoft PowerPoint
Computers with Internet access
Lesson 5 Student Links installed by diskette on each students' computer
Projector to share presentations
VCR to tape presentations 
 
 

Teacher Notes:

• Reserve computer lab for sufficient time for all students to complete assignment.
• Monitor to ensure that all students contribute to their group.
• Video tape could be made to share presentations with other classes

. 
Procedures:

• Instruct students to begin research online using their table of hyperlinks.  Read and outline Article IV of the West Virginia Constitution to learn more about voting laws in West Virginia.
• Instruct students to read "One Vote Makes a Difference" at the site of the West Virginia State Election Commission's site to learn more about the importance of voting as a civic duty.
• Instruct students to read "Voting Systems Used in West Virginia" at the West Virginia State Election Commission's site to learn more about the five methods our counties use.
• Instruct students to read "Voting in West Virginia" at the West Virginia Secretary of State's site.
• Page 1 - Find your home county's ballot.
• Page 5 - Note which counties use which method of voting and keep in your working folder.
• Page 7 - Note the four requirements for a citizen's eligibility to register to vote in West Virginia and keep in your working folder.
• Instruct students to examine "Party Representation in Office" and use the information in the chart to determine the ratio of Democrats to Republicans in the offices listed in the chart.  Keep in your working folder.
• Instruct students to examine "West Virginia Party Registration" and use the information in that chart to calculate the ratio of Democrats to Republicans in West Virginia in 2000 for registered voters.  Keep in working folder.
• Instruct students to examine the table "General Election Voter Turnout" and calculate how many West Virginians in 2000 were eligible to register to vote, but did not register.  Keep in working folder.
• Instruct students to examine the table "2000 General Election Voter Turnout" and "West Virginia Voter Registration" to search for patterns in West Virginia's election.
• Instruct students to use notes in working folder and sites on Lesson 5 table of hyperlinks to create a Microsoft Word table with the title "Voting in West Virginia" that compiles the following information:  name of county, total population of county, total number of registered voters in that county, % of registered voters in that county who are Democrats, % of registered voters in that county who are Republicans, % of turnout in 2000 election, and method of voting that county uses.  Save on disk and turn it in to your teacher.

• Be sure to review IEP or 504 plan for any student with special needs and comply.
• Students with visual difficulties could place blue transparency over reading materials.
• Students with abstract/conceptual learning styles may benefit more from reading technical directions and taking notes while they learn new  technical skills.
• Auditory learners may require more individual attention and verbal directions.

Enrichment Activities:

• Encourage students to learn more about the political parties included in teacher hyperlinks and compare/contrast platforms.
• Encourage students to read the article "Census Shows West Virginia Losing Workers" included in student hyperlinks.
• Encourage students to research the career cluster they have selected for their five-year plan at "West Virginia Occupational Projections 1998-2008" included in student hyperlinks.

Evaluation/Assessment:

Working Folder  with Ratios	Voting in W. Va.  Microsoft table	Portfolio of Unit	PowerPoint	PowerPoint  Presentation
5 points	50 points	20 points	100 points	20 points

West Virginia Department of Education Job/Career Clusters:
                             Human Services
                             Engineering/Technical
                             Fine Arts/Humanities
West Virginia Process/Workplace Objectives:
 

Problem Solving	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Communication	9,10,11,13,
Working with Others	16,17,18,19,20,21,23,24,25
Technology	27,28,32,33
Self Management	34,35,36,37,38,39,
Career Development	46

 

West Virginia Instructional Goals and Objectives:

Social Studies
 

Civics	Economics	Geography	History	Computer/  Technology
8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5  8.6  8.7  8.9  8.11  8.13  8.15	8.18 8.19  8.26	8.30  8.35  8.37	8.54 8.55	8.60  8.61  8.62  8.63  8.64  8.65  8.66  8.68  8.70

English/Language Arts
 

Listening/  Speaking	Reading  Comprehension	Reading  Vocabulary	Writing	Spelling	Language	Study Skills	Computer/  Technology
8.1  8.2  8.3	8.16 8.18 8.19 8.21 8.22	8.38 8.44	8.48  8.49  8.50  8.51  8.59  8.63  8.64	8.68 8.72 8.73  8.74 8.81  8.82	8.83 8.85 8.86 8.25 8.127 8.129	8.135 8.137 8.138 8.142	8.146  8.147  8.148  8.150  8.151  8.153  8.154  8.155

Mathematics
 

National Standards
 

Technology	2,3,4,6
Language Arts	1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Mathematics	1,2,3,4,6,7,9
Economics	5
Historical Understanding	1
Geography	1,2,3,4,5,9,10,12,13,15
Civics	1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,17,18,20,21,24,25,27,28,29
Life Work	1,2,6,7,8
Thinking and Reasoning	2,3
Self Regulation	1,2
Working with Others	1,4

References:
    West Virginia State Home Page
    West Virginia Secretary of State
    West Virginia State Elections Commission
     National Standards
     WV Department of Education - IGOs

Authors:

 

Janet Benincosa

Mickey Dean

Becky Morris

 

Home	Lesson One	Lesson Two	Lesson  Three	Lesson  Four	Lesson Five