Every four years, the people of the United States of America choose a president to lead the country. The election time can be a great source of confusion or interest for students. Here are some great election books for kids that can be used to teach students all about the election process rather than focusing on particular candidates.
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Many of your students may not be aware that women did not always have the right to vote. Marching With Aunt Susan is a great book for teaching about women's suffrage.
It's also a great book to use as a starting point for a debate, should things be divided by gender (such as colors: pink or blue, or activities)? Students can research if men and women have equal rights today. What about in different countries?
It makes a great mentor text for teaching about writing dialogue and how to use quotation marks and create new paragraphs when different characters are speaking.
ABC ... What An Informed Voter You'll Be! gives a great overview of American government. It introduces students to the structures of government, the Constitution, the Electoral College, influential leaders in U.S. history, and individual freedoms afforded to all people.
My students always love the Who Is and What Is series of books. One of their newer books in the series (just released in June 2020) is perfect for teaching kids about the election. What Is a Presidential Election? gives information about all the things that it takes to run for and win one of the most powerful jobs on Earth - the president of the United States.
The book answers questions kids may have such as:
Who can run for president?
What's the difference between Democrats and Republicans?
What is the Electoral College?
There are also activities throughout the book that prompt readers to think about the issues they care most about and consider what makes a good president. This could lead to a great persuasive writing piece: What Makes a Great President? This doesn't have to tie into either candidate, but could be a general topic focusing on the traits that make a good leader.
The Night Before Election Day is a perfect read for younger students. It tells the story of a little girl and her experiences on election day, from learning about it at school, to going with her parents to vote.
The Next President is an informative look at the past lives of prior Presidents, and an inspiring look at who might be out future President. They could be sitting in your classroom today!
The book says that when George Washington became the first US President, there were 10 other future presidents already alive in America. That means that right now, there may be 10 future presidents going to school, learning how to read and write, making laws in Congress, or ???
What are some of your favorite Election Books for Kids? I would love to hear about them in the comments below!
