Full Lesson

1. Greet students upon entry to the classroom and welcome them to Social Studies. 
2. Ask students to create a list of examples when they had the opportunity to vote on something. Voting incidents might include: 
• home events (what to have for dinner, what movie to watch, where to vacation)
• school events (class council, student government, reward activity, school mascot)
• extra-curricular activity (team captain, scout leader)
• place of worship (operating budget, council representatives)
3. Facilitate a brief class discussion on what types of decisions should teens be allowed to vote. Discussion topics may include:
• Should teens be allowed to vote in presidential elections?
• What is the minimum voting age for federal elections?
• Which age group do you think has the highest voter turnout?

• Allow sufficient wait time for students to formulate answers.
• Consider allowing students think-pair-share time to formulate answers.

ELL

• Provide the motivation activity translated into native language of the student, as needed.

1. Tell students that we are beginning a new inquiry lesson today that will cover topics on voting and our democracy.
2. Display and introduce the compelling question “Should the voting age in the United States be lowered?” Why or why not? 
3. Ask students to declare their stance on this question using a brainstorming tool. Answers could be collected via Jamboard, Pear Deck, hand-written sticky notes, mind mapping or other brainstorming tool.
4. Allow time to share several responses.
5. Tell students that you will revisit this question at the end of the inquiry lesson.
6. Save the student answers for this activity so you may revisit at the end of inquiry.

1. Tell students in order to answer our larger compelling question, we will break it down into 2 subtopics with 2 supporting questions.
2. Display today’s supporting question, “What factors led to the 26th Amendment?”
3. Ask students to make predictions about the 26th Amendment which was ratified on July 1 1971.
4. Allow time for discussion.
5. Share the 26th Amendment: “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”
6. Tell students that prior to the 26th Amendment, the voting age for federal elections was 21 years of age.
7. Ask students to make predictions about what led to the change in the voting age?
8. Allow time for a brief discussion.
9. Share the Center for Civic Education video, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 24: The Twenty-sixth Amendment
10. Tell students to listen for the reason for the amendment.
11. Review lesson vocabulary to support comprehension of video, as needed.
12. Allow time for a brief discussion.

UDL

• Ask a student to rephrase the supporting question for the class.
• Allow sufficient wait time for students to formulate an opinion.
• Consider allowing students think-pair-share time to formulate answers.
• Utilize closed captioning when viewing videos or access the Show Transcript feature (when viewing through the YouTube platform), if needed. 

ELL

• Supporting question could be translated or provided as an audio file, as needed.
• Provide 26th Amendment translated into native language of students, as needed.
• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing video through YouTube.
• Provide vocabulary translated  into native language of students, as needed.

UDL

• Teacher may wish to model how to conduct the primary/secondary source investigation with slide 2.
• Utilize closed captioning when viewing videos or access the Show Transcript feature (when viewing through the YouTube platform), if needed. 
• Consider allowing students to utilize a speak-to-type feature to record their answers on the graphic organizer.
• Utilize a text reader function when needed.

ELL

• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing videos through YouTube.
• Provide class discussion questions translated into native language of students in advance, as needed.

1. Have students conduct a partner discussion to answer: What was the top reason for the adoption of the 26th Amendment?
2. Remind students that their answer needs to be backed up with evidence from today’s investigation.
3. Allow time for students to collaborate.

UDL/ELL

• Provide sentence starter (The top reason the 26th Amendment was adopted is ___ because ___)

1. Greet students upon entry to the classroom and welcome them to Social Studies. 
2. Share the Should Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? video. 
3. Tell students to listen for one argument from each side as they watch.
4. Allow for a few students to share the arguments they heard in the video.

1. Remind students of our compelling question “Should the voting age in the United States be lowered?” Why or why not? 
2. Explain to students that we will explore the factors that might be relevant in consideration of lowering the voting age.

1. Present today’s supporting question: “What factors might play a role in lowering the voting age?”
2. Ask students what factors were considered when the voting age was lower from 21 to 18 in 1971.
3. Encourage students to make predictions about what arguments might be used by people who support lowering the voting age and by those who are opposed to lowering the voting age.

UDL

• The teacher may wish to model how to conduct the primary source investigation with one of the exhibits.
• Utilize closed captioning when viewing videos or access the Show Transcript feature (when viewing through the YouTube platform), if needed. 
• Consider allowing students to utilize a speak-to-type feature to record their answers on the graphic organizer.
• Utilize a text reader function when needed.

ELL

• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing videos through YouTube.
• Resource materials translated into Spanish are available as follows: 
• Arguments For
• Arguments Against

1. Congratulate the young scholars on conducting this inquiry investigation.
2. Remind students of our compelling question “Should the voting age in the United States be lowered?” 
3. To answer the compelling question, students will work in their team of four to record a point-counterpoint video stating their argument for or against lowering the voting age  supported by evidence of at least three examples gathered from their investigations. Students should refer to their completed Cast Your Ballot Argument Organizer to plan their argument presentation.
4. Consider uploading videos to Flipgrid, Google slides, or other application so that students may view each others’ arguments.
5. Revisit your class vote on the inquiry’s compelling question “Should the voting age in the United States be lowered?” Note if the class opinion has changed and discuss why.