A civic education project
What is democracy in action?
Arsalyn's Democracy in Action civic education project gives teachers lessons designed to inspire their students to become active participants in the voting process. Each of our curriculum booklets contain four lessons that can be easily inserted into an existing classroom. We also provide step by step guidelines describing how you can host a simulation election (SIMVote) on your school's campus. We offer, free of charge, lesson plan booklets for the elementary, middle, and high school level classroom.
Our elementary school Democracy in Action lesson plans are designed to bring high school students trained by their teachers into elementary schools to teach students about democracy and voting. The curriculum contains four lessons addressing key aspects of American citizenship and a fifth session devoted to a voting simulation with real voting equipment. The voting simulation is timed to coincide with real elections. Participating students simulate voting on the same candidates/initiatives as qualified voters in their area.
The first two lessons focus on four concepts key to American democracy:
Our middle school booklet, Your Vote is Your Voice, is designed to present the importance of voting and to discuss the nuts and bolts of the American political system. Like the elementary school booklet, Your Vote is Your Voice contains step by step guidelines describing how you can run a simulation election on your campus.
Your Vote is Your Voice contains lessons covering the following topics:
Our high school curriculum contains lessons discussing a broad range of topics of interest to students who will soon be eligible to vote. Students are provided an opportunity to discuss the different political ideologies in the American political system, read about the electoral college, and debate the quality of current election systems. As with all of our Democracy in Actionbooklets, the high school curriculum contains step by step guidelines describing how you can run a simulation election on your campus.
Citizens. Not Spectators. is our high school level booklet and it contains the following lessons:
Our elementary school Democracy in Action lesson plans are designed to bring high school students trained by their teachers into elementary schools to teach students about democracy and voting. The curriculum contains four lessons addressing key aspects of American citizenship and a fifth session devoted to a voting simulation with real voting equipment. The voting simulation is timed to coincide with real elections. Participating students simulate voting on the same candidates/initiatives as qualified voters in their area.
The first two lessons focus on four concepts key to American democracy:
- Majority Rule
- Individual Rights
- Representation
- The Law
Our middle school booklet, Your Vote is Your Voice, is designed to present the importance of voting and to discuss the nuts and bolts of the American political system. Like the elementary school booklet, Your Vote is Your Voice contains step by step guidelines describing how you can run a simulation election on your campus.
Your Vote is Your Voice contains lessons covering the following topics:
- Heroes in the Struggle for the Right to Vote
- Separation of Powers in the American Government and Electoral Choice
- How a Bill Becomes a Law
- Local Government, Local Elections
Our high school curriculum contains lessons discussing a broad range of topics of interest to students who will soon be eligible to vote. Students are provided an opportunity to discuss the different political ideologies in the American political system, read about the electoral college, and debate the quality of current election systems. As with all of our Democracy in Actionbooklets, the high school curriculum contains step by step guidelines describing how you can run a simulation election on your campus.
Citizens. Not Spectators. is our high school level booklet and it contains the following lessons:
- Democracy and Citizenship
- Where Do I Belong? Political Ideologies and Parties
- The Electoral College
- Should I Vote? Can I Vote? How Do I Vote?
