It’s never too early to get your kids interested in the electoral process. Here are three ways they can get involved in what’s going on.
1. For kids 8+, go to Scholastic News Online: Countdown to Election 2008. This is your best bet for elementary school kids who can read. There’s great background information about how we actually elect a president, and kids can click on a star on a U.S. map to read dispatches from kid reporters. And, teachers? There are great lesson plans to use in your class.
2. Factcheck.org is great for kids 12+. Check out the “facts” that the candidates throw around in their speeches. Hosted by the Annenberg Foundation, this nonpartisan nonprofit site monitors the factual accuracy of what’s said by major U.S. political players in their TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
3. Teens can check out MTV’s Rock the Vote. Even if they can’t vote, this nonpartisan nonprofit site helps kids register voters, mobilize voters, and join the bandwagon of youth who want to change their worlds. Best for fourteen and older.
