Lesson Plan : Voting
What do you think the arguments people might have for and against voting?
Watch the video. Has any of your arguments been mentioned? Which person do you agree with most? Who do you most disagree with?
2. Who believes the following things:
Derrick, Caleb, Andrew, Talisa, Grecia, Renata,
- Wants to vote because other people cannot, or could not.
- The system doesn’t allow the people to decide.
- Is grateful for the opportunities given to them in the United States.
- The system doesn’t represent their views.
- People are becoming too extremist in their views.
- The government should not be involved in people’s lives.
Watch again and ask, who agrees/disagrees with the following opinions? Why?
- I believe my vote matters.
- I consider myself patriotic
- I was satisfied with the candidates in the last election.
- I support a two party system.
- I believe change starts from the bottom.
Which opinions do you find most convincing? Which least? Do you think anyone changed their mind/ learnt something new?
Language Focus
Match the sentences with their responses:
| At the end of the day there’s a small group of people who decide what goes. | It’s not giving up, it’s just approaching it in a different way. |
| What does it have to be two evils? | But they cheated their way there. |
| I don’t wan’t to agree with the voice part. | But you don’t agree they were the right candidates, right? |
| I guess the way I understand it works though, is that they got here somehow. | yeah, like when we create a binary, we force people to choose one thing or the other. |
| It sounds like you guys have given up. | I get that, but it’s not an option. I think you’re painting a fantasy. |
| I just feel that our current system is not inclusive of everyone’s thoughts and ideas. | I can understand your point, especially with the history, part, however I also feel though that it’s an informed decision that I’m making… It’s important to me to have that voice. |
| Minesota would have got to gay marriage much sooner if the government just got the heck out of the way. | Yeah, Exactly. Why not no evil? Why not look to other parties? |
What expressions can you use:
- To disagree with someone?
- To agree with someone
- To say you recognise someone’s opinion
- To summarise someone’s opinion
- To continue someone’s train of thought?
Pronunciation
Where does the stress fall in the following statements?
- Yeah, Exactly. Why not no evil? Why not look to other parties?
- I get that, but it’s not an option. I think you’re painting a fantasy.
- It’s not giving up, it’s just approaching it in a different way.
- I can understand your point, especially with the history, part, however I also feel though that it’s an informed decision that I’m making… It’s important to me to have that voice.
- But you don’t agree they were the right candidates, right?
Could the stress fall on any other word, to create a different meaning?
Discussion
What do you think of the following statements:
- I believe my vote matters.
- I consider myself patriotic
- I was satisfied with the candidates in the last election.
- I support a two party system.
- I believe change starts from the bottom.
Discuss them in groups of 2-4, trying to use the expressions learnt.
Did anyone change their mind? Learn to appreciate a different point of view?