Procedures

• INTRODUCTION:

  Begin class by having students complete the questionnaire linked below that is adapted from the C-SPAN/Ipsos poll. Give students time to answer these questions individually. As a class or in pairs, have the students discuss why they chose these responses. Address any misconceptions regarding vocabulary when reviewing these responses.

  Handout: Adapted C-SPAN/Ipsos Poll Questionnaire (Google Doc)

• VIDEO INTRODUCTION:

  After discussing the students' responses, have the students view the following clips summarizing the recent poll. Students will answer the following guiding questions. Discuss the students' answers with the class to ensure the understanding of certain vocabulary words and processes.

  Use the handout linked below to take notes on the polling results and provide a summary.

  Handout: Polling Data Note-Taking Chart (Google Doc)

  Students should also answer the following questions after viewing the video clips:

  • What was the purpose of this poll?

  • Describe the process in which this poll was performed.

• Video Clip 1: C-SPAN Ipsos Poll on Public Perceptions of Elections (4:57)

• Video Clip 2: C-SPAN Ipsos Poll on Election Security and Voting (5:12)

• EXPLORATION:

  Using the students' responses to the adapted survey, have the students compare their individual responses to the results for the questions on the polling data linked below. Polling Questionnaire Response Data (pdf.) For each question, students should determine if their responses match the polling results and why they think this might be. After reviewing this data and the video clips, students should answer the following:

  • Generally, how do your individual responses compare to the data on the poll?

  • What significant trends do you see from this data?

• APPLICATION:

  After reviewing the questionnaire response data, have the students choose one trend that they found and provide the information below. After giving students time to answer the questions individually, engage the class in a discussion about public perceptions of voting and elections.

  • Summarize the trend found in the polling data and video clips.

  • Why do you think this trend is occurring?

  • What are the potential consequences of this trend?

• SUMMARY:

  As an exit slip, have the students answer the following question:

  • How do people view elections and voting?

• EXTENSION/ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES:

  Perform a Survey- Using questions similar to the adapted C-SPAN/Ipsos Poll Questionnaire (Google Doc), create a survey of people's perceptions of voting and elections. Survey people around your school and community. After completing your survey, analyze your findings and compare them to the results from the poll.

  Comparing Previous Polls- Using the polling results for questions 2 and 3, compare how people responded to similar questions in 2015 and 2016 to the current polls. Provide a summary of these differences and similarities and explain why you think this is the case.

• ADDITIONAL PROMPTS:

  • In your opinion, do the trends found in this poll represent your family and community?

  • Based on this data and trends in this poll, what, if any, actions should be taken?

  • How might differences in factors like age, race, political party, and location impact how people responded to the polling questionnaire?