The "Grow A Voter" curriculum developed for ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY deepens historical understanding, inspires civic engagement, and strengthens media literacy skills. Each standards aligned unit includes free curated film clips from the documentary, accessible here, along with suggested additional segments (referenced with time codes) available with an Amazon Prime membership. All film clips include transcripts for students to follow along. Used together, these resources provide an opportunity to “grow voters,” lift civic pride and engagement, and increase democratic participation well before the age of 18.
US History Unit: Race and Voting Rights in the United States
Lesson One: We the People: The Constitution, The State, and the Right to Vote
- Analyze why the framers of the United States Constitution did not originally enshrine the right to vote for all citizens and discuss the consequences of that decision
Lesson Two: The Expansion and Retreat of Voting Rights
- Trace the ebb and flow of voting progress and voter suppression from Reconstruction through Racial Terrorism and Jim Crow laws
Lesson Three: Framing Voting Rights Today: The 1965 Voting Rights Act to Shelby v. Holder (2013)
- Examine why the 1965 Voting Rights Act was a watershed movement in securing access to the right to vote and why the Shelby County v. Holder (2013) Supreme Court decision continues to be consequential in reversing this progress
Civics/Government Unit: Fair and Free Elections - Ending Voting Suppression
Lesson One: Modern Tactics of Voter Suppression
Lesson Two: Reforms to Address Voter Suppression
- Understand current tactics of voter suppression and how they change election outcomes
- Analyze current legal changes and protections from voter suppression tactics
Lesson Three: Every Vote Matters
- Develop strategies to empower voters and increase voter turnout
Media Literacy Lessons and Exercises: ALL IN for Civic and Media Literacy
Through a critical media and civic literacy lens, students will analyze the point of view, bias, and means of persuasion employed in All In: The Fight for Democracy.
Lesson Objectives:
- Watch the full documentary, All In: The Fight for Democracy
- Analyze the documentary using critical media literacy questions
- Demonstrate skills to ‘read’ film with a critical media literacy lens
Incorporated throughout the History and Civics lessons will be questions and exercises to strengthen media literacy awareness, skills, and habits of giving evidence-based answers. Look for the icon ( ) that denotes a media literacy focus.
