This theme page presents lesson plans and materials to learn about the US presidential election of 2020 in years 6-9 and above (A2-B1) of the Swedish Compulsory School. Related pages: U.S. Government, The USA Now, The Presidential Inauguration 2021
Last edited Jan 6th, 2021
Post Election Day
Joe Biden elected 46th president of the United States | PBS NewsHour Extrahttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily-videos/lesson-joe-biden-elected-46th-president-of-the-united-states/Watch President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris
Joe Biden To Be 46th US President – Teaching Kids Newshttps://teachingkidsnews.com/2020/11/07/joe-biden-to-be-46th-us-president/Counting the ballots is taking a long time because more people voted in this election than in any other US election in history.
Kamala Harris – ESL Lesson Plan – Breaking News English Lessonhttps://breakingnewsenglish.com/2011/201109-kamala-harris.htmlEnglish News Lessons: Free 27-Page lesson plan / 2-page mini-lesson – Kamala Harris – Handouts, online activities, speed reading, dictation, mp3… current events.
Follow the Race
2020 Election Forecast | FiveThirtyEighthttps://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/Latest forecast of the 2020 presidential election between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden by Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight
Trump vs Biden: US presidential election 2020 poll trackerhttps://ig.ft.com/us-election-2020/The latest state-by-state polling data and interactive electoral college calculator
US elections 2020 | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-elections-2020Latest US elections 2020 news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world’s leading liberal voice
2020 Presidential Election Interactive Maphttps://www.270towin.com/Create your own forecast for the 2020 presidential election
Background
Presidential Election Process | USAGovhttps://www.usa.gov/election?source=kidsLearn about the presidential election process, including the Electoral College, caucuses and primaries, and the national conventions. (B1)
Warm-up
Vote FOR ME! – YouTube (3:42)https://youtu.be/QBfhT2ck9nE‘Vote for Me!’ with words and pictures by Ben Clanton is a truthfully hilarious book about a donkey and an elephant who want your vote. (yr 6-9)
What do kids want in a president? | GreatSchools – YouTube (1:20)https://youtu.be/LR-OTavHOXoKids talk about what kind of person they think the next president should be like. (yr 6-9)
Popeye for President: Paramount Pictures: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive (6:10)https://archive.org/details/Popeye_forPresidentPopeye and Bluto are both running for president. They are tied with exactly the same number of votes, but Miss Olive Oyl has yet to cast her ballot. (yr 7-8)
All the Presidents of the United States of America in Order – YouTube (2:12)https://youtu.be/0JlhiwNpui0This Presidents of the USA song starts from George Washington and goes all the way to Barack Obama and Donald Trump.(yr 6-8)
44 Presidents with lyrics – YouTube (2:12)https://youtu.be/MTAaH8wvUUgLyrics to your favorite presidential rap song! A rap song made after Obama became president (yr 7-B1)
Vocabulary
ESL lesson – Talking about presidential electionshttp://www.learnex.in/election-vocabulary-talking-about-presidential-elections/ESL vocabulary lesson to talk about presidential elections. Keep watching this English lesson to improve your English vocabulary related to Elections. (yr 7)
English Vocabulary: Election Vocabulary! All The Vocabulary You Need For Election Season! – YouTube (14:53)https://youtu.be/2ZaYlcIa0IYIt’s election season in the U.S. and this video gives you all the election vocabulary you need to understand the news and join election-related conversations with your friends and family. (yr 7-8)
ENGLISH PAGE – Presidential Electionshttps://www.englishpage.com/vocabulary/interactivelesson19.htmlA list of 14 vocabulary items about the US Presidential elections, with exercises (yr 7-B1)Gap-fill
Brits vs Americans: US Elections jargon quiz – BBC News – YouTube (2:46)https://youtu.be/E0Fm1gI6M_AAs the race to become US president gathers pace, politicians, and commentators are increasingly using certain terms and phrases. (yr 7-B1)
Democracy and Electionshttps://www.stickyball.net/docs/vocab%20sets/democracy%20and%20elections.pdfVocabuilder: Government – 15 words explained with examples and a gap-fill exercise (yr 8-B1)
The Electoral Process Assessment | HMH Current Eventshttps://hmcurrentevents.com/section-assessment-section-4-the-electoral-process/Candidates Election Connection: 2020 American History Civics / Government American Diversity Economics (yr 8-B1)
Lesson Plans
PBS short debate activity for vice presidential debate! | PBS NewsHour Extrahttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily-videos/pbs-short-debate-activity-for-vice-presidential-debate/Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., go head to head Oct. 7 in the first and only vice presidential debate of the general election.
What students can take away from the first presidential debate | PBS NewsHour Extrahttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily-videos/what-students-can-take-away-from-the-first-presidential-debate/Despite chaos and interruptions, presidential candidates managed to outline sharp differences in policy
Presidential Elections: ESL Lessonhttps://www.thoughtco.com/presidential-elections-esl-lesson-4096232ESL lesson plan focusing on a variety of activities related to the presidential election including vocabulary, discussion, and debate. (yr 6-8)
VOA Learning English – U.S. Elections 2020 VOA – Voice of America English Newshttps://learningenglish.voanews.com/p/5622.html VOA Learning English helps you learn English with vocabulary, listening and comprehension lessons through daily news and interactive English learning activities. (yr 6-8)
Does your vote count? The Electoral College explained – | TED-Ed (5:22) http://ed.ted.com/lessons/does-your-vote-count-the-electoral-college-explained-christina-greerYou vote, but then what? The Electoral College explained in a TEDEd talk with discussion questions (yr 8-B1)
Party Time: How to Hold an ESL Presidential Electionhttps://busyteacher.org/22377-how-to-hold-esl-presidential-election.htmlFew things are as illustrative of life in the modern US and UK than the way we handle our elections. – Follow this plan to organise your own election in the classroom (yr 9-B1)
KQED News – Campaign Adshttps://www.kqed.org/lowdown/3955/ten-of-the-best-presidential-campaign-commercials-of-all-timeTen of the Most Successful Presidential Campaign Ads Ever Made (Videos with a Lesson Plan)
Political Issues | ESL Voiceshttps://esl-voices.com/category/political/“Teenagers are campaigning, debating, running fact checks, and forming party-based coalitions (hype houses). One of them called it cable news for young people.” By T. Lorenz, The New York Times
How are the presidential campaigns responding to crisis? | PBS NewsHour Extrahttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily-videos/how-are-the-presidential-campaigns-responding-to-crisis/Emerging crises in 2020 are challenging the two leading presidential candidates to respond. How are they doing so?
Reading
President Trump Inauguration 2017https://www.elcivics.com/trump-inauguration-2017.htmlHis vice president is Michael Richard Pence. Pence is the 48th Vice President of the United States. Chief Justice John Roberts swore Trump in while his wife, First Lady Melania, stood by his side.
Who’s Running for President in 2020?https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.htmlThe field of Democratic presidential candidates has been historically large, but all have dropped out except Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Trump. (7-B1)
Where Biden and Trump stand on key issueshttps://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION/POLICY/ygdpzwarjvw/President Donald Trump and Joe Biden will give American voters a choice between two candidates with divergent approaches. Take a look at their policies in key areas.
Presidential Inauguration or Inauguration Dayhttps://www.elcivics.com/presidential-inauguration.htmlThe president and vice-president take office on January 20 at noon. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court swears in the President of the United States. The Oath of Office is specified in the U.S. Constitution in Article II, Section 1.
US Elections – Procedures – Questions and Answershttps://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/texte/usa_elections.htmVoting in the United States is a two party system. Every president since 1852 has been either a Republican or a Democrat. (yr 7-8)
US election 2020: All you need to know about the presidential race – BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51070020The race for the White House has begun in earnest, and the outcome of the 2020 US general election will have an impact around the world. So what stage are we at now and how do you win the presidency? (yr 8-B1)
Why Election Day Is Always A Tuesday In November – YouTube (1:44)https://youtu.be/QH_5t8-UdLEOn Tuesday, November 8, millions of Americans will head to the polls to elect a new president, the same way they have for hundreds of years – Read the text on screen. (yr 8-B1)
Billions Spent to Elect US Presidents | Voice of America – Englishhttps://www.voanews.com/usa/us-politics/billions-spent-elect-us-presidentsPresident Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, appear on track to break campaign fundraising records ahead of the Nov.
Introducing Presidential Electionshttps://webenglish.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Introducing-Presidential-Elections.pdfWhat do you remember about the last Presidential election campaign? The chances are that you were too young to pay much attention. – A text with a quiz (yr 8-B1)
Audiobook
Grace for President – YouTube (7:41)https://youtu.be/gGyHWA_U4a4This is the book ‘Grace for President’ by Kelly DiPucchio read aloud for students with the book text visible (yr 6-7)
So You Want To Be President? – YouTubehttps://youtu.be/M6yhBH0Tt1oIn amusing and caricature-like illustrations, this book sketches the perks and annoyances of being the president, as well as some idiosyncrasies and fun facts about some of our past presidents. Readers will get a laugh and a history lesson! (yr 8-B1)
Listening
Grace for President – YouTube (8:16)https://youtu.be/_xB2OAyM1kIThis is the book ‘Grace for President’ by Kelly DiPucchio read aloud for students with pictures, little text (yr 6-7)
Electing a US President in Plain English – YouTubehttps://youtu.be/r0OyAZWT5JgIntermediate English, Electing an American president – A video explaining the electoral system in the USA. (yr 7-8)Vocabulary review
Libsyn Directory – Will America Vote to Save its Soul?https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/16466405America faces a crisis of division, the severity, and scale of which we have not seen since the Civil War. Now this nation’s democracy is tested as our sitting President refuses to agree to concede the election, should he lose.
Viewing
Primaries
Primary Elections Explained – YouTube (5:19)https://youtu.be/_95I_1rZiIsPrimary Elections Explained. Information overload; For advanced students (yr 9-B1)
Electoral College
Teaching With: ‘Electoral College 101’ (6:54)https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/21/learning/teaching-with-electoral-college-101.htmlIn this episode of the Op-Docs series “Electoral Dysfunction,” the political humorist Mo Rocca consults a third-grade class on the fairness of the Electoral College. (yr 7-B1)
The Electoral College for Dummies: How it Works – YouTube (10:00)https://youtu.be/g5PbodZMA2MWhen someone says Electoral College do you quietly look down and hope to avoid the conversation? Well you’re not alone (yr 8-B1)
Adam Ruins Everything – Why the Electoral College Ruins Democracy – YouTube (4:46) https://youtu.be/90RajY2nrgkAll men are created equal, but their votes sure aren’t. Adam explains how location impacts your voting power. (yr 8-B1)
How the Electoral College Works – YouTube (4:42)https://youtu.be/OUS9mM8XbbwThe complicated system explained, fast speech, choose .75 (yr 9-B1)
What If the Electoral College is Tied? – YouTube (3:36)https://youtu.be/sHEDXzOfENIWhat is the vote is tied? Don’t worry, there is an 18th-century solution for this. (yr 8-B1)
Lesson Plan: Decode the Electoral College and predict the next president | Lesson Plan | PBS NewsHour Extrahttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/lessons-plans/decode-the-electoral-college-and-predict-the-next-president-lesson-plan/News for Students and Teacher Resources 6-12 Grade Level.
Presidential Elections
If I Ran For President – YouTube (8:07)https://youtu.be/jYtFJfI9KMAIf you ran for president, you would have to do a lot of hard work. You would study the nation’s problems, tell the American people about your platform, select a running mate, and debate your opponents on live television. (yr 6-7)
So You Want To Be President? (Trailer) – YouTube (27:22)https://youtu.be/j1bTutfnfdMIn amusing and caricature-like illustrations, this book sketches the perks and annoyances of being the president, as well as some idiosyncrasies and fun facts about some of our past presidents. Readers will get a laugh and a history lesson! – An easier version of the audiobook, without text (yr 6-8)
How to Become President of the United States – YouTube (2:21)https://youtu.be/2eXCG-hlaqIExplains the presidential election process from beginning to end. Video in plain English, with a quiz (yr 7-8)
Why red means Republican and blue means Democrat – YouTube (5:52)https://youtu.be/lgz3p4cEXZUThe major party color schemes, and the terms “red state” and “blue state,” are actually a recent phenomenon. (yr 7-B1)
Electing a US President in Plain English – YouTube (3:42)https://youtu.be/ok_VQ8I7g6IShort guide to understanding how the U.S. elects a new president. This has been viewed well over a million times and helped many people finally understand the Electoral College. (yr 7-B1)
US election 2020: Who really decides the outcome? – BBC News – YouTube (2:47)https://youtu.be/U76DBWy4UEQMore than 245 million Americans are eligible to vote – yet only a small percentage of them will actually determine who the next president is. Who are they and where do they live? (yr 7-B1)
The fight for the right to vote in the United States – YouTube (4:30)https://youtu.be/P9VdyPbbzlIHow have voting rights changed since the first election in 1789? Nicki Beaman Griffin outlines the history of the long fight for a more inclusive electorate. (yr 8-B1)
How the US chooses its presidential candidates | Start Here | US & Canada | Al Jazeera (7:46)https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/start-here/2020/02/chooses-presidential-candidates-start-200226090007845.htmlWhat are primaries, conventions and superdelegates? Start Here explains how the US chooses its presidential candidates. (yr 8-B1)
Everything you need to know about the 2020 US election – CNN Video (3:25)https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/07/31/us-election-2020-explained-mh-orig-vstan.cnnDelegates, conventions and recounts, oh my! The United States will vote for President this November in a nationwide election. Here’s what you need to know about the process.
How America Elects: Who Can Run For President? (1:26)https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/3156034.htmlEvery four years, the citizens of the U.S. elect a president. The path is long and difficult. Find out what a candidate will need to run for president. (yr 8-B1)
How to Become President of the United States: a simple guide – YouTube (9:01)https://youtu.be/vsYclkV6RPYEssentially, what does it really take to make it to the White House – and how do US elections actually work? (yr 8-B1)
US Elections – How do they work? – YouTube (4:25)https://youtu.be/uRu_JcarCDYA guide to the US political system aimed at A Level students, explaining how elections work in the USA. – Compared to the UK (yr 8-B1)
We’re Doing Elections Wrong | Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj | Netflix – YouTube (24:38)https://youtu.be/MykMQfmLIroHow did the 2020 presidential election in America come down to Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden? Hasan illustrates why our partisan, two-party system is the result of winner-take-all elections and why ranked-choice voting is a much more democratic alternative. (yr 9-B1)
Exit Polls
What’s the point of Exit Polls? – Opinion polls in a nutshell (#2/4) – YouTube (1:57)https://youtu.be/dGwLKhvHGZMSelf-explanatory as it seems, there’s more to Exit Polls than the name suggests. Learn what makes them a valuable tool for voters, politicians and the media alike. (yr 7-B1)
Election Exit Poll Explained – YouTube (1:11)https://youtu.be/zQPO7Xme_dUSure, exit polls don’t excite you, but they can have a significant effect on the whole, y’know, democratic process that’s the bedrock of the United States. (yr 8-B1)
US President
President of United States Job | Candidates and Responsibility – YouTube (1:11)https://youtu.be/VR-5Pq_26YITo be a president’s, you need to acquire certain abilities of leadership in you. Candidates from certain elected parties are upheld to fight for the seat of the president of the USA. (yr 6-7)
Presidential Power: Crash Course Government and Politics #11 – YouTube (6:29)https://youtu.be/5l02sK5LovIThis week Craig looks at the expressed powers of the President of the United States – that is the ones you can find in the Constitution. – Fast speech, choose .75 (yr 9-B1) Presidential Powers 2 (7:52)
Quizz
What’s Your Political Personality Type? | NewseumEDhttps://newseumed.org/tools/quiz/whats-your-political-personality-typeTake this quiz to get your political personality and see how you compare with everyone else. (yr 8-B1)
Interactive
Win the White House | iCivicshttps://www.icivics.org/games/win-white-houseDo you want to be the next President of the United States? This refreshed version of Win the White House challenges you to build your campaign
CC
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Election GlossaryRoad to the White House 2016