Core Skills Analysis
Social Studies
Ivy examined a map of the 2016 election results, identified which states were colored for Democrat or Republican, and wrote the names of the states that were missing from the map. She learned how political parties were distributed across the country, recognizing regional patterns such as the South leaning Republican and the West Coast leaning Democratic. This activity helped her understand the concept of electoral geography and the significance of each state's vote in a presidential election. She practiced comparing visual information to textual data.
Geography
Ivy worked with a political map of all 50 states and wrote the names of the states that were absent from the map. She reinforced her knowledge of state locations, shapes, and names, and connected each state's position to its political affiliation in 2016. By locating missing states, she sharpened her spatial‑reasoning and map‑reading skills. She also observed how geography can influence voting trends.
Mathematics
Ivy compared the number of states shown for each party to the total of 50, calculated how many were omitted, and determined the proportion each party represented. She practiced basic arithmetic, fractions, and percentages by finding the missing count and the share of Democratic versus Republican states. This reinforced her ability to interpret quantitative data presented in a visual format. She also gained experience converting raw counts into percentages.
Language Arts
Ivy wrote the names of the missing states, which required her to spell each state correctly and organize the list clearly. She engaged in concise written communication, selecting appropriate nouns and formatting the information in a readable way. This activity supported her spelling, punctuation, and the ability to convey factual information in writing. She also practiced editing by checking her list against the map.
Tips
To deepen Ivy’s learning, have her create a bar graph that compares the number of Democratic and Republican states and discuss any regional trends she notices. Encourage her to research one missing state’s 2016 election results and write a short paragraph explaining why that state voted the way it did. Finally, let her design her own election map for a mock election, assigning colors and then swapping roles with a classmate to critique each other's maps for accuracy and completeness.
Book Recommendations
- The Great American Election by Susan Wengraf: A kid‑friendly overview of how U.S. presidential elections work, with colorful maps and simple explanations of party politics.
- If I Ran for President by David Catrow: A humorous picture book that follows a child's imagination of running for office while teaching basic civics concepts.
- Map It! Atlas of the United States by Gareth H. G. James: An engaging atlas that combines state facts, geography, and fun quizzes to reinforce map skills.
Learning Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey facts clearly.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7 – Interpret information presented in charts, graphs, and maps.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.C.4 – Represent and interpret data using charts, tables, and graphs.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.NF.B.3 – Understand fractions as parts of a set and use them to compare quantities.
- C3 Framework D2.Geo.1 – Identify and locate places on maps and describe spatial relationships.
- C3 Framework D2.Civ.3 – Analyze how government decisions affect people and places.
Try This Next
- Worksheet: Fill in the missing states on a blank U.S. map and label each with its 2016 party color.
- Quiz: Multiple‑choice questions on which party won each state in the 2016 election.
- Writing Prompt: Explain why a missing state might have voted Democrat or Republican in 2016, using at least two pieces of evidence.
- Data Chart: Create a pie chart showing the percentage of Democratic vs. Republican states.