Virginia SOL CE.8.e
The Standard
describing the role of the Electoral College in the election of the president and vice president.
Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science · The student will apply history and social science skills to examine the political process at the local, state, and national levels of government by
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students trace how each state’s popular vote determines which slate of electors casts that state’s electoral votes. They explain that a presidential and vice-presidential ticket wins by securing a majority of electoral votes, not simply the national popular vote.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given state results and electoral vote totals, a student can identify the winning ticket and show its path to 270. The student can explain why electoral vote totals differ by state and why the national popular vote winner can lose the election.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often think the nationwide popular vote directly elects the president. They may assume states have equal electoral votes or divide them proportionally in every election. Some think electors are members of Congress.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: The Adams ticket wins 52 percent of the national popular vote but 7 of 15 electoral votes, while Lee wins 8 electoral votes. Name the winning ticket and explain why.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a blank electoral map, state result cards, and counters, then have them award votes and identify the winning ticket.
Ask students to write: Should the national popular vote or electoral vote decide the winner, and what evidence supports your view?
Run a 270 race with fictional election returns, where teams total electoral votes and check whether any ticket has a majority.
Use a recent election map to compare each candidate’s popular vote share, states won, and final electoral vote total.
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Printable CE.8.e Worksheet
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Related Standards
- CE.3.c
describing the roles and powers of the executive branch and regulatory boards as they affect states;
- CE.2.c
explaining the particular role and powers of the executive branch as explained in Article II of the Constitution of the United States;
- CE.2.a
describing the structure and powers of the government (the three branches of government);
- K.3.d
identifying the current president and explaining that the president is the leader of the United States and is elected by voters
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