We are living in an election year. This is a great time to study elections and American government with your children. It took me a long time to realize I needed to change my plans and make the most of an opportunity for my kids to learn. For two years we lived in an area full of Civil War battlefields, what did we study, Ancient History… because that was the plan. I lost out on a great opportunity to give the kids a hands on learning experience. When we moved to Hampton Roads, we took a curriculum detour and studied Colonial Times. Williamsburg and Jamestown came alive to my kids as we were able to visit these areas and deepen our understanding of this time period.

This year we have a historic election, and a perfect opportunity to give your children, of any age, some basic lessons in the election process and American Government. Wherever they go, they are going to hear about it, see T-shirts, bumper stickers, signs and read about it. Wouldn’t it be great to give them some knowledge so they can follow along?

One of the greatest things we can do as parents is to encourage our kids to get involved in our government. Young adults, as a group, have a very low voter turnout in most elections. Teaching our kids, how the process works, and then how to get involved will benefit them for the rest of their lives. A person who doesn’t participate in the political process is a person without a voice. There can be no change if you don’t work for change.

In college, I majored in political science. When people found this out they always wanted to talk politics, which usually meant complaining about politicians. When I asked these same people if they voted for a certain proposal or candidate, they would admit they didn’t vote at all.

Take a detour from your planned curriculum this year and spend the first 9 weeks learning about our nation and voting. Take your kids with you when you vote. Let them stay up and watch the election results. Get them excited about one day being part of something that is bigger than they are, yet accessible to all.

This year my ninth grader will be studying American Government. After much research I have decided to go with Exploring Government by Ray Notgrass. My younger boys will be making a lapbook using Government and the Election Process which I downloaded instantly from Currclick. The cost was $49 and $11 respectively.

Of course there are also many free websites and books that you can utilize to teach your kids about the election process. My favorite website is Ben’s Guide, which is divided into four sections based on grade level. This site discusses elections, local and national government, branches of government, how laws are made and more. There are also games and activities as well as links to government websites where you can get more information.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Learn from my mistakes. Make the most of this time in our nation’s history.

Studying elections works for me, what works for you?

Filed under: Books, Homeschool, Kids