4th and 5th Graders Conduct Election Polls

As part of a joint unit on the presidential election, 4th and 5th graders at North Shore Country Day School have been “out in the field” interviewing people about what political issues are of most interest.

Fifth graders conducted their polls at the train stations and street corners in Evanston, as well as in two Chicago neighborhoods (Broadway and Argyle and Little India at Devon and Western). Their aim was to see how political trends varied between recent immigrants and other groups. They will compare data from their three polling locations and analyze differences, including how their data compares to national polls and 5th graders’ polls from the last election.

As part of their election unit, the 5th graders were visited by North Shore parent Sam Skinner, who shared his experience working in the Executive Branch as Secretary of Transportation and then as Chief of Staff to President George H.W. Bush. They also visited Cook County Clerk David Orr, who gave them a firsthand look at the actual voting process. Mr. Orr’s passion for his job helped inspire the students to write letters to recent North Shore graduates, urging them to exercise their right to vote.

Fourth graders traveled to Northwestern University, North Shore Senior Center and a Starbucks in Winnetka to see how polling varied between different age demographics. They polled in pairs, with one student collecting data on an iPad and the other asking questions.

Students will share their results with the rest of the Lower School this week. They will also hold a Lower School election and compare their results with the national election. In the past, the Lower School election has always accurately predicted who will be President of the United States.