Race and Politics of Redistricting: Who Will Win?

This curriculum unit will be created for use in a high school Mathematics classroom but could be used in a United States History or Civics classroom while the history of voting and the politics of voting rights are taught. As part of the processes of choosing leaders, Americans have long been inundated with political messages proclaiming the merits of candidates and policy positions. Legislation has passed in both the Congress and State governments that directly affect both adults’ and students’ lives in Philadelphia. My students are unaware of their ability to have an impact on who governs or on the laws passed by elected officials. They frequently do not connect the real world with the material they are learning in school, particularly math, and are heard to ask, “Will I ever use this?”

During a presidential election year, this unit will provide an understanding of the electoral process and expand their knowledge of how politicians in general and the president specifically are elected. They will also link the political process and math, probability and several mathematical models for analyzing votes. Students will be challenged to draw conclusions based on data they have collected in their school community and extrapolate to the Pennsylvania system for electing the President.