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Tasks: Is Gerrymandering Undermining Democracy in the United States?

Take the quiz:

Here is a quiz related to the text about gerrymandering. Take the quiz to check what you remember.

Roleplay:

Work in groups of three.

One person is an expert on gerrymandering, one person is a Norwegian journalist who does not speak English, one person is the interpreter. (If you are more than three people in the group, you may add an expert.)

  • The journalist asks questions about gerrymandering in Norwegian.

  • The interpreter translates the questions into English.

  • The expert answers the questions.

  • The interpreter translates the answers into Norwegian.

Keep going until the expert has shared all his knowledge about gerrymandering, and the journalist has enough information to write an interesting article.

Explain:

Study the graphics, and write a short text where you explain what it tells us about diversity in Congress. Be specific.

US Congress by race/ethnicity. Infographic.
US Congress by race/ethnicity. Bilde: Statista / CC BY-NC 4.0
Description of the statistic:

This description is intended to assist those of us who find the infographic difficult to see or read.


Title: How diverse is Congress?

Text: Members of the 117th US Congress by race /ethnicity.

Blue circle = African American

Red circle = Hispanic

Purple circle = White

Green circle = Asian/Pacific Islander

Orange circle = American Indian


We then see two boxes. Above the boxes it says: 'House 439'.


Inside the first box is the word: 'Republicans'.

We see the following circles inside the first box:

194 purple circles

3 blue circles

10 red circles

3 green circles

3 orange circles


Inside the second box is the word: 'Democrats'.

We see the following circles inside the second box:

119 purple circles

52 blue circles

2 circles that are half blue and half red

2 circles that are half blue and half green

2 circles that are half green and half red

33 red circles

14 green circles

2 orange circles


Above the next two boxes it says: 'Senate 100'.

Inside the first box is the word: 'Republicans'.
We see the following circles inside the first square:

47 purple circles

1 blue circle

2 red circles


Inside the second box is the word: 'Democrats*'.
We see the following circles inside the second box:

42 purple circles

2 blue circles

1 circle that is half blue and half green

3 red circles

2 green circles



Below the boxes there is a text that reads:

* and independents

Excludes two vacant House seats as of Jan 20, 2021. Includes delegates and coissioner of Puerto Rico as of January 7, 2021.

Sources: House.gov, Senate.gov, CBS

Research:

Work in groups. Choose one task. Research the topic and prepare to have a conversation about it.

Information about the conversations

In Norwegian we have the term 'fagsamtale'. This means having a professional conversation about a specific topic.

During the conversations the students talk to each other and build on what the different members of the group have to say. The teacher is present and can engage in the conversation and ask questions.

These kinds of conversations are a form of presentation, but the form is less rigid. The goal of the conversation is to demonstrate that you have knowledge about the topic, and that you have the language skills to communicate what you know.

Conversations have no script, so they may seem less predictable and more intimidating than an ordinary presentation. If you are afraid that you will forget what you plan to say, bring along a piece of paper with key words that can prompt your memory.

  1. Find out how widespread the problem of gerrymandering is. Are there specific examples of parties gaining political advantage through gerrymandering? Discuss whether gerrymandering is a serious threat to the democracy in the United States.

  2. In addition to gerrymandering, 'voter suppression' is a challenge to democracy in the United States. Find out what is meant by voter suppression. Find examples of voter suppression and discuss whether voter suppression is a serious issue in the United States today.

  3. Is gerrymandering a uniquely American phenomenon? Find out if it is happening in other parts of the world today.

  4. In Northern Ireland the Catholic minority has struggled to get political representation. Find out more about how they were prevented from getting representation and how this has changed today.

Write:

Choose one of the tasks and write a text of maximum 800 words.

  1. Write a speech where you try to convince your audience about the importance of the principle 'one person, one vote'.

  2. Imagine that you are an American politician who has been accused of attempting to engage in gerrymandering and voter suppression to stay in power. Write a letter of rebuttal where you justify your actions.

  3. Imagine that you are a voter who has noticed that gerrymandering has taken place in your electoral district. Write a letter to the editor where you try to convince newspaper readers that this is an injustice.

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