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Texas Adult Education Standards and Benchmarks
for ABE ASE and ESL Learners

Lesson Plan Bank

ABE/ASE LESSON PLANS

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Texas Adult Education Standards
Lesson Plan

Before you begin

Title: Learning the Voting Process

Setting: ABE/ASE

NRS Level(s):

Level 5:Low Adult Secondary Education
Level 6: High Adult Secondary Education

Open entry/exit: Yes

Context: Community

Standard(s): ABE/ASE Read for Understanding

Benchmark(s) 4.5, 4.6, 5.5, 5.6

Objective: To gain awareness of voting issues presented by candidates running for election.

Materials: Non-partisan’s Voting Guide available from the Free Market Foundation, Plano, 903 East 18th St., Suite 230, Plano, TX., 75074. Guide contains a sample ballot. Current guide can be found on this website: http://www.freemarket.org/Legislature_Resources_VotersGuide.aspx

Estimated time needed to prepare for this lesson plan: 15-30 minutes

Estimated time needed to complete this lesson plan: 8 hours (2 hours once a week for 4 weeks)

The Lesson Plan

Introduce the lesson:
Ask the class how many of them are registered to vote. If non-affirmative responses are given ask, why not? The discussion that emerges may reflect students’ negative feelings about voting (e.g. one vote does not count, etc.). Discuss one’s civic responsibility for voting. Emphasize the need to conduct personal research on voting issues and to be informed citizens.

Teach the lesson:
As a class, introduce the guide. Teacher might emphasize there are other guides that serve the same or similar purpose as the one presented. Inform the class that the purpose of the guide is to educate voters on statewide candidates’ stance on different issues such as gun control, child care, abortion, etc. Explain that the guide is based on the candidates’ responses to questionnaires on these type issues. As the various issues emerge from discussing the guide, other discussions might ensue from students’ own thoughts about these major issues.

Practice the lesson
Students should be encouraged to research and study issues and vote for candidate that best represents what they believe.

Assess the lesson:
There is no formal assessment made by the teacher. A practical evaluation is determined by students’ ability to identify and cast a vote for the candidate of choice.

Apply the lesson to the real world:
Students should be able to follow candidates’ presenting issues on broadcast media and make more informed voting decisions.

Submitted by Georgia Reese

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