Voting Rights: Then vs Now
Discussion Prompts for American Government Students

What can we learn from these Freedom Summer student volunteers?

Do you think that nonviolence can be effective in making changes today?

Have voting rights been secured for all Americans today?

What does the Constitution say about voting and who is allowed to vote?

Is there any reason to be concerned about minority access to voting rights in the United States today?

Are activism and protests still useful tools/instruments for the people in our modern democracy? Why or why not?

Is violence sometimes justified in a democracy? If so, when is it and when is it not?

If you could interview a Freedom Summer volunteer today, what would you ask him or her?

Should ballot access and voting rights be a partisan issue?

Is voting a right or a privilege?

What are the pros and cons of elections being controlled at the state and local levels?

Additional Classroom Teacher Resources:

Electoral Dysfunction (endorsed by the NCSS) documentary on the electoral college and electoral system in the United States.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7xXlS7gYKE (Video link for 36-minute video)
https://teachingcivics.org/lesson/6583-2/ (Lesson link)
http://electoraldysfunction.org/wp-content/uploads/Electoral-Dysfunction-Curriculum-Guide.pdf (Curriculum Guide)

Grade Level: 9-12

Ohio’s Learning Standards: Social Studies, AMG.9-12.3

Resources: Voting Rights: Then vs Now Discussion Prompts PDF file.