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Electoral College 2: From the Civil War Until the 21st Century

A 1 hour course to examine the how the Electoral College impacted key elections from Lincoln to 2020.
Edward Simmons
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(692)
Class
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What's included

1 live meeting
1 in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 9
Course Structure: (1) Handouts will be available on the class site ahead of time to make students aware of terms to be used in order to make understanding new information easier. (2) A handout to stimulate thought and participation will also be provided in advance for use in class. (3) Content will be provided during the class in a slide show which will be given to students at the completion of class. 

Content: The course will center around 4 big issues. (1) Problem elections from Lincoln to 1900. (2) Third parties in presidential elections since 1900. (3) Winners of popular vote losing in the Electoral College. And (4) 21st century demographic changes that are driving the question of whether the Electoral College should be eliminated or changed. 

Methodology: A slide show will present information with graphics and content that are explained in a lecture. Students are encouraged to ask questions or express views at any time, but there is no pressure to speak. An ice breaker activity at the beginning of the course will be used to encourage participation and set the expectation that students may speak up but will not be pressured to talk. The slide show will include links to websites for additional information so that sharing the slide show at the end of the course encourages students to view the class as the beginning of a learning adventure. 

Resources: Graphics of election results are used that are drawn from https://www.270towin.com/historical-presidential-elections/
Learning Goals
Students will learn history in a way that promotes citizen participation and understanding of current events, for the Electoral College has been playing an important role in recent presidential elections. Students will learn that electors have often been controversial, but their decisions have been accepted without conflict except for the Civil War after the election of 1860. Students will learn about the importance of demographic changes in the 21st century leading to questions about the Electoral College.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
The age range for the course is a guideline, not a requirement. I am often asked about younger students that parents believe are ready for the subject matter and time spent in class. In my view, parents know the readiness of their students better than anyone else.
Supply List
One or more handouts will be available on the classroom site for reference purposes only to ease the pressure of note taking and help with ice breaker discussions that begin the class.
 1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined May, 2020
4.9
692reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Vanderbilt University Ph D in history, experienced college history instructor, and grader of advanced placement American history tests for Educational Testing Service.

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Live One-Time Class
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$20

per class
Meets once
60 min

Completed by 14 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
1-6 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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