CLASS VISIT ACTIVITY Guide - National Constitution Center

ACTIVITY TRAILVISIT ACTIVITY11Become a Time Traveler2Voting Booth Activity2345678The chronology wall that stretchesaround the outside of the NationalConstitution Center’s permanentexhibit tells the history of the UnitedStates through narrative panels,interactive activities, and historicartifacts. Along this timeline there aregaps in the glass, forming small rooms.These rooms allow visitors to step backinto history. Stepping into these rooms will allow your studentsto become time travelers in American history.1. Once you exit Freedom Rising, walk along the ChronologyWall, the outside path of the exhibit that begins at the largeblue Preamble Wall. Give each student a copy of the Becomea Time Traveler Data Sheet (p. 17). After you go through theentire path once, divide students into groups of two or three.Each group will go to different rooms in the exhibit. Choosefrom the following:• The Founders’ Library (1787) • Prohibition (1919)• Capture of Anthony Burns (1854) • Fireside Chat (1942)• Antietam Battleground (1862) • Schoolroom (1954)345678George WashingtonThomas JeffersonAbraham LincolnTheodore RooseveltWoodrow WilsonBetween the American National Treeand the Oath of Office interactivesare eight voting booths similar to theones you see on Election Day. Onceinside, students are able to vote forone of ten former American presidentsthey believe is the best president inAmerican history. Their choices are:Franklin D. RooseveltHarry S. TrumanDwight D. EisenhowerJohn F. KennedyLyndon B. Johnson1. When you reach the voting booths, tell students that theyare going to be able to vote. Remind them that it is importantto be educated voters, so they should watch some of the videoabove the voting booths to find out about the presidents.2. Next, have each student pick one president from thelist. They will each have to tell the other students why thatpresident should get their vote. They don’t have to prepare abig speech; it can be as short as a campaign slogan.2. As you approach the first room (The Founders’ Library),drop off the first group of students, making sure they all havetheir Become a Time Traveler Data Sheets. Remind them tostay in the room until you come back to get them.3. Moving along the timeline, drop off each group of studentsat their chosen room. When you get to the end, walk to theleft of the end wall and you will find yourself back at thebeginning. Pick up each group of students from their assignedrooms.4. Once you have gathered each group, use the followingquestions to guide the students’ discussion of the informationon their data sheets..Discussion:What events are taking place in the room you went into?Why is the time period you were in important?As an active citizen, what might you have done toimprove this period?Choose someone from that time whom you would like tomeet. What do you think that person would want to improveabout our current time period? As an active citizen, what canyou do to improve that issue?3. The students should now go into the booths and vote.Discussion:After each student has had a chance to vote, begin to discussthe following questions:Why did you vote for the person you chose?What makes a good leader?Have you ever gone to vote with your parents?What do you remember about that experience?What are some of the requirements for you mustmeet in order to vote?Must be at least 18 years oldMust be a United States CitizenMust live in the state in which you are trying to vote for aperiod of time determined by the stateMust be registered to voteDo you think voting is important? Why? Why not?What opportunities do you have in school topractice your right to vote?12© National Constitution Center