April 7, 2011
How to keep kids in the election news loop
For those of us who have been around the block a few times, elections seem like old hat. But to children, they can be baffling. In fact, they may wonder why they should even pay attention.
It’s important that they become informed, because they will the be voters of tomorrow. Or at least we hope they will vote. Luckily, there is a website that explains the federal election campaign — along with a slew of other news — in a way that is easy for children to understand.
It’s called Teaching Kids the News, and you can find it here.
Check out this sampling from the site’s political primer for the election:
“There will be a federal election in Canada on May 2.
“Every Canadian who is 18 years or older and is registered to vote — even people in prison or who are out of the country — may vote.
“Although there are many people who are up for election, there are five main ones — one of whom will win.
“Each person who is up for election is a member of a different ‘political party.’
“A ‘political party’ is a group of people who all think the same way about things. They think the same way about how a country should be run, how it should spend its money and what is most important.”
Hmm. I think I know a few adults who could do with this primer . . . But seriously, this site really does a great job of setting children on the path to becoming informed citizens — people who actively take part in the affairs of our country rather than merely being passive consumers.
Know any kids? Let them know about Teaching Kids the News.