School Bulletin Board Ideas: The Voting Process

It's that time of the year again... election day brings excitement for some and disdain for others. The politicians start campaigning so early, and the media coverage is so redundant, that by the time the day rolls around most of us just want elections to be over already.

Elections are a great way to teach students about the voting process, however. The following article was composed with high school students in mind, but the suggestions can easily be adapted for middle or elementary school bulletin boards as well.

Originally published, June 2012

High School Bulletin Boards the Voting Process

High School bulletin board displays on the voting process are an opportunity to supplement classroom learning and prepare young adult students for life beyond the classroom. A colorful and attractive board seen by students on a daily basis can help interest them in voting and inspire them to learn more about the process.

Most high school students have some idea of how the voting process works. By the time they become old enough to register, they have voted in at least one classroom and/or school-wide election of some kind. Many have listened to their parents and other adults discussing candidates during numerous election periods and have most likely accompanied their parents to a polling location on voting day.

Quite often with the average teen information goes in one ear and out the other. In some communities teachers may find that teens not only do not understand how to register to vote, they may not are about voting or understand why it is important. In situations like these, a voting process bulletin board that includes a historic timeline across the top or bottom might be a good idea.

Other useful items to include on this type of bulletin board display are a copy of a voter registration card, as well as a National Mail Voter Registration Form. These can be used with arrows and graphics to show the various stages of the voter process from registration to actual voting.

Graphics such as Uncle Sam pointing in the “wants you” pose, an image of a poll box or voting booth, photos of popular celebrities that students admire with quotes on voting, can be combined with the factual information on the voting process to help illustrate the bulletin board’s theme.

If multiple boards are being created on the voting process each one can be dedicated to a different aspect of it. If only one board will be used, it will be important to get as many of the most important facts across as possible in the available space.

When creating a bulletin board display for more informed student populations, it may be useful to include a list of the constitutional amendments that have extended voting privileges. A FAQ of relevant bullet points can also reinforce what students have already learned or introduce little known facts about the voting process and its history.

Voting isn’t the most exciting topic for teens, but an attractive, brightly colored bulletin board featuring the favorite hip hop artist, reality star, or athlete of the week wearing a Rock the Vote T-shirt, will more than likely get them to stop and read about the voting process.

How Public Libraries Guarantee Access To Knowledge

Libraries are a valuable resource which should never be taken for granted. They provide the public at large with free access to a plethora of materials, the variety and diversity of which having expanded greatly in the last few decades to include everything from digital items to garden seed.

The following article was previously published September of 2012


The role of public libraries in guaranteeing access to knowledge

Public lending libraries have long held an important role in providing communities with valuable access to books, periodicals, and other materials free of charge. Libraries have also served as meeting places for community groups as well as venues for poetry readings and receptions.

The opportunity to walk into a public library and have access to more books than any one person could hope to acquire on their own on every known subject is invaluable. In addition to books, modern libraries also offer newspapers, magazines, literary journals and other periodicals, music recordings, and movies. Large libraries, usually the main branch locations, also offer microfilm, special archives and collections, and resource centers. Some libraries also offer tutoring to develop computer skills.

As the communities they serve have changed over time, the role of public libraries has evolved further and further. They increasingly provide more access to new media, which for some is the only hands-on access they have to new information and technology.

The guaranteed access to knowledge that public libraries provide is more important than ever before as underserved populations become aware of what libraries have to offer and the advantages afforded in using them. This is particularly the case in the age of ebooks as now proximity and location are no longer an issue.

In addition to books on how to do just about everything imaginable, individuals seeking information on grant opportunities can find a wealth of resources at public libraries. The extensive reference collections at public libraries, though not necessarily available for borrowing, are vital to students as well as anyone conducting historical research.

Children’s story time is a valuable resource for parents that also fosters the love of reading in children. For some children, attending these events may even spark the desire to become a writer. Public libraries that present author readings by poets, fiction writers, biographers, and others, bring communities face to face with role models and sources of inspiration, and afford them the opportunity to further engage and ask questions.

Since their inception, public libraries have provided countless individuals with limitless hours of virtual adventure and entertainment, as well as multiple resources for learning new information, viewing other cultures, achieving goals, and accomplishing tasks.

The role of public libraries in guaranteeing access to knowledge to everyone can best be summed up in the words of Ray Bradbury: “Without libraries what do have we? We have no past and no future.”