Wit & Wisdom® Grade 2 Module 3: Civil Rights Heroes
Set 4: I Voted, Book 2
Informational
Fundations® Focus Concept: Double Vowel Syllable
(oi /oi/ join; oy /oi/ joy; oa /ō/ goal; oe /ō/ woe;
ow /ō/ show)
88% Decodable at Fundations® Level 2, Unit 13
95% Decodable with Recurring Content Words
Book Summary
Expanding the Right to Vote
When the United States was formed more than 200 years ago, people were granted the right to elect their leaders. Among the first to vote were adult men who owned land. As time went on, people worked to expand the right to vote. First, the U.S. Constitution was changed to give black men the right to vote. Then, it was changed again to give women the right to vote. Next, laws were passed to grant citizenship to Native Americans and more Asian Americans, giving the right to vote to more people. Other laws were passed to protect this right by removing unfair taxes and required tests. In the 1970s, the Constitution was changed again to lower the voting age to 18 years old. Later, a new law was passed to protect the voting rights of people with disabilities. Today, more Americans can exercise their right to vote because of people who fought for justice.
Teacher Note
Consider modeling how to read citizen and Constitution. Students may benefit from practice with these words. Also, before beginning the book, consider sharing the More section (on the inside back cover) to provide more context about the Constitution of the United States of America.
Students may benefit from a more nuanced description of the expansion of voter rights. For example, consider explaining that until 1962, some states restricted the voting rights of Native Americans even after they were granted citizenship in 1924.
World Connection
The United States is one of 125 countries in the world today that are considered electoral democracies. An electoral democracy is a country whose citizens vote to elect its leaders.
illustrations by Chuck Gonzales written by Catherine Schmidt
Fundations® Alignment
Fundations® Decodable Words through Level 2, Unit 13 after all Americans and being black born boys but by casting demanded elect(ing) enjoy(ed) enter expand for formed gave granted grown had hard homes in it join kept land lead (v.) led long made make marched marches men more Native not older on or over own(ed) pass(ed) past pay pointed protect protested protests ramps reading reformed represent sent so speak States still take tax(es) test(s) than thanks that them then those time toil under unjust U.S. vote(s) went wheelchairs white with years
Fundations® Alignment
Fundations® Trick Words through Level 2, Unit 13 a again America as been both change could country from has have many new now of only out people right(s) said some the their they to wanted was were where who worked would
Words Not Yet Decodable in Fundations® through Level 2, Unit 13 ago Asian buildings changed citizens Constitution disabilties fight(ing) groups justice law(s) United voice voted voting war women
Recurring Content Words Routine Additional Vocabulary Practice
One of the words you will see in this book is law
This word is law.
Read it with me: law.
In this book, the word law is a noun that means “a rule made by the government.”
The constitution is the law of the land.
Law
Read it with me: law.
Turn to your partner and use law in a sentence.
Other Recurring Content Words: buildings, disabilities, fight(ing), justice, laws, voice, women
Let’s talk about another word in this book.
This word is toil.
Read it with me: toil
In this book, the word toil is a verb that means “to work very hard for a long time.”
Many Americans enjoy the right to vote because of people who toil for justice (p. 14).
Toil
Read it with me: toil
Turn to your partner and use toil in a sentence.
What key details tell you more about the main topic?
Choose an image from this book and explain how it helps you better understand the main topic.
Specific
What is the purpose of this book?
The purpose of this book is to explain how voting rights have changed over time.
Why was it still hard for black people to vote after the 14th and 15th Amendments were passed?
It was still hard for black people to vote because taxes and unjust voting tests kept many black people from voting.
Notes:
How did women get the right to vote?
Women got the right to vote by marching, protesting, and demanding change for many years.
Women got the right to vote when the 19th Amendment was passed.
How has the voice of the people grown over the past 200 years?
The voice of the people has grown because more people have been given the right to vote.
It has grown because of people who work for justice.
Image Discussion Guide
Possible Opening Questions
What do you notice about the images? What do you wonder?
What can you learn from the images? How do the images build your knowledge?
Page Things to Notice More to Discuss
title page
Those circles look like pins.
opposite page 1
Numbers are across the top of the page.
4 The women are wearing wide ribbons over their clothing.
Buttons or pins have been used to show support for political movements and candidates since the early days of the United States. Some people wore copper pins to support George Washington when he became the first president.
This timeline highlights important dates when voting rights laws changed in the United States. The enlarged numbers on pages throughout the book indicate the years shown in the illustrations.
Women wore these sashes during rallies, parades, and other political events in the early 1900s. The word suffrage means “the right to vote.” People who fought for the right to vote were known as suffragists.
8 The sign says “Poll Tax.” In the late 1800s, many southern states adopted new laws that required citizens to pay a fee to vote. This tax was designed to prevent people who had been enslaved and some poor white people from voting.
Notes:
Teachable Moments
Text Features | Using a Timeline
Timelines can show the order of events and highlight important moments. In this book, a timeline is used to note key dates in the expansion of voting rights in the United States. The featured dates on the timeline are enlarged to draw attention to them.
In the opening spread, the date 1789 is bigger to note the year when the U.S. Constitution was written.
Ask: “According to the timeline on page 2, in what years were the 14th and 15th Amendments passed?”
Then ask: “In what year was the 19th Amendment passed?”
Encourage students to look back to page 4 of the text to support their thinking.
Vocabulary | Categorizing Words
When we sort, or categorize, words or phrases, we group similar words. Many words and phrases in this book relate to voting. Two examples are the word passed and the phrase casting a vote. Passed means “approved.” When a law receives enough votes, it gets passed. Casting a vote means “submitting a ballot marked with your voting selections.”
Ask: “What other words or phrases in this book relate to voting?”
Examples include change(d), citizens, country, elect(ing), laws, right, and vote
Consider extending this learning by encouraging students to describe the connection between any two words or phrases in relation to voting. Examples could include “Only citizens can vote” and “Voting can change laws.”
Response Journal Ideas
Describe the events of this book in order. Use sequence words.
Describe a connection between two events in this book.
