by Hazel Taintor
On Saturday morning, Nov. 7, it was announced that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected to be the next President and Vice President of the United States. Whatever your opinion may be on the results and candidates, many believe that it is good to have an understanding of the election process in general and the issues related to it. This is especially true for social studies teachers at Minarets High School.
In the weeks leading up to the release of the results of the 2020 presidential election, social studies teacher Bob Kelly discussed the topic frequently with his students, particularly those in his economic and government classes. “Elections are one of the best and funnest ways of teaching government and politics because they’re in the news and especially since the rise of President Trump, people have been much more energized about politics and government,” says Kelly. The election brought, and is still bringing, new ways to bring politics and political policies into the classroom.
Although some teachers choose to lecture their students on this topic, Kelly prefers to use more engaging methods. “We play games from icivics.org like Win the White House which adds a whole other level of engagement and fun.” Another engaging activity is a project in which the students find an issue in the community and research who to talk to in order to fix it. This particular project helps students stay involved and keeps them connected to policymaking on a close level. Kelly says, of the project and teaching in general, “I think it helps some students feel more connected to the political process. However, whichever side loses often feels like their votes don’t count, which means our work isn’t finished, and we continue to work on how to engage and work with our local, state, and federal governments.”
Minarets’ social studies teachers are also keeping students connected and involved by showing them what their vote does and how it affects their community. Social studies teacher Ben Regonini says, “We discussed and covered the electoral college as most do not completely understand the difference between the electoral vote and popular vote. In addition, some think voting doesn’t really matter when in actuality does, through local and state elections every two years. We vote on electors and laws that impact us directly and the presidential election as well through local voting. Most do not realize this.” It is important to teachers that students understand their voice can make a difference.
Another aspect both Kelly and Regonini are focusing on in their teaching is the importance of finding and taking information from reliable sources. “If you hear something on the news, online, so on so forth, find legit sources that prove the info being heard or read. Make sure you look into things before promoting/repeating them,” says Regonini. Both teachers emphasize the seriousness of not spreading misinformation and seeking out the truth in their teaching.
Although not everyone can be pleased and there may never be complete rest, it is a comfort to many that teachers are putting in the time and effort to educate their students on the weight their voice carries and how they have an impact in their community and world.