The Electoral College

This lesson has students explore C-SPAN’s online Historical Electoral College Map resource to learn about the process, history, and current patterns and trends relating to the electoral college. This self-guided activity will have students use a series of online electoral college maps and results from 1900 to 2016 to complete a virtual scavenger hunt.

This lesson uses video clips and text from the Constitution to determine the role that the Electoral College plays in electing U.S. presidents.

Using information from video clips and polling data from battleground states, students will make predictions for each battleground state and use an interactive electoral college map to determine which candidate will win the 270 electoral votes needed to become president. Students will be able to identify pathways for both candidates to win the Electoral College and evaluate the likelihood of each scenario.

This deliberation looks at efforts to reform the electoral college. Students will view video clips of experts and policymakers discussing the issue of reforming the electoral college.