2012 Election Resources for Kids

This is somewhat of a mommy post. But if you don't follow politics closely, like myself, then it can be pretty handy for adults, too. :)

Recently, my son came home saying that he is "So voting for Romney." And, "Romney crushed Obama last night," even though he didn't know the debate was on TV.

To be perfectly clear - my son had no idea who Romney was before going to school that day. He was parroting his classmates. Every child in his class is adamant that they are voting for Romney. I found this humorous and disturbing at the same time. Not for his choice, I respect everyone's rights.

But my son was {although not yet voting age, he's 8!} informing me that his vote was purely to fit in with the majority. I asked him what Romney stood for, and he asked me if it was an acronym. Aaaah!

I realized that I couldn't just talk the talk. And if I was going to walk the walk, he was taking this stroll with me. If he is ready to vote without knowing the issues, I figured this provided a very teachable moment.

So, off I went on a wild goose chase on Google to find the right information for my child in terms he could understand - and information displayed in ways to not bore him to pieces.

And just in case you feel like you want to force this family fun on your own children, here is what I have discovered as decent resources for kids on the 2012 Presidential Election.

One of the first resources I found was from FamilyEducation.com. They offer biographies on each candidate as well as a section called "Where Obama and Romney Stand on the Issues". Each issue is displayed separately. Good information is provided, but there are a lot of distractions on the website. So I printed the pages with the issues and I am going to cut and glue them onto construction paper for my son to read. Less distraction means more absorbing the information.

Nick.com has a very comprehensive program running called Kids Pick the President. There are lots of factual information, but if your child needs media to learn - this is your winner. Just purely because they will watch it and hopefully not tune out. They keep it paced at a rate to not lose kids. Most likely the best visual example to share with your kids is a 22 minute video on The Issues. 

For printable material, I really liked this free downloadable packet Elections A to Z Unit Study from TheHomeschoolMom.com :

It contains 14 pages including Crossword Puzzle and Election Word Search that would challenge older elementary school kids. Don't worry, moms, it also includes the answer keys. :)

The Election Trivia for Kids from Ooph.com has 11 questions {and 1 bonus question} with answers on election trivia. This could be interesting test to see my son's before and after knowledge of this election.

The poster How to Become President of the United States above is from Publications.USA.gov

Again, another great visual for children, this time depicting what it takes to become the president.

Scholastic.com has a countdown until the election, maps, interactive games, etc. There are a lot of polls, but I didn't find much information describing the issues. Still, it is a good resource for kids.

I don't want our learning about the election to be all work and no play. This free printable packet from blog.worldlabel.com is ah-may-zing! It just makes the election seem fun and far less boring! :)

My daughter will enjoy the stickers in the printable packet {who doesn't love stickers?} - but she won't have a clue what it's all about. So, we will read an old favorite of my son's, Duck for President by Betsy Lewin. I think it's pretty entertaining, even for a 3 years old. 

That wraps up my list of resources. Please let me know if you find any useful or if you have more you think I missed! Are you excited for the elections? Or dreading them? How about your kids?

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Risky Business

On Fridays, I participate in a Five Minute blogging/writing challenge hosted by Gypsy Mama. The rules are simple.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back to here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

5 Minute Friday Word: Risk


Start.

Risk. My first thought is "a leap of faith." Second thought makes me know that's not the case. Risk involves danger.
My son has been having a strangely hard year. Too hard. Because school is too easy. He was tested and is considered of gifted intelligence. In fact, his IQ would have been higher had he not been so concerned with perfectionism. Ugh. How did we make this child?
Unfortunately, the school districts don't have gifted programs until 4th grade. And then it is just an hour or two a week. "Enrichment" is better description of the program until middle school. We are concerned that his frustration and boredom will actually start causing him more problems socially, academically.
So, the next step was looking at gifted schools. We found one that I think would be a great fit. The only concerns I have are related to the enrollment numbers. It's hard to find the perfect school. One with enough kids to know they can have some social experience and not too many so they can excel to their potential. This school has only 8 other children enrolled for his grade next year. His public school (which is actually a very highly ranked school) has 120. In his grade alone. The gifted school has about 120 in PreK-8th grade!
Ok, so we can get past that. Now the big one. The RISK.
The school is so small it does not have a nurse on staff. My son has life-threatening allergies. He has to have an Epi Pen nearby. We have never had to use it. Ever. But that is a big risk. Who would administer the shot if the situation presented itself?
Risk. I am not sure it's a risk I can take. But at what risk to his livelihood? His potential?

Finish.

~my little guy with the science eye~