Looking at the Election Through the Lens of Time

One of the interesting things about having written this blog for eleven years, starting in August 2009, is that we can sometimes look at a topic through the lens of time, seeing what we thought and wrote about something over the course of a number of years. 

As we thankfully put the first Presidential Debate behind us and as many folks around the country have begun to vote, by mail or through in-person early voting, we took a look back at some of the blogs we have written about past presidential elections. 

In 2012, we wrote about bringing your child with you when you vote, something we took very much for granted at that time. We also directed teachers to the resources about elections on the TeacherVision site, including charts and printables. In 2016, we shared information about iCivics, founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, with the goal of transforming civic education for every student in America with innovative, truly engaging games and resources. In 2020, iCivics has a Guide to the 2020 Election, including a countdown clock to Election Day and a guide to the Presidential Debates, along with games, including Win the White House.

One issue which is new to this tumultuous election is how to vote safely and securely in the midst of a pandemic and political upheaval. All but the youngest children are likely to have heard about the pros and cons of voting by mail and all of us have been urged to make a plan for how we will vote. This can be a good conversation to have with your children. Talk about how voting used to be almost exclusively in person on election day and discuss the options this year for voting in person, on election day or during an early voting period, or voting by mail. Have a conversation with your children about how you plan to vote this year and why. Your blogger remembers entering the voting booth with her parents and, in turn, bringing her own children to vote with her when she was a young parent. While this isn't a safe option this year, we look forward to a time when it is again a routine part of parenting and civic education.

Helping Children in a New Era

Exactly 55 years ago today, I sat in front of a black and white television set in my parents' basement and listened to John F. Kennedy ask us to think about what we could do for our country. I can't remember why I was not in school that day; I must have been home sick, since my parents would never let me stay home for any other reason. And my memory of that day has been conflated with the much clearer memories of November 22, 1963, when I was several years older and all of us were transfixed by the horror of JFK's assassination.

There is a very different kind of individual being sworn in as president today. This is not a political discussion. The facts of the election speak for themselves and the results of the popular and electoral votes are well known. Whatever your political views, it is good to see that our nation's strong history of peaceful transition of power has held sway, and that the checks and balances of our democracy will likely help balance out the impact of a new approach to governing.

The  most important thing that parents can do in this time of change is to be aware of their own state of mind, especially any anxiety they may be feeling, and to help their children cope with the different tone and policies of our new national leadership.

One excellent tool to help parents address a wide array of issues with their children - from respecting the views of others to social change and civic engagement -- is a book list created by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Reach Out and Read. The list is broken down by age groups and was created specifically to deal with issues families might face after the contentious election.

There are also a number of practical articles and blogs that look at how parents can help their children deal with a different political climate and with the anxiety that might trigger. One blog, from The Huffington Post, includes a suggestion from psychologist Dr. Nancy Mramor common to many commentators, who often characterize it as "Put on your own oxygen mask first."

Dr. Mramor notes, "Making peace with uncertainty and finding ways to temper your own stress levels may be the most important key to being a good parent ... “If parents get the care that they need for themselves,” she added, “then they’re going to be able to be better parents for their children.”

Teachers may find resources from Teaching Tolerance helpful in their classrooms and these may be useful for parents as well. And parents may find that some of the tips in a CNBC post-election blog, based on research supported findings, can help them to be less anxious, and thus more able to help them help their children.

Lessons on Immigration for Difficult Times

Where did your family come from?

Unless you are of Native American ancestry, your relatives came to this country from somewhere – or from many somewheres. It may have been a recent arrival, or may have taken place many decades ago, but all Americans have a story of immigration in their past. As immigration became a hot topic during the election and continues to be discussed in inflammatory terms now that the election is over, students and their families, especially those who have recently arrived in the U.S., deal with fear, uncertainty, and possible discrimination.

This may be a good time for teachers to examine immigration with age appropriate lessons for their students. A post-election blog titled, The Election Is Over, But for Teachers, Hard Conversations Are Just Beginning from Education Week asks the questions: How can teachers begin to unite their classrooms? How can they soothe students' fears? We have some suggestions for programs, readings, and classroom activities – some of long standing and some designed to respond to issues raised in the presidential election.

The Southern Poverty Law Center , whose mission is “fighting hate and bigotry and seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society … using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy,” conducted a survey of nearly 10,000 educators – both before and after the election. Among the findings was that the presidential campaign “elicited fear and anxiety among children of color, immigrants and Muslims; emboldened students to mimic the words and tones of candidates and pundits; and disrupted opportunities to teach effectively about political campaigns and civic engagement”. Their response was to present resources for use in classrooms at all levels to help students recognize and respond to bias against immigrants and those of other religions or cultures.

PBS public television has extensive resources for grades 7-12 to use in connection with their documentary mini-series, The New Americans, which explores the immigrant experience through the personal stories of immigrants to the United States. There are 11 interactive lesson plans that help teachers connect their students with the historical and contemporary aspects of immigration.

Scholastic, publisher of books and educational materials, has 76 different resources, ranging from interactive white board lessons to paperback books on all aspects of immigration and the immigrant experience.

Although these lesson plans and other resources are designed for use in the classroom, many can be used by parents who want to help give their children a better understanding of the history of immigration in the United States and of people who may look, sound, or pray differently than they do. 

Playing with Politics and Government

The political season is in full bloom and wherever you live and whatever your political perspective, you can't escape the primary stages of the presidential election process. And, as we all know, things are only going to get more interesting and intense as we move towards the November elections. 

As noted in a recent NY Times article, former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is a major force behind a video game that brings the election process to life for students, called Win the White House, The game is one of several created by iCivics, a nonprofit organization Justice O'Connor founded in 2009, after she retired from the Supreme Court in 2006. Other games (there are 19, each with lesson plans) include "Do I Have a Right?" and "Bill of Rights."  

The games are all aligned with the Common Core Standards and designed to be played by students of varying ages. In addition to the accompanying lesson plans, each of the games offers DBQs (document based questions), classroom activities, and tools to teach such other skills as formulating an argument. All of the iCivics games and tools are free, although some require registration.

Justice O'Connor is not the only "Supreme" involved in iCivics. Through her encouragement, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has joined the iCivics Board of Directors and the organization has received an award from the MacArthur Foundation, as well as support from numerous leading foundations. 

 

Teaching Kids About Politics

The 2012 Presidential primary season is in full swing, and between now and Election Day on November 6th we are all going to be bombarded with political news. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, and whether you enjoy the often heated exchanges between candidates and parties or cringe every time there is a new controversy or debate, we can all agree that the election process offers a special opportunity to teach our children about our values and our nation.

What can parents do to help their children understand the political process? First of all, we can all model good citizenship by voting -- in all kinds of elections, including primaries and local contests in our cities and towns. Take your child with you when you vote. Show him the ballot, let her pull a lever, feed the ballot into the scanner, or fill out a form for you. If there is a printed copy of the ballot available to take with you, make sure you get one and bring it home to look at together. If there is a state or local referendum (should we change a local law or fund a special project?) discuss it with your child and explain how you voted and why. Some local elections have particular resonance for children -- such as school and library budget votes that take place in many suburbs in the spring. You can discuss this with students of any age, since they understand how schools function and can understand the issues in very personal terms.

We can also discuss our own values in ways our children can understand. If you favor a particular candidate or party it can be educational for you to consider why you do so and to break down your preferences in ways that make them accessible for your child. "I believe that government should be .... so I support this candidate because he or she agrees with me." Or, "I like this candidate because he or she ...." Like our views on other value-laden issues such as religion, we can expose our children to our opinions, let them see us practice what we believe, and know that as they become older they will also be exposed to other views and information that will help shape their perspective.  

We can at least try to practice civil discourse when discussing the candidates and parties. It's not always easy, but we should at least attempt to take the high road when criticizing candidates or their positions. At least try to keep from using language you would not want your child to repeat!

Teachers and parents can use some of the lesson plans available on the TeacherVision website to help children understand some of the considerations in the election process -- such as the nominating process and the Electoral College. Whether the returns on Election Night leave you pleased or disappointed, you can take pride in knowing that you helped your child to understand an important aspect of the world in which he or she lives.