Toolkit for "Native Voices, Native Votes"

Introduction

Native Vote is a nonpartisan campaign spearheaded by the National Congress of American Indians that aims to maximize Native participation in elections. Its website, nativevote.org, offers materials that educators can use to teach about the Native vote. Below you’ll find a five-step plan for building a lesson or unit for grades 2-8 using Native Vote resources.

Essential Questions

1. What is the history of the Native vote in the United States?
2. What is the political status of American Indians and Alaskan Natives?
3. How could the Native vote impact the 2016 presidential election?

Step One

Visit nativevote.org. Familiarize yourself with the organization and its resources.

Step Two

Download and read through the “Teachers Guide.” Educate yourself on the history of the Native vote and present-day Native voting issues. Develop a plan for communicating relevant content from the guide to your students.

Step Three

Download, read and make copies of this student-friendly infographic. Plan how you will share its content with your students.

Step Four

Access and watch the webinar “Engaging Native Millennials” on the National Congress of American Indians’ YouTube channel.

Step Five

Try these lesson plans for grades 2-5 and 6-8, or customize them to fit your classroom.

Extension

Have students synthesize what they have learned about the Native vote by applying it to their understanding of the 2016 presidential election. For example, students might compare how the party platforms of the Democratic Party and Republican Party address Native issues.