2008 Presedential Election Vocabulary

Because of the election tomorrow, my mentor teacher at school planned a week's worth of lessons about the election. I didn't realize how fun it was going to be! Today, with each of my four classes, we got a set of vocabulary words about the election. The students were to use these words in a sentence. I love reading the sentences they come up with.. but these were so much more fun! Along with their vocabulary words, they had to write an "I wonder" sentence about what they wonder about the elections outcomes.

Vocabulary words: ballot, election, Democratic Party, Republican Party, inauguration, Barack Obama, John McCain, voter registration

They had the definitions to each word and I explained them very carefully so they could use them in sentences... and this is what we got:

Election
The people was at the election.

Democratic Party
They had a Democratic Party yesterday.
When did they first throw their Democratic Party?
I wish I could go to the Democratic Party.

Inauguration
My brother does not know what inauguration is.
I wonder when HEB Plus inauguration.

Barack Obama
Barack Obama was once a president.

Voter Registration
I am not registration to vote.

Now for the "I wonder" statements...
Most people put this: "I wonder who will win the election." or "I wonder if Barack Obama will win the election." Only one person wondered what will happen to John McCain.
But then we had some others:
I wonder if Oracka Obama will win.
I wonder if Obama will be assassinated before he is elected.

Then...I had some great conversations with the kids:

Kid: So... Mrs. Bean... what is the Decorated Party? Is that where you decorate a party...
Me: No, it's the Democratic Party.. it has nothing to do with parties.

Me: (Quizzing children about the candidates) Ok.. which party is Barack Obama in?
Kid: Black!

Kid: We need a president so we can get a new mall.

Kid: Mrs. Bean, did you vote?
Me: Yes.
Kid: Who did you vote for?
Me: Don't worry about it, it's not any of your business.
Kid: I bet you voted for John McCain.
Me: Why do you say that?
Kid: Y'all are the same color.
Me: Mmmmk.

Since I work in a school of mostly black children, it's very interesting to see what they are thinking about the election. Clearly, they all want Obama to win. And I think it's interesting to see that some of them, from conversations, think it's about race. Who knows what their parents tell them. I will only get more interesting as the week goes on....