Election Week

It came as no surprise that Election Week was a favorite among the class.  Learning about the President and the duties of his position were both overwhelming and intriguing for the kids.  Grasping the true importance of the job is difficult for a kindergartener, but understanding that the President has power is always the first thing to sink in...which is why our presidential writings are so entertaining!

"...raise money to help people."

"...have kids ride in a limo."

"...talk to people."

We read two books, Grace for President and Duck for President.  We discussed what made each candidate the right person (or animal) for the job.  We also discussed that having your own opinion about who is the best fit is very important and that nobody's opinion is right or wrong.  We made our decisions based on what was most important to each of us. 

Some students liked Grace because she was a girl and because she seemed honest and kind.  Some students liked Duck because he talked to everybody and seemed to be a good friend.  We made campaign posters and held a rally to support each of our candidates.  I imagine the entire primary hallway heard "Vote for Grace...She is the Best!"  and "Vote for Duck...He is the Best!"

By Friday, we were ready to exercise our right to vote as citizens (we all pretended that we were 18 years old).  Pretending to be 18 years old might have been the best part about the experience!  We all took turns going to the voting booth and casting our ballot for President.

Once all the ballots were collected, we counted them to see who our new President would be.  The kids were on the edge of their seats!

And the winner was...GRACE!  While Grace supporters were very happy, Duck supporters were too because EVERYONE got to sport a "I Voted" bracelet for being awesome citizens!