Lesson Plan - Let Us Vote!

Build Background Knowledge

Before reading the article, present the following statement to students: The voting age for local and state elections in the United States should be lowered from 18 to 16. Set a 10-second timer and direct students to move to one side of the classroom if they agree with this statement or to the other side of the classroom if they disagree with it. Next, set a one-minute timer and invite students to discuss their reasons with peers who took the same side. When the timer runs out, invite students from both sides to share their reasons with the class. State the learning objective of this lesson to set expectations for students before reading.

Preview Vocabulary

Use the online Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms city council, climate change, Congress, constitution, democracy, federal, legislature, lobby, minor, ratify, and Vietnam War. Have students refer to the Skill Builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to circle or highlight any words whose meanings they are unsure of. 

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• What does it mean to be at the forefront of something? Identify clues on pages 6-7 that show the meaning of this phrase. (Skill: Context Clues) 
To be at the forefront means to be a leader of something. It involves taking a position and using your voice to stand up for a person or cause. Clues that help show the meaning of this phrase are “marches, protests . . . and other demonstrations” (page 7), “active” (page 7), and “express their opinions” (page 7). 

• Explain how young teens’ success in lowering the voting age in Takoma Park, Maryland, inspired other teens to try to do the same thing in their communities. (Skill: Cause and Effect) 
Teens in Takoma Park, Maryland, successfully lobbied to lower the city’s voting age from 18 to 16 for local elections. Takoma Park became the first U.S. city to do so, in 2013. The monumental decision showed teens across the U.S. that such change was possible. In 2015, young people helped form Vote16USA. The national group organizes efforts led by young people to lower the voting age in communities across the country.  

• Find evidence in the article to support Julia Rottenberg’s statement that “change is hard.” (Skill: Text Evidence) 
[Possible Answer] The efforts by members of Vote16 Culver City, a branch of Vote16USA in Culver City, California, show that “change is hard.” The text states, “members of Vote16 Culver City were collecting signatures on a petition calling for a measure to be included on the ballot in next month’s election. That measure would let voters decide whether 16- and 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote in local elections. The last time such a measure appeared on a Culver City ballot, in 2022, it lost by just 16 votes.” This evidence supports Julia’s statement because it shows that the teens put in a lot of effort to achieve their goal. It also reveals that effort does not always lead to immediate success. Sometimes, it takes multiple attempts to make change happen. 

• Look back at the reasons Nathaniel Esubonteng and Devon Lawson give for wanting to lower the voting age. What is a reason the two young teens agree on? (Skill: Compare Viewpoints) 
Nathaniel and Devon both believe the voting age should be lowered so young people can have a say in important issues that affect them. Nathaniel states, “I want young people to have a seat at the table—to have more control over their futures” (page 6). The text also says, “For Devon, being able to vote is about having a say in critical issues that his generation will inherit” (page 9). Both young activists want teens to have a voice at the ballot box because the issues voters are weighing in on matter to them and will affect their lives for years to come. 

• How would the article be different without the section titled “Too Young to Vote”? (Skill: Author’s Purpose) 
Without the section “Too Young to Vote,” readers would not have information about the other side of the debate over whether the voting age should be lowered. This section presents reasons why some people are against lowering the voting age. If this section were not included, readers would be provided only with reasons that support lowering the voting age. 

• Using information from the section “Teens Deserve a Say,” explain in your own words how supporters of lowering the voting age say it could reinforce what young teens learn in school. (Skill: Paraphrasing) 
Supporters of lowering the voting age say it could reinforce what young teens learn in their civics and government classes. In these classes, students study how elections work and the importance of voting. Giving young teens the right to vote, some people say, would help them apply what they are learning in a realistic and meaningful way. It would help bring the lessons students learn in school to life. 

Synthesize Information 

The article features five teens who have taken a stand in the fight to lower the voting age in their communities or states. Direct students to synthesize key details about the teens’ efforts by creating a graphic organizer. Students can create a chart or diagram to present information about the teens. Students should include details about the teens’ locations, motivations, courses of action, and progress. 

Your Turn: Voting Age Essay Contest 

Direct students to the “Your Turn” writing prompt at the end of the article. Students should use the Skill Builder Argument Writing Toolkit, which will guide them in choosing a side, gathering support, and constructing an essay. Invite students to use specific details from the article and from their own lives to support their stated opinion. 

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use the Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.