For What Grades Is eLECTIONS Appropriate?

The answer to this question really depends on the teacher's vision of how it might be used in the classroom and how other resources available will relate to the use of the game. Research has shown that games are an effective teaching technique. They promote active learning and student involvement.

Between the LEARN MORE and the Virtual Polling System, players can interact with a vast amount of important information. Older students may delve deeply into the LEARN MORE content, analyze state by state polling data on a variety of issues, and strategize about where to campaign and spend money. Younger students may concentrate fewer aspects of the game.

The curriculum standards met by using eLECTIONS generally tend to be at the high school level-in a political science, civics, or contemporary issues classroom. (See the Standards section.) However, middle school students can be readily engaged and will appreciate seeing many of the elements of the electoral process demonstrated in the game and shown in the video links.

The LEARN MORE information and video segments provided by Cable in the Classroom partners, CNN Student News, History^TM, and C-SPAN, also provide historic perspective to the democratic process, elections, and voting. These video packages and the game can make some of these topics come alive for both middle and high school students.

Can upper elementary students play too? Since the 2008 presidential election and the elements of candidates, campaigning, primaries, and publicity are dominating the news, the game might serve as a good way to explain many aspects of the democratic process and to promote citizenship. In this setting, the teacher would want to play more of a guiding role and explain features of the electoral process where students might need more background information.