Geography · 10th Grade

Active learning ideas

Gerrymandering and Electoral Districts

Active learning works for gerrymandering because spatial data becomes meaningful when students create and manipulate maps themselves. Drawing districts forces them to confront the tension between geography and political outcomes in a tangible way, building critical thinking about power and representation.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Civ.2.9-12
• C3: D2.Geo.3.9-12

• 25–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Draw the Districts

Provide each small group with a grid representing a hypothetical state with two parties distributed across precincts. Groups must draw five districts following different goals: maximize Party A wins, maximize Party B wins, or create the most competitive districts possible. Groups compare results and discuss what principles should govern real redistricting.

Explain how the shape of a voting district can determine the outcome of an election.

Facilitation Tip

During the Simulation, circulate to listen for students describing 'packing' or 'cracking' as they draw, rather than just focusing on shape.

What to look for

Present students with two maps of a hypothetical state: one drawn fairly and one gerrymandered. Ask them to identify at least two visual clues on the gerrymandered map that suggest manipulation and explain why those clues are significant.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Real Gerrymanders

Post large printouts of notorious gerrymandered districts around the room (North Carolina's 12th, Maryland's 6th, Illinois's 4th). Students rotate in pairs, annotating each map with the packing or cracking strategy used and the demographic or political group targeted. Pairs share findings in a whole-class debrief.

Evaluate who should have the power to draw electoral boundaries to ensure fairness.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, assign small groups to focus on one case map and prepare a two-minute analysis of the district's partisan impact.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Who should have the ultimate authority to draw electoral boundaries in the US: elected officials, an independent commission, or the courts? Why?' Encourage students to support their positions with evidence from the lesson.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Structured Academic Controversy
• 60 min · Small Groups

Structured Academic Controversy: Who Should Draw the Maps?

Students research four redistricting models: state legislatures, independent commissions, courts, and algorithmic methods. Each group advocates for one model, presents evidence, then switches sides before the class reaches a consensus position on the best approach.

Design a fair electoral map for a hypothetical region.

Facilitation Tip

In the Structured Academic Controversy, give teams five minutes to prepare their strongest argument before switching sides for rebuttal.

What to look for

Ask students to write a short paragraph explaining the difference between 'packing' and 'cracking' and provide one example of how each strategy could impact election results in a specific district.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Analyzing Your Own State

Students individually research the current congressional district map of their own state using publicly available mapping tools. They identify any unusual shapes, then pair with a classmate to hypothesize the strategic logic. Pairs share their most striking finding with the class.

Explain how the shape of a voting district can determine the outcome of an election.

Facilitation Tip

During the Think-Pair-Share, have students record their partner's state analysis on a shared document for later reference.

What to look for

Present students with two maps of a hypothetical state: one drawn fairly and one gerrymandered. Ask them to identify at least two visual clues on the gerrymandered map that suggest manipulation and explain why those clues are significant.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by balancing data analysis with ethical debate, avoiding the trap of presenting gerrymandering as a simple left-right issue. Use real maps with demographic overlays so students see how geography, population, and politics interact. Emphasize that solutions require structural changes, not just partisan blame. Research shows students grasp abstract concepts like 'packing' better when they see it visually and then discuss its human impact.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how district shapes influence election results and defending their views on who should draw the maps. They should recognize gerrymandering strategies in real examples and articulate structural alternatives.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Simulation: Draw the Districts, students may assume gerrymandering only benefits Republicans.

  During the Simulation, deliberately include maps from states like Maryland and Illinois where Democrats have gerrymandered, having students calculate seat advantages in both parties' maps to see the practice is bipartisan.

• During the Case Study Gallery Walk: Real Gerrymanders, students might interpret any oddly shaped district as gerrymandered.

  During the Gallery Walk, give students a data sheet for each case that includes Voting Rights Act requirements and minority community locations, so they learn to distinguish legitimate legal districts from partisan manipulation.

• During the Structured Academic Controversy: Who Should Draw the Maps?, students may believe the Supreme Court has fixed the gerrymandering problem.

  During the Controversy, provide the Rucho v. Common Cause decision summary and have teams research state-level solutions like independent commissions, making clear federal courts no longer oversee partisan gerrymanders.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Gallery Walk
• Structured Academic Controversy
• Think-Pair-Share