Friday, March 31, 2000
Students turn election into game
Kids race to win electoral votes
BY KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEWPORT — Fifth-graders at A.D. Owens Elementary know a few things about running for president. It's like playing Monopoly.
A group of 14 fifth-graders played “The Election Game” Thursday as part of their studies on the presidential election.
“They've learned how we elect a president,” said Cathy Gregory, who teaches fifth grade.
When the lessons started, many of her students didn't know about the electoral college, so she introduced a game her husband came up with about 10 years ago. He teaches middle school social studies at St. Mary's in Alexandria.
“This is probably the first election they've tuned into,” she said. “Hopefully they'll tune in to watch some of the conventions.”
The board game allows two students to “run” for president while two others play as campaign managers, whom the candidates consult on game strategy.
With each roll of a die, a player moves around the board. States are grouped in sections such as the Farm Belt, the Industrial East and the Pacific Northwest.
Land on a state square,
snag a point. One point counts as an electoral vote. When one player gains six of the total electoral votes for a state, he wins the state.
“They've learned that it takes 270 electoral votes to elect a president,” Ms. Gregory said. “They've also learned where you do most of your campaigning and why.
“They know why not to spend too much time in three-point states like Alaska and Hawaii and why (candidates) are in New York as long as they are and in California.”
As in the real election, sometimes it's up to chance. That's why “Chance” cards are included in the game.
Big business might throw a major contribution to a candidate's campaign so he'll pick up a vote each in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Missouri. Or, a patriotic speech by another may earn her points in another state.
Skiing in Vail, Colo., and missing a plane always cause a player to lose a turn.
“It'll teach you not to ski while you're on the campaign trail,” Ms. Gregory said.
Benjamin Koester, 11, was three for three for the afternoon. He was now President Koester among a small group of boys.
“I really don't have a strategy for it,” he said.
But pal Michael Riley, also 11, said he's watched his classmate and knows what makes him win.
“It's the weird way he rolls,” Michael said.
Each said he learned something from the game: how many electoral votes each state has, which are more important than others and that census counts could change those numbers.
As for President Koester's choice for the real president, he likes Al Gore.
“I just think he'll be a good president,” he said. “He seems like he's really nice and he knows what he's doing.”
The young president did have a little advice for Mr. Gore.
“Keep rollin',” he said.
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