Election Day Lesson: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

While not a presidential election year, it's important all the same to teach our youth about the voting process, the importance of voting, what will be voted on this Tuesday, and the structure of our government. Dana L. Craig, contributor to HotChalk® lesson plans page, suggests prefacing your classroom discussion with a little election of your own using Jon Scieska's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

Lesson Objectives

• Discuss reasons for voting and the importance of voicing opinions.
• Learn about the voting process.
• Learn to analyze the 'platforms' of candidates and decide which to believe.

Begin by having your students recount the story of the three little pigs. Find your favorite version of the book and follow along, or play Walt Disney's classic Silly Symphony piece featuring the fairy tale which you can find here on YouTube. Next, read for your students the wolf's version of the story. After finishing, discuss the qualities that make a good candidate, provide students with ballots and invite them to vote for the character they believe - the three little pigs or the wolf. Set up a mock voting center with these fun craft pieces designed by Amanda Formaro at Kaboose to create a 'real' voting experience:

Have students cast their ballots in a voting booth.

Place ballots into a secure ballot box for tallying.

Then provide students with a button to wear after casting their vote!

Craig suggests adding a bit of math into the mix by completing a graphing activity as you tally the votes. Be sure to visit her full post for complete lesson instructions, a discussion guide, and other helpful ideas!