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U.S. Government

How to Vote 

Explore how voting is part of your civic responsibilities and how to become a first-time voter. 

Engage

Examine this Flipbook on Civic Responsibilities. 

Analyze

First Time Voter

Genre: Video | Creator: USA.gov | Date: 2018 

Background 

The video “First Time Voter,” from USA.gov, provides information about how to register to vote. 

Collaborate

Lift-A-Line Poem 

Have students identify one line from First Time Voter that they particularly noticed. Have them use this line to write a Life-A-Line poem. Students should: 

  • Start with the line they lifted from the sources; and 
  • Write several lines that communicate an idea or emotion connected to the source or chapter. 

Teacher Resources

Think Like a Political Scientist

Use this additional sourcing information to further contextualize the source in order to deepen students’ analysis and evaluation. 

Summary

This video from USA.gov provides some basic information on how to register to vote, especially if doing so for the first time. It lists the requirements for registering as well as how to go about voting once you’re registered. 

Purpose

Per the USA.gov website, this video’s purpose is to get first-time voters ready to vote by giving them key information they’ll need in order to participate in this civic duty. The video’s purpose is also to emphasize the need to conduct further research into what the state requirements are where a voter lives. 

Intended Audience

First-time voters, or voters registering in a new state, are the targeted audience for this video. Additionally, American citizens or immigrants to the country who are not currently able to vote may be interested in the video’s content. 

Source Considerations

Although the video addresses the different state requirements for both registering to vote and actually casting a ballot, it leaves out what specifically those requirements are. 

Scaffolding and Differentiation

Use the following information to provide reading comprehension support. 

Media

The video about first-time voter registration infuses graphic images and text to support the audio. Have students reflect on these artistic choices, naming the specific techniques that helped them best remember information from the video. 

Organization

This short video contains a lot of information. Students might get confused about the different processes related to voting. Urge them to think in terms of the video’s three main ideas: eligibility, registration, and voting. 

Analyze and Discuss

To extend discussions, consider asking the following questions.

  • What examples of symbolism, exaggeration, and/or clarification do you notice in the video?
    • (Answers will vary but might include the simple three-item checklist for registration requirements (clarification); the cheering and fireworks graphic around “you can vote” (exaggeration); and the mailbox graphics (symbolism).)
  • Using these examples, what conclusions can you draw about the graphic artist’s message?
    • (The artist wanted to simplify the voter registration process for those who have never done it before. They included helpful graphics (like a mailbox to show that something might be sent or received by mail) and used bold text for important words so that registering seems easy.)

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