Tales of First Grade Part IV

So election day is a lot of fun in a class of first graders who already excel at repeating things they hear their parents say.

To start the day, in their morning journals I had them write who they wanted to win the election and why.  A few students didn't know who I was talking about when I said Barack Obama and Mitt Romney but when I put their pictures up, one little girl said "Oh I know them.  They're on tv ALL the time".  

Their journal entries were a great read, and included gems like this:

"I wont (want) Barack obama to be the presadent bekas he is niss.  I theenk Barack obama shood be the presdent bekas he makes good rools.  i really like him.  He is niss.'

"I like Barack Obama because he is cole (cool) and I want him to be the presudedit."

"I lic Mitt Romney to win.  Becus he owes (always) wins.  He wind (As in the past tense of win) lashyer. (last year)"

"I vot fr (I vote for) Obama becs (because) he is more irit (interested (I had to ask him what that one said)) in the ome. (army)"

"I am voting for Romney bcus he will save are land.  and he is cooll.  and I wont him to be Presidint."

"I like Obama's name. (a solid reason to vote for someone)  Obama is cul.  I wont Obama to say that thir is a noo ilin (I want Obama to say that there is a new island.)"  --Me too kid, me too.

"I like Romney becus he is mejicl."  (That word is magical.  Magical Romney.)

"Romney should get watevs (whatevs?) he wants.  He shood say you doeen (doing) you job and you homok.  (Homework)"

"I theenk that miit Romney shood be presudint cus he is ruspektfolle (respectful.  I loved that one.) and he is cool.  and that is wiye (why) I theenk that."

"i like obama becus he is ckool and niss.  I lik you the moos.  (most.)"  Thanks kid.

"Mitt Romney.  he chood (should) be it.  cuz he he.  looks osum.  (awesome) I lick (like) his tiy (tie).  i lick his sgers.  (shoulders?)  I lick his her.  (hair)  I lick his eves (eyes)  I lick his shrt (shirt) I wonder what he licks.  Lick inside windos (windows) a corse (of course)  I do not lick it at all.  I lick him.  he look nis.  (nice)"  ---No idea what this chick was talking about.

And get ready for some first grade confused racism--- "I like Mitt Romney cus Barack Obama is a mecksin.  (Yep, a Mexican...)  And Obama shat (Shut.  Made me laugh so hard!) down a desert.  And I want Romney and Barack to be friends."  (Um... Okay?)


So anyway then we read a book called Duck For President about how a duck wanted to take over Farmer Brown's job so they held and election and he worked his way up to president.  We talked about what made duck a good candidate and why Farmer Brown was one as well.  We also talked about why we thought they were not good candidates.  Then we talked about campaign signs and where they'd seen them around town and what they're for.  They chose whether they wanted to campaign for Duck or for Farmer Brown and they made campaign posters and hung them around the school.  Then at recess, several of them went "on the campaign trail" and went around telling kids and teachers whom they should vote for.  I put them in groups and they "debated" about who would be the better president.

 

 

We also talked about why we register to vote and so they all filled out voter registration cards and at the end of the day we held the actual election.  They showed me their voter registration cards and put up folders so it would be a secret ballot.  Then they received an "I voted" sticker.  Farmer Brown won by just a few votes and the kids were either delighted or infuriated.

Some voter registration cards

The next day emotions were even higher.  For their morning journals I had them write how they felt about the results of the presidential election.  A few of them had changed their minds after overhearing parents talking...

"I am mad about Obama.  My brother is mad.  My mom is mad.  My dad is mad.  He is a bad man."  This was the same student who wrote the first journal at the beginning of this blog about Obama being nice, etc.

"I am happy because he is cul (cool) and i lik him.  He nis."

"mi (my) dad is hape (happy) mi mom is mad."

"Its ok.  He is a good pressdent."

"Obama is STUPID.  He tax (takes) our jobs and brak his promiss."

"i don't like that Bock Boma won.  He aredee (already) had a trn.  (turn)" ---Some solid first grade reasoning.