Math of Partisanship, MS
Length of Time: 45-60 minutes
Description
We like to think of voting as a straight forward process—one person, one vote. But the actuality is quite different thanks to the structure of the Electoral College, limits on the total number of representatives and Congressional districts that have been gerrymandered, packed, and fracked. The activities in this lesson allow you to explore these issues with your students and question the fairness of our electoral system and perhaps, suggest something more equitable.
Essential Questions
Are all votes equal? What is the math of political partisanship?
Common Core Standards
ELA, Anchor Standards, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
MATH
Math Practices
2.Reason abstractly and quantitatively
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
- Model with mathematics 7. Look for and make use of structure
Content Standards
National Geography Standards
Standard 1: How to Use Maps and Other Geographic Representations, Tools, and Technologies to Acquire, Process, and Report Information from a Spatial Perspective
MASSACHUSETTS CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKS
Grade 5
History and Geography
Civics and Government
The Principles and Institutions of American Constitutional Government
US History 1: The Revolution through Reconstruction, 1763-1877
The Formation and Framework of American Democracy
Political Democratization, 1800-1860
Civil War and Reconstruction