Florida B.E.S.T. MA.912.LT.3

MA.912.LT.3 is a B.E.S.T. standard. These are the benchmarks under it.

• MA.912.LT.3.1

  Define and explain the basic concepts of Election Theory and voting.

• MA.912.LT.3.2

  Analyze election data using election theory techniques. Explain how Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem may be related to the fairness of the outcome of the election.

• MA.912.LT.3.3

  Decide voting power within a group using weighted voting techniques. Provide real-world examples of weighted voting and its pros and cons.

• MA.912.LT.3.4

  Solve problems using fair division and apportionment techniques.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students select and carry out a voting or fair division method for a given situation. They calculate outcomes, compare methods, and judge whether results meet stated fairness rules.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

A student can organize preference ballots, follow a named voting procedure, and justify the winner from the tally. The student can divide goods or tasks with an appropriate protocol and explain why each participant receives a fair share.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students often treat the candidate with the most first-place votes as the winner under every voting method. They may mix up ranks with points, skip elimination steps, or assume equal-sized pieces have equal value to everyone.

04

How to Assess It

Give six ranked ballots for three candidates. Ask students to find the Borda count winner, show the point totals, and compare that result with plurality.

1. 01

   Give groups 20 paper ballots to sort, tally, and retally using plurality, Borda count, and pairwise comparison.

2. 02

   Ask students to choose a voting method for a class election and defend it using one fairness criterion.

3. 03

   Play a sealed-bid game with four classroom items, then have students calculate shares and settle any surplus.

4. 04

   Use published ranked-choice election data to reproduce each counting round and explain why candidates were eliminated.

• MA.912.DP.6.8

  Apply probabilities to make fair decisions, such as drawing from lots or using a random number generator.