What can Student Vote look like in the classroom? As a teacher-librarian, my teaching focus is on finding opportunities to incorporate the inquiry process (as illustrated here) into student learning. I have used Student Vote as a culminating "Action" task to a Grade 5 inquiry unit on government and citizenship. 

How do eligible voters decide how to vote in an election? Are some election issues more important than others? Who decides what are the important issues? POLITICAL PARTIES ISSUES How do eligible voters decide how to vote in an election? What are the qualities of a good leader? POLITICAL LEADERS In this example my overall guiding question is something along the lines of "How do eligible voters decide how to vote in an election?" and the inquiry organically flows from there. LOCAL CANDIDATES

Ontario Curriculum Connections Social Studies: People and Environments Strand Grade 5 – The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship Grade 6 – Canada’s Interactions with the Global Community Grade 3 – Living and Working in Ontario Example Specific Expectations: Grade 6 - B3.1 identify some of the major ways in which the Canadian government interacts with other nations of the world Grade 3 - B3.1 demonstrate an understanding that Ontario is divided into different municipal or regional entities (e.g., cities, towns, townships, villages, counties, reserves) and that local governments within these entities provide specific services and regulate development according to local needs (e.g., elected municipal governments deal with local issues and needs; reserves have band councils and chiefs; different municipalities have different laws or policies relating to land development)

Ontario Curriculum Connections Language: All Strands The activities provided by Student Vote teach: critical thinking how to recognize bias evaluating sources of information responding to different forms of media Example Specific Expectations: Grade 6 - B3.1 identify some of the major ways in which the Canadian government interacts with other nations of the world Grade 3 - B3.1 demonstrate an understanding that Ontario is divided into different municipal or regional entities (e.g., cities, towns, townships, villages, counties, reserves) and that local governments within these entities provide specific services and regulate development according to local needs (e.g., elected municipal governments deal with local issues and needs; reserves have band councils and chiefs; different municipalities have different laws or policies relating to land development)

Benefits of the Student Vote program Feedback from parents - students go home asking questions, encourage/influence parent voting behaviour - my school is a polling station so students feel "grownup" when they see the Student Vote election materials so closely resemble the "real thing", makes the experience more authentic - one of my former students recently contacted me to let me know that participating in Student Vote as an election officer gave her the skill set and confidence to run for Student Council (and win!!) in grade 8... Student Vote helps prepare future leaders! Student Vote provides a real-life, authentic experience to anchor student learning and lays a foundation for continued engagement in the democratic process in the future.

Benefits of the Student Vote program Rathika Sitsabeisan visits Burrows Hall – January 2015

Benefits of the Student Vote program: “I am more interested in [government] than I was before.” “I liked hearing her story and I would like to learn more about other MPs and MPPs.” “It must be fun getting votes from everyone. I hope I get to do this when I’m an adult.” “Rathika was interesting, cool and fun. To me she seemed very powerful... it was freaky talking to a powerful girl.” “I am really happy Rathika used her time to come to our school. Now I know lot about MPs. I really want her to visit us again.” “I think it was a good idea to meet a MP because I could learn more about government and how it works.” “She is funny and fun to be around. I think she is very confident about changing things when it comes to child poverty.”