Redistricting and Gerrymandering Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn how state legislatures and governors can manipulate the redistricting process to gain an advantage for their party in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures. Students will learn what constitutes gerrymandering and the typical types of gerrymandering used. Students will role play state legislators and collaborate to draw both gerrymandered and not-gerrymandered districts. Students will consider the foundational redistricting case Baker v. Carr (1962) and classify arguments made in the case. In addition, students will evaluate the proper role of the U.S. Supreme Court in state redistricting cases. 

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Explain how state legislatures and governors can manipulate the redistricting process to gain an advantage for their party in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures;
• Define and use in context the terms: packing, cracking (diluting), compact, contiguous, gerrymandered districts, and not-gerrymandered districts;
• Apply redistricting concepts to draw both gerrymandered and not-gerrymandered districts;
• Classify arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr (1962); and
• Evaluate the proper role of the U.S. Supreme Court in state redistricting cases.