Begin the lesson by displaying the Who Won This Election? overhead. Ask students to examine the numbers carefully. Students should notice that the "gray" candidate received more of the popular vote, yet the "white" candidate received more of the electoral vote. If students notice that the number of electoral votes is different from those in Why California?, explain that the Why California? data is current and the overhead data is from a previous election. Some students may recognize it as the 2000 presidential election between Al Gore and George W. Bush.
Engage students in a class discussion about whether or not they feel the results of the election are "fair." Many students will have their own opinions, but try not to influence students with your own opinion. You may wish to share with them that these are real election results from the 2000 presidential elections. Gray represents Democrats and white represents Republicans. See the Extensions section below for possible follow-up questions.
You may also choose to bring in other political information and data. For example, since the electoral college is part of our Constitution, any proposal to change the elctoral college process would need the support of 3/4 of the states (not 3/4 of the population). Many citizens have strong feelings on this topic. Some are highly critical of the electoral college process for the reason just stated, while others believe we should continue with the electoral college since it benefits the least populous states.
Tell students that their goal is to investigate situations in which the electoral college creates unusual election results. This is a good activity for students to work on in groups because discussions arise naturally from the investigation. However, you should collect activity sheets from each student to gauge individual understanding. One approach is to organize students into groups of three with the following roles:
- Researcher: looks up the electoral votes for the state and inputs data into the Electoral College Calculator
- Recorder: records the data on the activity sheet and leads the group in arranging and displaying results
- Executive: makes the ultimate decisions about what to do and keeps the group on task
Display and discuss the rubric found with the How Could That Happen? answer key before work begins. Allow students to ask question to ensure they understand how they will be assessed on the activity.
Distribute the How Could That Happen? activity sheets. There are three problems included to choose from. The first two problems, How Could I Win? and How Could I Lose?, are nearly equivalent in difficulty. The third problem, How Could I Win and Lose?, is more difficult and open-ended. Use the third problem to differentiate and challenge gifted students in a mixed ability class. Alternatively, in a higher ability class, you could assign How Could I Win? or How Could I Lose? to groups as a beginning activity and use How Could I Win and Lose? as the main challenge of the lesson. Note that this will probably require a second class period.
Students should use the Electoral College Calculator to experiment with different data scenarios. This activity can also be done by organizing data in a spreadsheet, or by using a calculator if computers with an Internet connection are not readily available. Students should use the table created in Why California? as a resource. If you choose to go directly to this lesson without completing Lesson 1, you will need to provide students with the table from the Why California? Answer Key.
There are several ways to address the question in How Could I Win and Lose? One possibility is to let students make assumptions to simplify the problem. Since Why California? uses population data and the solution to the problem requires data on registered voters, allow students to assume the same portion of the population in each state is registered to vote, which will allow them to use the available population data. The actual percentages vary between states, and fall within the range of about 50% to 80% of a state's population being registered to vote. You could also have students research data on registered voters, such as the information on Voter and Registration Data on the U.S. Census Bureau website.
Leave time toward the end of class to draw students back to a class discussion and review of the rubric requirements. Emphasize that a level 5 answer will include all elements outlined on the activity sheet, and remind students to focus on developing a mathematically sound explanation despite the strong political content of the activity.
Display the shaded maps from How Could I Win? together. Then display the maps from How Could I Lose? together, and finally, display the maps from How Could I Win and Lose? together. Discuss the similarities as each set of maps is put up. Ask students questions to encourage a discussion of these similarities. For example:
- What state is always shaded for How Could I Win?
- What other states should be on the list for How Could I Win? Why?
- Which states are necessary on the list for How Could I Lose?
- Which of the problems requires the most states to be shaded in?
- What strategies did you use to help you find the solution to How Could I Win and Lose?
If time permits, allow students to volunteer to share some of the other results and discoveries they made during the activity.
