2007WM
Structured Academic Controversy Learning Plan
Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
Racquel Parra
[Pick the date]
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of
the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the
contents of the document.]
Table of Contents
Context .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Rationale ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Grade Level ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Time .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Objectives ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Information ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Skills .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Additional Objective for Targeted Student ........................................................................................... 4
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Content and Instructional Strategies ............................................................................................................ 4
Perennial Issue .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Case Issue .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Preparation ............................................................................................................................................... 4
Hook .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Round One: Present Positions .................................................................................................................. 5
Round Two: Reverse Positions .................................................................................................................. 5
Group Discussion ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Wrap-Up.................................................................................................................................................... 5
Begin Homework Assignment in Class ...................................................................................................... 6
Materials ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
Differentiations ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Adaptations ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Pre-Reflection ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Sources .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Structured Academic Controversy: ROUND ONE.......................................................................................... 8
Structured Academic Controversy: ROUND TWO......................................................................................... 9
Data Collection Sheet: ROUND ONE ........................................................................................................... 10
Data Collection Sheet: Round Two ............................................................................................................. 11
Assignment: What do you think? ................................................................................................................ 12
2
Context
This lesson will be taught as part of Unit III: The Political Process. The students will already know
that the President is not directly elected by the people, but rather by delegates to the Electoral College.
They will also understand that each state’s population roughly determines the number of delegates each
state sends to the Electoral College (the number of delegates is equal to the number of Representatives
and Senators each state has in Congress; the District of Columbia has three electoral votes).
Overview
As stated above, the President is not directly elected by the people, but rather by delegates to the
Electoral College. The number of delegates is equal to the number of Representatives and Senators each
state has in Congress, and the District of Columbia has three electoral votes. In 48 states and D.C., the
candidate that receives the most votes in a state receives all of the votes from electors in that state. In
Maine and Nebraska, one elector is chose by each congressional district, and two electors are chosen by
the statewide popular vote. Using this system, the candidate who wins the popular vote may lose the
election. This has happened four times in our nation’s history, and most recently in the 2000 Presidential
Election.
Rationale
The Structured Academic Controversy is used to foster within students an understanding of
controversial public issues. In this type of activity, the students examine both sides of an issue and then
have the opportunity to create their own informed position. The SAC also helps students improve
discussion skills in a highly structured environment. This student-centered approach helps students
retain information more successfully, and engages them more than teacher-centered learning. This
particular question can be effectively explored in a SAC because it is a yes or no question, and there are
multiple and competing evidences available.
Grade Level
This lesson is designed for Standard and Honors sections of a 12th grade Virginia and United States
Government course.
Time
This lesson should take about 80 minutes of class time.
Objectives
Information

Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Electoral College in our
nation’s political process by writing a letter to their Congressperson that identifies at least three
3
reasons why they feel the way they do about the Electoral College. (GOVT.1g, GOVT.6b, GOVT.18e,
NCSS.V, NCSS. X)
Skills


Students will be able to look their classmates in the eye as they present evidence, given various
arguments for and against the abolition of the Electoral College.
Given a worksheet created by the teacher, students will be able to paraphrase arguments from their
data sheet.
Additional Objective for Targeted Student

The student will demonstrate on-task behavior through successful completion of the graphic
organizer, participation in the SAC, and creation of a letter to his Congressperson.
Assessment



The teacher will circulate during the activity to ensure the students contribute at least one argument
to the discussion of each position.
For homework, the students will write a letter to their Congressperson encouraging them to
consider their position. This will count toward their homework grade.
The unit test will include a few of questions meant to evaluate the students’ understanding of the
lesson.
Content and Instructional Strategies
Perennial Issue
Does the government reflect the will of the people?
Case Issue
Should the Electoral College be abolished?
Preparation



Create heterogeneous cooperative learning pairs.
Make sure the desks are set up in groups of four.
As the students enter the room, tell them who their partner is, and have them sit with them.
Hook (10 minutes)

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/electoralcoll.htm (this 3 minute video
explains the Electoral College in simple terms)
4

Explain to the students that they will be participating in a lesson called a “Structured Academic
Controversy” to examine the evidence for and against abolition of the Electoral College. Explain to
them that this has become a controversial issue since the 2000 Presidential Election went to George
W. Bush instead of Al Gore, because, although Gore won the popular vote (more votes overall),
Bush won the 270 votes needed in the Electoral College. Many people had a problem with this
because if the Electoral College did not exist, Gore would have been elected instead since he won
more votes across the nation.
Round One: Present Positions (20 minutes)



Assign Positions (2 minutes): Each pair within each four-person group will be assigned one of two
positions based upon which data sheet they receive from the teacher. To make monitoring the
activity easier, assign the positions in a consistent manner. For instance, the teacher can give all of
the students who are facing the door the “yes” position and give all of the students who are facing
the windows the “no” position.
Research Positions (10 minutes):
o Tell the students they have 5 minutes to read their data set. Encourage them to underline key
points.
o Give each student a red and green colored pencil and 4 star stickers to use to complete the
graphic organizer. Once each pair has completed reading their data set, have them spend about
5 minutes paraphrasing the evidence. Make sure they are prepared to each present at least one
position to the pair representing the other side.
Present Positions (8 minutes):
o Explain to the students that they are expected to listen carefully and take notes as the other
side presents their evidence. Tell them they should sit up straight and look their classmates in
the eye as they are speaking. Make sure they understand that this is not a debate (there are no
winners or losers), and that after a team has presented its evidence the listening team will have
the opportunity to ask clarifying questions. These questions should not be argumentative. For
instance, “What did you mean by…?” or, “Can you explain ______ differently?” are both
acceptable forms of questions.
o Give the “yes” team 3 minutes to present their evidence. Remind the class that each student
must present at least one piece of evidence.
o Next, allow the other side 30 seconds to ask any clarifying questions they may have.
o Repeat Steps 2 and 3, but have the teams switch roles.
Round Two: Reverse Positions (20 minutes)
Have students repeat the same steps listed above for Round 1. This time, the students will research the
opposite positions, using new evidence provided by the teacher.
Group Discussion (5 minutes)
Have the students spend about 5 minutes discussing how they actually feel about the issue. This
discussion may or may not lead to a consensus.
Wrap-Up (8 minutes)
5
Have at least one member of each group contribute to a class discussion on if and how the group
reached a consensus. Also, have a few students answer the question “What did you learn today?” and
pass out the assignment sheet. Read it with the students and answer any questions they may have.
Begin Homework Assignment in Class (15 minutes)
Students will work individually to write a persuasive letter to their Congressperson (for assignment
details, see assignment and rubric on final page)
Materials










Laptop with Internet connection
Speakers
Projector
Hook video clip
90 Copies of the Data Retrieval Chart (one for each student in each of 4 classes)
90 Copies of Assignment Sheet (one for each student in each of 4 classes)
45 copies of each of two “yes” data sets
45 copies of each of two “no” data sets
30 red and 30 green colored pencils
120 star stickers
Differentiations
Because this is a cooperative learning activity and the students will be placed in heterogeneous
pairs, students should not experience difficulty completing the assignment. If only one or two pairs
struggle, each pair could be placed with another pair that is completing the work with ease. This will
allow the successful students teach the struggling students while at the same time reinforcing their own
understandings. Cooperative learning will be used often in my classroom.
Students with below grade level reading abilities can be exposed to new or challenging vocabulary in
a crossword puzzle as a bell ringer at the beginning of class.
This lesson could be adapted for higher achieving or gifted students. Instead of using bullet-pointed
information, the teacher could use op-ed articles and challenge the students to find the arguments
themselves. As a further challenge, the students could be asked to come up with their own way to use
their newfound knowledge. They could be permitted to write a letter to their congressperson, a letter to
a local newspaper, or create a petition to generate community support for their position. They could
also be encouraged to do further research on a particular piece of evidence they find interesting.
Adaptations
None of my students has an IEP, but four students have Section 504 Plans for ADHD, and my
targeted student also displays several characteristics of ADHD. The targeted student seems to display
more on-task behavior when he is allowed to interact with his peers, so the interactive nature of this
lesson should benefit him. In addition, because the student has difficulties staying in his seat and fidgets
6
often, I will enlist his help in passing out materials. This lesson is highly structured and has minimal
transition time, which should help students with ADHD. These students may need to be informed about
the lesson and major points before hand. If this will be beneficial, I will send the materials home with
them the class before. During the lesson, I will tell the class how long they have for each task before
they begin, and for longer tasks (letter to their Congressperson), I will also let the students know when
they have about half the allotted time remaining. Each student with ADHD will be working with a peer
without ADHD, so additional time should not be necessary.
For this lesson, I will implement the intervention of adding structure to a task. Research by Raggi
and Chronis (2006) indicates that this intervention helps make tasks more manageable and enjoyable.
To implement this, I will post a schedule of the day’s activities on the blackboard. Also, I will give explicit
instructions, one at a time. For instance, instead of telling the students to read their data set, underline
key points, and paraphrase the arguments all at the same time, I would first tell them to spend five
minutes reading their information and underlining key points. After having done so, I would instruct
them to spend another five minutes paraphrasing the arguments on their color-coded graphic organizer.
The color on the graphic organizer should help with within-task stimulation, which is another
intervention discussed by Raggi and Chronis (2006). The students will be given star stickers and red and
green colored pencils to further focus their attention.
Pre-Reflection
I think the biggest challenges I will encounter with implementing this lesson will be maintaining
order and keeping all of the students on task. Many of the students tend to drift off in class, but I hope
that the heavily structured nature of this lesson will counter this. I also believe that the graphic
organizer and fast-pace of the lesson will help the students focus their ideas and their attention. I am
also concerned that the students will have trouble paraphrasing the information and talking directly to
one another. This is a skill I hope the students will acquire through practice.
In addition, I am interested to see how the students work together in assigned pairs, since the
classes tend to segregate themselves by gender and/or ethnicity. I hope that the students will
experience several cooperative learning activities and become more comfortable and desegregated
before I teach this lesson in the spring. I am particularly interested in how one student will perform in
pairs because he is very introverted and always works by himself in activities meant for work with a
partner. I plan to approach him before the lesson to find out whom he would feel most comfortable
working with because it is important that he acquire the social skills necessary to interact with others,
although I recognize the need to ease him into social situations.
Sources




http://www.fairvote.org/e_college/problems.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/e_college/faithless.htm
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/electoralcoll.htm
Raggi, V. L., & Chronis, A. M. (2006). Interventions to address the academic impairment of children
and adolescents with ADHD. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 9(2), 85-111.
7
Structured Academic Controversy: ROUND ONE
Should the Electoral College be Abolished?
YES!
If a state is not considered “in play,” candidates tend to ignore it. The Electoral College does not
encourage campaigning in non-competitive states. Since the Electoral College employs a winner-take-all
method, candidates have little incentive to campaign in a state that strongly favors them or their
opponent. For instance, Virginia was “in play” in the 2008 Presidential Election and Barack Obama
visited the state 17 times between January and November, while he only visited Louisiana (a Republican
stronghold) once in that period.
Four times in our nation’s history, men who did not receive the popular vote won the presidency. In
2000, Al Gore won the popular vote, but George W. Bush won the Electoral College votes and, with it,
the presidency.
Everyone should have an equally weighted vote. The Electoral College favors smaller states, which have
more electoral votes per person. For instance, Wyoming has three votes and a population of about
515,000. Texas has 34 votes and a population of about 23.5 million. Texas has 11 times the votes and 47
times the population, so individual votes in Wyoming count more than individual votes in Texas.
The winner-take-all rule leads to lower voter turnout in states where one party dominates, because
members who support the other party’s candidate know their vote will not matter.
Should the Electoral College be Abolished?
NO!
Constitutional amendments to abolish or change the Electoral College have been proposed more than
700 times during the past two centuries. None has come close to being adopted, indicating the
understood value of the system.
In only four of the nation’s 54 presidential elections since 1789 has the electoral vote winner not been
the winner of the popular vote. In those four elections, the vote margin between the two candidates has
been small.
If one-person-one vote democracy is important, we should not abolish the Electoral College, but the
Senate. States have the same number of electors as they have members of Congress, in rough
proportion to their population. However, each state has two Senators regardless of the size of the
population.
The Electoral College was created to preserve the role of the states in governing our federal nation. We
are a nation of states, not autonomous citizens. The states created the central government, the central
government did not create the states.
8
Structured Academic Controversy: ROUND TWO
Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
NO!
The Framers of the Constitution did not believe political contests should be determined by majority rule.
They worried that blind majoritarianism could be as menacing to liberty as a king or dictator.
If the Electoral College were abolished, America would never again see a president with a clear majority
of the popular vote, only a plurality, since its elimination would result in the end to the two-party
system.
The Electoral College gives us immediate clarity. In a close vote without the Electoral College, the first
count would undoubtedly be contested, and there is no telling how many recounts it would take to
placate (appease, calm) everyone. Our elections would be decided by lawyers and judges, rather than
the people.
The Electoral College contributes to the unity of the nation by requiring a distribution of popular support
to be elected president. Candidates have an incentive to work to unify states and regions rather than
focus on regional differences. Other geographically large nations such as China, India, and the Soviet
Union have all experienced severe regional differences that have created governing problems.
Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
YES!
In many states, electors are not obligated by law to vote for the candidate their state has selected. In
other states, electors only incur small fines for going against the will of the people.
Since the founding of the Electoral College, 156 electors have not cast their vote for the candidates they
were designated to represent.
The House of Representatives can choose the president. If no candidate receives a majority (270) of the
electoral votes, the House chooses the President, and the Senate chooses the Vice President. If the two
chambers of Congress have different political majorities, then they may pick members of opposing
parties. Opposition between the two could cause government instability.
Because few people will support a party they do not believe will win, voters frequently vote for the
“lesser of two evils,” rather than the person they think is best for the job. The Electoral College
reinforces the two-party system, because third-party candidates cannot enter the race without taking
support from one of the two major parties.
9
Data Collection Sheet: ROUND ONE
Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
Use the boxes below to take notes about your data sheet, and about the evidence provided by the team
representing the other position. Each box should contain one argument, written in your own words.
Please place a
next to the evidence you will present to the other side.
YES!
NO!
10
Data Collection Sheet: Round Two
Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
Use the boxes below to take notes about your data sheet, and about the evidence provided by the team
representing the other position. Each box should contain one argument, written in your own words.
Please place a
next to the evidence you will present to the other side.
YES!
NO!
11
Assignment: What do you think?
(complete for homework): Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
Write a letter to your Congressperson explaining your position on the controversial issue discussed in
class today. Include both of the following:
1. at least three pieces of evidence in support of your position
2. at least one piece of evidence from the other side. Explain why you disagree with that evidence.
Rubric
Criteria
2 Points
Accuracy
Content is accurate; all
aspects of question are
addressed
Evidence
Content is detailed with
thoughtful
explanations; shows
relation of concepts;
clearly defines concepts
of question
asked
Grammar, usage,
and mechanics
Contains no more than
2 minor errors in
grammar and usage;
contains no more than
2 minor errors in
spelling, capitalization,
and punctuation
1 Point
Contains 1 or 2 minor
errors in factual
information; missing at
least 1 aspect of the
question asked
Vague, broad, and
sweeping statements
are used to illustrate
concepts; lacks detail or
explanation of
relevance
Contains 3 – 4 errors in
grammar and usage;
contains 3 – 4 errors in
spelling, capitalization,
and
punctuation
½-0 Points
Content is inaccurate
No detail or explanation
is given
Contains 5+ errors in
grammar and usage;
contains 5+ errors in
spelling, capitalization,
and punctuation
12