Developed by Val Folz
Butler Tech School of the Arts
Fairfield Township, OH

This lesson plan is available as a printable PDF (link)

Lesson Plan Summary:

Inspired by Muse Machine’s 2024 Summer Institute: Get in the Groove! Foundations for a Funky Classroom, this lesson by high school social studies Val Folz uses a Battle of the Bands competition to teach a fundamental standard of American History. Students create a scoring system based on the Electoral College for a schoolwide music competition. After learning how the Electoral College works, students choose performance categories representing Battleground States and then create a scoring grid aligned with them. The lesson’s timing coincided with a Presidential election, but its application is timeless. This lesson is easily adaptable to any project where scoring results are chosen and measured and is effective because students must understand the electoral process to prioritize the criteria.

Instructor: Valerie Folz, Butler Tech School of the Arts
Title of Lesson: Electoral College Meets Battle of the Bands
Date of Implementation: August 2024
Subject Area & Grade Level: Government, grades 11 and 12
Summer Institute Inspiration: Dayton Funk’s tradition as a Battle of the Bands

OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON

Summary:

Students will create and participate in a system for scoring Battle of the Bands that mirrors the U.S. Government’s Electoral College.

Standards:

Ohio’s Learning Standards: Social Studies, Social and Emotional
American Government, Basic Principles of the U.S. Constitution Content Statement 11: Constitutional amendments have altered provisions for the structure and functions of the federal government

SEL Competency C: Social Awareness C3: Demonstrate an awareness and respect for human dignity, including the similarities and differences of all people, groups and cultures; C4: Read social cues and respond constructively.

SEL Competency D: Relationship Skills D1: Apply positive verbal and non-verbal communication and social skills to interact effectively with others and in groups.

SEL Competency E: Responsible Decision-Making E4: Explore and approach new situations with an open mind and curiosity while recognizing that some outcomes are not certain or comfortable.

Objectives & Outcomes:

Objectives

Students will…

Identify factors leading to Dayton becoming the birthplace of funk music and explain how Battle of the Band competitions fueled funk’s development by watching a clip from a documentary and debriefing as a whole group.
Define the following terms: Electoral College, Electors, battleground or swing states, popular vote, safe state, political parties, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and battle of the bands.
Create their own version of the Electoral College by writing a Battle of the Bands ballot.
Strategize how to win Battle of the Bands by taking lessons for the Trump and Harris campaign teams.

Outcomes

Students will be able to share ideas with a team and strategize how to achieve common goals by rewriting the Electoral College rules with their band and strategically approaching the competition like a Presidential candidate.

Teaching Approach(es):

Small group
Whole group discussion
Video excerpts and discussion

Assessment Tool(s):

Kahoot
Brainstorm recording
Student entrance ticket
Teacher check-in with students during group planning
Student survey
Sentence stem reflections

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

I can use political ideas and actions in other areas of my life, and in doing so better understand political ideas and actions.
I can read social cues and respond constructively.
I can demonstrate an awareness and respect for human dignity.
I can explore and approach new situations with an open mind and curiosity while recognizing that some outcomes are not certain or comfortable.

LESSON PREPARATION

Teacher Needs:

Teacher Context & Research

Helpful Hints

When students are working in band groups, establish guidelines for everyone facing every other group member; require at least two juniors to speak first in a brainstorming session to promote equity.
Give students as much time as possible to interact with each other to problem solve and practice social emotional skills.
In general, this lesson’s time frame is tight so adding additional time or starting promptly at the top of the bell will be paramount to reaching all goals.
After students learn how the Harris and Trump campaigns are strategizing to win voters in swing states, student bands will have opportunities to strategize for Battle of the Bands. To help students, scaffold strategizing by asking the whole class what actions Harris and Trump were taking and generate examples for what that might look like at SOA. Then, in small groups students will have specific ideas as a starting point for their own approach.

Student Needs:

Prior Knowledge

This lesson is designed to be implemented at the beginning of a school year, so no prior knowledge about content vocabulary is required. However, background knowledge about the Presidential election is helpful. Students will all bring with them unique feelings about the Presidential election, but most high school students are forming their political identities and excited to learn current events to grow in confidence about their identity.

Regarding the funk competition piece, students need to be coached to trust the process and feel comfortable trying something new, in a new environment and probably out of their comfort zone. Students will have knowledge of their home school cultures, but only the seniors will understand it is normal at Butler Tech School of the Arts to take risks, and we support each other for doing so by giving attention to performers, explaining our understandings to each other, and providing feedback in a growth mindset framing.

Finally, some students will have background knowledge about funk music and Southwest Ohio’s ties to the genre, while others will not. It’s important to give everyone an opportunity to learn about and celebrate Dayton funk because one’s community is a part of their identity, and this can be a source of pride for all.

To get a better understanding of how this lesson fits with the lessons of my colleagues to build a school community, please see this slide deck (link).

Student Voice

They will be able to share their ideas with their peers daily as they learn and move through the essential questions in dialogue and assessment activities. This will help them develop their understanding of the content, relate it to their lives, build relationships with others, and identify what they’re unsure of.

Second, students will be able to influence how the Battle of the Bands is structured and judged. Students will brainstorm ideas with their bands for an initial proposal for how the Electoral College rules will transfer to our funk competition, and then students will also be able to edit what I create based on all group proposals.

At the end of the entire experience, students will provide feedback in a survey that will inform how future activities like this take place at our school. Students will have a voice within the lesson and within the building culture moving forward.

Vocabulary

Electoral College: A body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president
Electors: People chosen by their political party to elect the president and vice president based on the vote in their state
Popular vote: An act of voting by all the people in a country or area; the choice expressed through the votes cast by the electorate
Battleground state/swing state: A US state where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters
Safe state: A US state where one major political party has a clear advantage in its support among voters
Donald Trump: The Republican nominee for President in the 2024 election cycle
Kamala Harris: The Democratic nominee for President in the 2024 election cycle
Battle of the Bands: A high school competition in Dayton in the 1960s and 1970s that became a fertile environment for many young funk acts; a competition between bands where the audience votes for their favorite

EVIDENCE OF OUTCOMES

There are formative assessments that gauge student understanding as this lesson progresses.

On Day One students will identify factors that contribute to Dayton becoming the birthplace of funk as a whole group, and then individually reflect on their introductory knowledge with sentence stems as they exit. The purpose of this assessment is for students to learn about the factors that helped cause funk to emerge in Dayton. This content provides the “why?” explanation for focusing on the genre of funk, instills local pride, and showcases some history and cause/effect content that can be helpful in forming political identity.

On Day Two, learning about the Electoral College will be evaluated. Students will play a Kahoot to judge their understanding of the basic components. Any misconceptions should be addressed immediately. Kahoot can help build relationships because it’s a game while also preparing students for the Ohio American Government End of Course Exam because of its multiple-choice format. Later in the lesson, students will transfer their knowledge of the election process to how Battle of the Bands should be scored. This activity requires students to thoroughly understand the election process because they will be creating a new scoring system based off it. If their ideas don’t mirror the Electoral College, it’s evidence that clarity is needed. Creating something new is challenging and takes time. Students should brainstorm as a group to build social emotional skills and help each other if there are gaps in content knowledge.

On Day Three, an entrance ticket will be given to address any misconceptions discovered based on assessment data during days one and two. Touch base on any lingering questions that remain. After students learn how the Harris and Trump campaigns are strategizing to win voters in swing states, student bands will have opportunities to strategize for Battle of the Bands. To help students, scaffold strategizing by asking the whole class what actions Harris and Trump were taking and generate examples for what that might look like at SOA. Circulate once bands have an opportunity to strategize themselves to judge how students are applying content in their competition, offering support where needed.

LEARNING PLAN

Teaching Inquiry Question

How can Dayton funk’s Battle of the Bands tradition help students understand the Electoral College?

Essential Questions

What factors led to Dayton becoming the birthplace of funk music?
How does the way a competition is scored change the approach of participants?
How can I apply strategies of political campaigns to competitions I am in?
How can I work with others to showcase our group strengths as we achieve our goals?

Resources/Materials

Hook

Daily hooks will be implemented in the form of a bell ringer small group, and then whole group discussion.

Main Lesson Narrative/Sequence

Day 1 (28 minutes)

Daily Goals: Identify factors that contributed to Dayton, Ohio being a birthplace of funk music; Unpack end goals for SOA Groove

Bell Ringer: If you could be a gold medal Olympian, which sport would you choose?

Activities:

1. Discuss the bell ringer question in small groups and then have approximately 4 students share out to the whole group. Explain that today we’ll see how competition in art can fuel creativity and create community, like the Olympics.

2. Watch clip (2:04-5:25) from the University of Dayton student documentary on Dayton funk that explains how Dayton became fertile for the birth of funk and the role the Battle of the Bands had in motivating musicians.

3. As a class, identify factors that contributed to Dayton’s birth of funk, especially noting the role of the Battle of the Bands.

4. Have students turn and talk to their classmates: Think of a time when you’ve been in a competition. What did you get out of that experience?

5. Explain that the SOA Groove workshops will lead to a Battle of the Bands in eight days. Ask students what political competition is underway right now (November election campaigns, especially the Presidential election). Inform students that the school Battle of the Bands competition will be scored in a similar manner to how the U.S. elects its President and Vice President.

6. Have students reflect by completing one of the following sentence stems:

a) One thing I learned in this session is…

b) After this workshop I feel…

c) This workshop reminded me…

d) One question I have is…

Day 2 (34 minutes)

Daily Goals: Understand the Electoral College; Brainstorm Battle of the Band judging that mirrors the Electoral College

Bell Ringer: What states or countries do you plan to live in as an adult?

Activities:

1. Discuss the bell ringer question in small groups and then have approximately 4 students share out to the whole group. Explain that where one lives impacts the influence of their vote for the U.S. President because of the Electoral College.

2. Pass out the handout on the Electoral College and show students the TEDEd video so students can get an overview of the process. Stop the video at key points to explain how the electoral votes are distributed; how many votes are required to win; how this process influences campaign strategy; and how Ohio’s position has changed since the video was created. Ask what questions students have.

3. Check for understanding with Kahoot.

4. Put students into their band groups. Pass out the brainstorming paper asking students to ideate how the Electoral College could be implemented in our Battle of the Band competition. Collect papers. After all groups have brainstormed, synthesize student ideas into a draft to be edited by students tomorrow.

Day 3 (34 minutes)

Daily Goals: Review and edit Battle of the Band Electoral College voting process; Strategize like a presidential candidate to win Battle of the Bands

Bell Ringer: Are you a competitive person? What competitions are important in your community?

Activities:

1. Discuss bell ringer questions in small groups and then have approximately 4 students share out to the whole class. Explain to students that in today’s session we’ll strategize like presidential candidates to win Battle of the Bands.

2. Because we were short on time Friday and cut out the Kahoot formative assessment, give students a 2-minute entrance ticket to assess their knowledge of the Electoral College. Clarify any misconceptions and unanswered questions during the class.

3. Arrange students with their senior/junior partners. Give each pair a draft of the Battle of the Bands Electoral College to critique. Ask students to make notes on their paper for what they like, what needs improvement, and what confuses them. Students can make any additional notes they see fit. Alternatively, pass out a copy of the draft to each student, and read the draft aloud as students annotate with their thoughts and feelings.

4. Have pairs join their larger band groups to share their thoughts and then come together as a whole group to discuss. After all sessions, synthesize student edits into a final Electoral College Battle of the Bands competition. Post the final edit online for all students to see and/or email them.

5. Show students how Harris and Trump are strategizing to win the 2024 election with this video. Discuss the importance of battleground or swing states using 270towin.com. Break down the various strategies Harris and Trump are using to win over voters. As a whole group, brainstorm how we could translate these strategies into our Battle of the Bands competition. Ask students what questions they have.

6. Give students remaining time to strategize what categories in the Battle of the Bands Electoral College are “battleground states” for them. Check in with groups to judge understanding and help strategize.

Demonstration of Learning

Students demonstrate their learning through a series of formative assessments, creation of the Battle of the Bands Ballot (link), their performance on stage in the Battle of the Bands competition (link), and through a post-experience survey reflection (link). The social emotional learning standards are best evaluated through observations during daily lessons, the performance on stage, and in the post-reflection survey. The social studies content standard is best evaluated through the ballot creation process and team strategizing session during Days One and Two.

Final Review

I will know what students have learned through the formative assessments and the student survey.

The Kahoot/Electoral College Check-in (depending on which formative assessment is used based on time) will illustrate what critical content information students understand and retain after watching the TedEd video. If students are unsuccessful (less than 70 percent class average on the Kahoot) or many blank/incorrect responses on questions 1 on the Check-in, the lesson must pause, and the Electoral College must be explained in greater detail. Without an understanding of the Electoral College, it’s impossible to build a system of scoring for Battle of the Bands that mimics its format.

The Electoral College meets The Battle of the Bands workshop/brainstorm paper will give me the biggest insight to the depth of knowledge students have about the Electoral College prior to the student survey. If students can think creatively about how we could create electors, how points should be divided to mimic the electoral count given to each state, I will know they understand major ideas. If they know where and how to problem solve, mastery will be obtained. If students aren’t asking questions like, “How will one band earn 270 points if there are 20 bands? The U.S. has primaries, so will we have something like that?” then they don’t feel motivated and/or this lesson is too high a level given the time constraint. I will need to make modifications and support.

LESSON REFLECTION

Students

After this experience, the entire student body completed an online survey to help shape our school culture and evaluate how well lesson goals were achieved. ChatGPT was used to help analyze the results. Here are the key findings related to this lesson:

Top 5 Points of Clarity Around the Electoral College

1. Understanding the Electoral Vote System:
Many students mentioned that they now have a clearer understanding of how the electoral vote system works, specifically how votes are tallied and how the popular vote within a state translates to electoral votes for candidates. The concept of needing a certain number of votes (e.g., 270) to win was frequently understood.

2. Role of Delegates and Electors:
The process by which delegates or electors are chosen and how they cast their votes was another area of clarity. Students understood that electors typically vote in line with the popular vote in their state, although the system’s nuances still left some with questions.

3. Importance of Swing States:
Students gained a better understanding of why certain states, known as swing states, are critical in the electoral process. The strategic importance of focusing campaign efforts on these states due to their potential to swing the overall election was made clearer.

4. Discrepancy Between Popular Vote and Electoral College:
The distinction between winning the popular vote and winning the Electoral College was clarified for many students. They now understand that a candidate can win the popular vote nationally but still lose the election if they do not secure enough electoral votes.

5. Impact of State Votes:
Students also learned about how the distribution of electoral votes among states affects the overall election. The explanation of why some states have more electoral votes than others, based on population, was a key point of clarity.

Top 5 Areas That Need More Explanation

1. Origin and Purpose of the Electoral College:
Some students expressed confusion about the historical reasons for the creation of the Electoral College and its intended purpose. Understanding the rationale behind why the system was established and how it functions today remains unclear for some.

2. Calculation and Distribution of Electoral Votes:
While students understood that states have different numbers of electoral votes, the exact method of how these numbers are determined and why specific states have more influence was still confusing. The process behind assigning electoral votes based on population or congressional representation needs further explanation.

3. Process and Consequences of a Tie:
The process that occurs in the event of an electoral tie was another area where students felt they needed more clarity. Understanding what happens when no candidate reaches the required 270 electoral votes and how the decision is then made could be better explained.

4. Role and Autonomy of Electors:
Although students grasped that electors typically follow the popular vote, the concept of “faithless electors” or the autonomy electors might have in voting differently than expected was an area of confusion. More information on how often this occurs, and its implications would be beneficial.

5. Connection Between Popular Vote and Electoral Outcomes:
Some students still struggle with the relationship between the popular vote and electoral outcomes, particularly in scenarios where the electoral outcome differs from the popular vote. More detailed explanations on why this discrepancy occurs and its impact on democracy might help solidify understanding.

53% Percent of students rated their understanding of the Electoral College BEFORE the Funk Project at a 4 or 5 (out of 5)

91% Percent of students rated their understanding of the Electoral College AFTER the Funk Project at a 4 or 5 (out of 5)

Teacher

Overall, this lesson was a success at contributing to the larger social emotional goals of my school culture and of building understanding of the Electoral College. In a short amount of time students participated in a very active lesson to develop their understanding of the Electoral College, and most students rated their own understanding higher because of this lesson. Students took their post-experience survey just after voting, and I think some students better understand the Electoral College as winners were announced, and then the overall winner crowned. I am curious if the survey had been administered after the Battle of the Bands competition results were released, if more students would have grasped campaign strategies, and the importance of collecting a wide range of electors to reach 270.

The biggest pivot I would consider moving forward is to provide more structure for students as they brainstorm how the Electoral College could be transformed for a Battle of the Bands judging ballot. Our ballot split student bands into parties to mimic the two-party system in the United States and ensure one party would win, but we missed an opportunity to teach about the significance of primaries. If time allows, it could be neat to have Round 1 and Round 2 for Battle of the bands with primaries. Because many states in the United States require their electors to vote with the popular vote, our electoral votes in the Battle of the Bands competition automatically went to the party that won the popular vote. Still, there is an opportunity here to select student electors, perhaps from each art major.

I would repeat this lesson without hesitation because it gave pride to students, developed social emotional skills by building a community of trust in our building, and created immense motivation to learn more about our government. Although my biggest bummer with the lesson is I just didn’t have time to answer all unique questions about the Electoral College, and that we could have made the Battle of the Bands competition more closely mimic the presidential election process, I know have an entire group of students with some shared background knowledge who are hungry for answers. As we learn more about America’s government and our Constitutional Amendments, I will be able to call back to this lesson and reference it to deepen understanding. All students have this shared experience, providing equity and access. To have that at the start of a school year is a gift!