Election Day 2024 For Kids – Classroom Activities Kamala Harris and Donald Trump

Are you teaching a unit on Election Day, looking for Election Day 2024 For Kids Activities, the presidential candidates, or voting? Would you like to incorporate some non-fiction, informational texts into your instruction? Well, several years ago, during an election season, I began to think about how to teach my primary-age students about the upcoming election and involve them in the process.  

I created differentiated texts for various readers about the candidates, found ways to incorporate math and literacy skills into the election process, and created a mock election in my classroom.  My students had a wonderful time learning about the president and vice president’s roles, voting, and the candidates! With the 2024 Presidential Election approaching soon, I want to share those resources and ideas with you!

Differentiated Texts to Get to Know the Election Day 2024 Candidates

As a First Grade teacher, I try not to get into political issues in the classroom.  Instead, I wrote factual biographies about the presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, as well as the vice presidential candidates, Tim Walz and JD Vance. Included are emergent readers and reading comprehension passages about what the president does, how to be president, what the vice president does, and the 2024 presidential election candidates (Kamala Harris, Tim Waltz, Donald Trump, and JD Vance). Each Election Day topic contains an emergent reader, reading and comprehension passage for beginning readers, reading and comprehension passage for advanced readers, learning organizers, and answer keys. The differentiated, text-based evidence-reading passages will allow your students to practice reading comprehension skills. Included with each differentiated reading passage is a comprehension check consisting of multiple-choice and/or written response questions. Questions include basic recall and higher-order thinking skills. These passages can be used in various settings –  whole group, small group, or independent work. If desired, the Election Day reading passages can also be used without the comprehension checks. 

Mock Election Day 2024 for Kids

After we read and learn about the candidates, on Election Day, I let my class participate in a mock election.  I kept it simple with a ballot and a ballot box.  The students fill out a ballot, cast their vote, and receive an ‘I Voted’ sticker.  I have created ballots with the 2024 presidential candidates, as well as alternative ballots if you prefer to have your students vote on options besides the 2024 presidential election candidates. Alternative voting options include topics such as pets, school subjects, school activities, art materials, and seasons. Graphing data sheets are also included for these alternative voting options.

Analyzing Data

After everyone casts their vote, we count the votes and analyze the data.  We graph the votes for each candidate and answer questions about the data.  

Literacy Skills

In addition to reading grade-level text, I also incorporate literacy skills such as ABC Order into our Election Day learning.  I teach the election vocabulary words throughout our learning, then students color vocabulary pictures, cut the cards out, place into ABC Order, and then glue onto another sheet.

If you like all of these activities and would like to do them with your class, I have created an Election Day A 2024 Resource Packet that will help you engage and teach your students interesting and important facts about voting, what the president and vice president do, how to become president, and the presidential and vice presidential candidates. The 116-page Election Day 2024 For Kids learning resource is intended for First-Third Grade students. If you would like to do these activities with your class, you can click here to grab the unit!

The entire unit includes:

Introduction to the Election Materials

• Election Vocabulary Cards
• Voting Emergent Reader
• Voting Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Lower Level of Difficulty)
• Voting Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Higher Level of Difficulty)

• What Does the President Do? Emergent Reader
• What Does the President Do? Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Lower Level of Difficulty)
• What Does the President Do? Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Higher Level of Difficulty)
• Presidents Organizer

• How to be President Emergent Reader
• How to be President Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Lower Level of Difficulty)
• How to be President Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Higher Level of Difficulty)

• What Does the Vice President Do? Emergent Reader
• What Does the Vice President Do? Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key  (Lower Level of Difficulty)
• What Does the Vice President Do? Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Higher Level of Difficulty)
• Vice Presidents Organizer
• President VS. Vice President Organizer

Candidate Materials

• Who is Kamala Harris? Emergent Reader
• Kamala Harris Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Lower Level of Difficulty)
• Kamala Harris Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Higher Level of Difficulty)
• Kamala Harris Organizer
• Who is Donald Trump? Emergent Reader
• Donald Trump Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Lower Level of Difficulty)
• Donald Trump Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Higher Level of Difficulty)
• Donald Trump Organizer
• Donald Trump and Kamala Harris Organizer
• Who is Tim Waltz? Emergent Reader
• Tim Waltz Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Lower Level of Difficulty)
• Tim Waltz Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Higher Level of Difficulty)
• Tim Waltz Organizer
• Who is JD Vance? Emergent Reader
• JD Vance Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Lower Level of Difficulty)
• JD Vance Reading Passage, Comprehension Check, & Answer Key (Higher Level of Difficulty)
• JD Vance Organizer
• Tim Waltz and JD Vance Organizer

Class Voting Materials

• Class Voting Activity
• Election Day Posters
• Voter Identification Cards
• Voter Ballots
• Voter “Stickers”
• Who Will Win The Presidential Election? Graphs
• Alternative Class Election Ballots and Graphs
• Election Day ABC Order Activity
• Election Day Making Words Activity

All Answer Keys Are Included

Happy Learning!