The Electoral College: How Is the President Elected in the United States?
We'll cover the electoral college, where it comes from, the idea behind it, how it works and the electing of the US President
Clark Vandeventer
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:(653)
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
How does the Electoral College work? Did you know it only takes 270 votes to become President of the United States? In this class students will be introduced to the Electoral College system. Students will learn how the electoral college was devised by the founding fathers, how the presidential election process was modified by the 12th Amendment, and how the system works today. Students will be introduced to the characters John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford, who so greatly split the electoral vote in the Election of 1824 that the electoral college failed to produce a winner and the election was sent to the House of Representatives -- and the "corrupt bargain" that doomed the Adams presidency. We'll also look at the numerous times in American history when the winner of the popular vote for President has lost the electoral college. We'll also discuss how Robert F. Kennedy may have likely been elected president through a vote by the House of Representatives following the 1968 election, were it not for his assassination. This should be a fun class as many of the characters and storylines involved are quite colorful! I am offering this class by request. It is a natural for me to offer as I authored a book in 2016 about the electoral college and the 12th amendment!
Learning Goals
Students should end the class with a general understanding the the Electoral College and the 12th Amendment of the US Constitution, and be able to converse about elections in US history when these things have been of particular importance.
Other Details
Supply List
Students will be provided with class notes and links for further research and parents with questions to ask their kids to continue the conversation. Parents looking for work samples to submit to fulfill charter school requirements will be pleased with the downloadable resources provided.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Constitution of the United States
Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Madison and Jay
The History, Philosophy, and Structure of the American Constitution Third Edition, by Douglas W. Kmiec
The Electoral College by Robert T. Miller (Editor)
After the Election of 1800 when Jefferson and Burr ended in a tie, our country’s leaders realized they needed to make some changes to the way we elected our president and vice-president. So they passed the 12th Amendment. Here’s a video that explains it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9KWHzQo7i0
More info on why the Electoral College was created: https://www.history.com/news/electoral-college-founding-fathers-constitutional-convention
Do you know the musical Hamilton? There’s a song about the Election of 1800 in there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrfPvuNUBg8
Here’s a funny video that explains the Election of 1824:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APdTeDvo0nM
You can look at maps with all of the results of the Electoral College voting in each of America’s Presidential elections at….
https://www.270towin.com/historical-presidential-elections
Joined December, 2019
4.8
653reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I actually wrote a book about this very topic, so when a parent requested I teach it, this was an easy one to offer! I also hold a bachelor of science in political science from Indiana Wesleyan University and an alumnus Honors Fellowship at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
We live in a big and fascinating world and one of my goals with my classes is to help kids develop an interest and appreciation for the world around them and different cultures. My classes draw from my own experiences as a world traveler. I've visited and lived abroad in seventeen countries. Much of what we do in my classes is the same type of research I would do on a destination before I would travel to that country. I'm also the former deputy director of the historic home of President Ronald Reagan and in 2010 was a candidate for United States Congress.Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$12
per classMeets once
55 min
Completed by 639 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
9-16 learners per class
