Teaching About Redistricting and Gerrymandering

Introduction

Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts, which occurs every ten years following the U.S. Census. The goal of redistricting is to ensure that districts reflect population changes so that each representative has an equal number of constituents. Gerrymandering, however, is the manipulation of these district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group. This practice can create unfair advantages and undermine democratic principles by distorting representation.

Teaching about redistricting and gerrymandering is important because it helps students understand how political power can be influenced by the way electoral maps are drawn. It also allows students to see how these practices impact voting rights, representation, and the functioning of democracy. By discussing these topics, students can better understand the importance of fair elections and the need for reforms to ensure equitable representation for all citizens, regardless of political affiliation.

Resources

There are multitudes of resources available online for teaching about redistricting, many of which address gerrymandering along with the topic. This topic tends to be more tailored toward students in grades 7-12, but it can be covered at a basic level with younger students.

Lesson Plans

1. Academy 4SC: Find videos related to redistricting and gerrymandering at Academy 4SC, including a basic overview of gerrymandering and the 2013 Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder. Teachers have access to resources like worksheets, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more included in each topic’s lesson plan. Explore Academy 4SC’s full library of applicable content under the tag Voting Rights.
2. Redistricting and Gerrymandering: KQED, a local PBS station in San Francisco, has put together a lesson plan that aims to help students define and analyze the concepts of redistricting and gerrymandering, exploring their implications on voter representation and potential reforms. Activities include a quick write prompt, group discussions, jigsaw presentations using resources from KQED’s reporting, and independent practice through reading and reflection on the topic.
3. Why do Lines Matter? Gerrymandering and the 14th Amendment: The McCormick Foundation’s lesson plan consists of standards-referenced activities for two to four class periods of instruction on the topic. These lessons are guided by essential questions, such as “Does my vote count?” and covers topics such as the process of district reapportionment, the Equal Protection clause, and the Gill v. Whitford case. Students find details from linked sources, and follow a step-by-step sequence to explore the topic.
4. A Gerrymandering Game: The New York Times created this interactive game that students can play to experience the process of redistricting, and better understand the mechanisms often used to produce gerrymandered districts. Players have to create districts in a fictional state following US law. In addition to the game, the site provides teachers with warm-up and recap activities, including writing and discussion prompts.
5. Mini-lesson: Gerrymandering: iCivics Education created this high-school focused lesson that discusses both redistricting and gerrymandering. The lesson includes readings that demonstrate the background of the germ redistricting, and methods of “packing” and “cracking” sometimes used to influence election maps. The culminating activity is a media focus to consider the media’s role in the redistricting process.
6. Redistricting and Gerrymandering: C-Span Classroom offers this lesson that relates to several Supreme Court cases that covered the topic of redistricting. The lesson provides links to several videos that inform students about the history and background of redistricting, and where redistricting laws came from. Each step of the lesson is focused on a specific question, such as “What are the federal and state requirements for creating districts?” Plan includes multiple assessment options.

Articles

1. Gerrymandering Explained: The Brennan Center, inspired by Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., published this article that explains gerrymandering effectively. This article explains how the process is “deeply undemocratic”, and opposed to the democratic intent of the redistricting process. The conclusion is that gerrymandering has a real, measurable impact on the balance of power in the US Congress and within individual states.
2. The Redistricting Wars: Vox published this article shortly after the 2020 census which set the stage for the next round of congressional redistricting. This article provides a background for the practice of redistricting, and illustrations on how this process is sometimes used to dilute the voting power of a party within a state.
3. Gerrymandering: How it’s Being Exposed and How it Affects Your State: CNN Politics offers this overview of the redistricting process after the 2020 census, along with a look at specific states where this has happened in recent years. This article is an interview with Sam Wang, a professor at Princeton University, and the director of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.

Informational Sites

1. How Maps Reshape American Politics: The New York Times’ 2021 overview of the redistricting process describes how redistricting works around the country, with several colorful and animated illustrations that show more than just the history. The reader is taken through a step-by-step overview of how states use redistricting to control the outcome of elections, with several real examples from recent and more remote history.
2. Gerrymandering Project: Princeton University’s site provides a “report card” that rates each state on how gerrymandered the state is. Each state gets a score on Partisan Fairness, Competitiveness, and Geographic Features. Includes various  maps for each state, showing current and past redistricting plans. A detail-rich site with multitudes of information!
3. Dave’s Redistricting: This interactive site gives users the chance to attempt their own maps of any state. The site shows current and former maps, and users can get into a map and make their own border lines for the state. This process demonstrates how challenging it can be to create reasonable district maps within a state.

Other Resources

1. Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game: This 1-4 player board game provides players with the chance to draw districts. It takes 30-45 minutes, and can be played in a classroom with student groups. The Civic Educator provides this suggestion for using the game to teach about gerrymandering in a social studies classroom.
2. GerryMander: The Game: This interactive web game is a fairly simple puzzle challenge in which players draw districts to favor one party and dilute the voting power of the other. Players use real-life strategies to beat each theoretical puzzle. Inspired by the 2018 Supreme Court case Gill v. Whitford, this game is a great opportunity to teach about redistricting.

Videos

1. The Redistricting Song: A catchy overview of redistricting and gerrymandering in song format. Engaging images from ProPublica that give details about how parties use redistricting to reshape the election map. Shows a number of oddly-shaped maps from past years, helping to define “packed” and “cracked” districts.
2. Gerrymandering, Explained: USA Today created this video that explains redistricting historically, and then describes the way gerrymandering happens in states. A visually appealing video, with explanations and historical background, serving as an excellent overview for student understanding.
3. Gerrymandering: Controversial Political Redistricting Explained: The History Channel created this video that gives a lot of detail about the background of gerrymandering, giving historical details about Elbridge Gerry, and how he became known for the practice of reshaping districts for political benefit.
4. Why the US Supreme Court Made This Map Illegal: Using an example from the state of Alabama’s attempts to reshape their map after the 2020 census, Vox provides an overview of the process and the laws that must be followed. This focuses on how states are required to create minority opportunity districts, in which minorities are the majority of the population.

Conclusion

Teaching about redistricting and gerrymandering is important and can also engage students in meaningful discussions about fairness and democracy. It is crucial that teachers help students recognize the impact of these practices, not just on political outcomes but on the lives and voices of citizens across the country. By exploring these concepts, students will gain a deeper understanding of how redistricting can either support or undermine fair representation. Ultimately, from these lessons, students will learn about the processes behind political power and critically examine why ensuring fair district boundaries is essential for a healthy democracy!