Subject: Social Studies Type of Lesson: Power point, group work , role play

Grade: 10 CSEC OBJ: Describe how political parties prepare

for elections

Term: 2 Unit Number 1 - Government

and Title:

Duration: 2 x 35 Week Number: 3

Lesson Number 10 The Voting Process

and Title:

Objectives
As a result of this lesson, the student will be able to:
1) identify the different stages of carrying out the voting process.
2) explain the use of various equipment and materials used in the
voting process.
3) demonstrate an understanding of the voting process by engaging
in one.

Prerequisite Student Knowledge

The student should be familiar with:
1) the different electoral system that operate in the Caribbean
2) the role of the electoral commission in protecting citizens rights in
the voting process
3) the definition of franchise and the meaning of universal adult
suffrage.

Important Points
1) The voting process is focused on the actual day of election starting
at the point the voters enter the polling station until they leave. It
must be noted that the voting process is a part of the electoral
process. They are not the same; one is a subset of the other. This is
the actual process whereby an elector visits a polling station on the
day of election and casts his/her vote for a party or party
representative that is believed to be the best candidate for the job.
2) During the election process the eligible voter has only one vote.
Remember that this was declared under the Universal Adult

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 Suffrage in 1944. In addition this is made possible through the
vigilance of our National and international electoral
observers,(dealt with in prior lessons)
3) Persons who are eligible to vote include persons who are eighteen
and over, it is believed that they have a maturity of judgment,
persons who are citizens and have documentations to prove this.

Key Terms

Ballot box Ballot paper Integrity lamp

Poll book Polling station Voters identification

card

Voters list

Challenge Areas
Organize an election for a social studies class representative to discuss
issues regarding this subject area with the department in charge.

Equipment/Materials Needed
Multimedia projector, computers with internet connection for groups
of students and a document camera

Note to Teacher
Ensure that all materials and equipment are available before the class
is ready to begin.

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Teachers Lesson Notes

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Introduction
1) Introductory Activity

a. Direct students to watch the following video to understand

the message that is being sent.
http://vimeo.com/25452964
Next, they to discuss the questions below to arrive at an
understanding of what the lesson will be about:

i. What is the young man saying?

ii. How does this make you feel knowing he is saying
something and you cannot hear him?
iii. Describe his expression (facial and body)
iv. Why does he appear to be frustrated?
v. What do you think will solve this problem faced by
this young man in the video?
Expected response:
i. One cannot hear because of all the distractions
and noise.
ii. Frustrated, helpless and sad knowing that I
cannot help.
iii. He is frustrated, angry, concerned and helpless
iv. He is frustrated because no one is hearing what
he has to say and it is very important that he
gets his feelings across
v. The problem can only be solved if there is a
medium through which his voice can be heard

b. Ensure that during the discussion students understand that

voting is a voice.
.

Body of Lesson
1) There are simple stages that citizens go through as they cast
their votes.
a. Ask students to use their experience in any form of voting
to explain the stages of voting. Then ask students to view
this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a5DL2O_erA

i. Have students copy the nine stages in the video and

then engage the students in a class discussion to
thoroughly explain the stages.

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 ii. For greater clarification use a document camera and
a projector to project Figure 10.1 on the board and
have the students go through it with you on a step
by step basis.

Figure 10.1: How to vote

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 iii. Ask them to identify the differences between the
two lists?
Expected answer: In Figure 10.1, steps 2-6 tell
and show how to vote on the day of election.
The figure also lists rules of conduct on the day.
The video has no pictures and focuses more on
what to do before the day of election. It
mentions finding your name on the list.

b. Have students work in groups to plan and execute a

dramatic advertisement on how to vote based on the
content in Figure 10.1.

c. Place students into three groups and assign each group a

chapter from the book from the following website (chapter
5, 6 and 7).
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/elect
oral_commission_pdf_file/0009/55836/UKPGE-PSH-web-
FINAL.pdf

Groups should act out the situation given in their assigned

chapter.

2) What are some of the equipment and materials needed in the

voting process?

Figure 10 2: Materials used in the voting process

a.

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 b. Tell students to form groups and assign one of the pictures
projected on the screen. They are expected to identify it by
name and explain through team effort what it is used for in
the voting process.

Through the groups brief presentation of their picture they

must include minimal role play depicting how the
instrument or material is used.

Closure
In Class Assignment
1) Unscramble each of the clue words. Copy the letters in the
numbered cells to other cells with the same number.

The Voting Process

Expected response:
Ballot paper

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 Ballot box
Integrity lamp
Voters list
Identification card
Polling station

Using the words above in the unscramble exercise instruct students to

write a paragraph explaining the voting process in their own words.

Supplemental
Out-of-Class Assignment
1) Complete the following quiz online and use the search box to find
other quizzes that may assist you in cementing the content of this
lesson. http://mockelections.co.uk/voting/election-quiz-test-your-
knowledge/

Glossary of Terms

Voters list This is a list of names with all the potential

voters who have gone through the process of
registration

Integrity Lamp This is a lamp with a special lighting system that

detects whether or not an individual has voted
already on the current election day

Ballot paper This is a paper designed with all the names,

symbols and or pictures of the major parties and
representatives for the purpose of voters making
a mark beside their desired candidate or party

Ballot box This is an instrument in the shape of a box

designed to store the ballot papers for counting
once the voters have cast their votes

Polling station This is a designated building in an area of the

constituency where residents go to cast their
votes

Voters This is any form of national identification that

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Identification comprises of the requisite information that
card proves a citizen eligible to vote.

CSEC Questions
1) Define each of the following
(i) Polling station
(ii) Ballot box 4mks

b. Design a ballot paper using both symbols and names and

parties/candidates. 4mks
c. Suggest Three ways in which the voting process can be more
efficient, free and fair. 6mks
d. Justify why your suggestions are likely t work. 6mks

Recommended Materials
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScvimptmhZA

Bibliography
Brathwaite. S, Reynolds P, (2004). The secondary education
certificate: social studies. Location: Publisher.

Sandy.M.C, Grayson S.C (2000), Social Studies Essentials, Jamaica:

Carlong Publishers

Ramsawak.R, Umraw R.R, (2001), Modules in Social Studies,

Trinidad: Caribbean Educational Publishers

Ruddock L.C, Robinson-Glanville.S, (1998) Secondary Social Studies

Jamaica: Citizenship and Government, Jamaica: Carlong Publishers

Ruddock L.C, Robinson-Glanville S, (1994) New Civics for Young

Jamaicans, Jamaica: Carlong Publishers

Sandy.M, (2012) Social Studies Essentials, Jamaica Carlong

Publishers

Waterman I. L,Fisher J, (2007) CSEC Social Studies, Jamaica:

Macmillan Publishers Ltd

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Sources:

Figure 10. 1: How to vote

http://www.eoj.com.jm/cms/uploads/how_to_vote_resized.jpg

Figure 10. 2: Materials used in the voting process

Collage of pictures [Photograph]. Retrieved June 4, 2012 from
http://www.eoj.com.jm/
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-
u1zg8OPcNr8/TYtwonUx18I/AAAAAAAAAD4/ZzAq_8KlPaI/s1600
/fptp.jpg (ballot paper)
http://zipfm.net/sites/dev.zipfm.net/files/news/id_card_sample.jpg (id
card)

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