According to the 2023 CIRCLE youth poll, young people are ready to drive political action, and 41 million Gen Z are eligible to vote this year. See the top issues young people care about below.

But few election stories are produced by youth.

PBS News Hour Student Reporting Labs (SRL) sought to change this through its special seven-episode season of "On Our Minds," a teen life podcast focused on the issues and impacts of the 2024 election for young people.

Directions: Watch the above trailer to learn more about the series. Then pick the episode you'd most like to listen to and complete the "So I Will" activity. Or you can choose to answer the questions accompanying each episode.

• "So I Will" is an activity from "Two-for-One Teaching: Connecting Instruction to Student Values" by Lauren Porosoff and Jonathan Weinstein (Solution Tree 2019). You may also answer the questions accompanying each video and share your responses with your classmates.
  
  This activity asks students to consider how interacting with a particular primary source may have changed their thinking, and how that change might in turn shape their actions. Use the following prompts:
  
  First I thought…
  
  Then I heard (or read)…
  
  Now I think…

Episode 1

What does America mean to you? SRL hosts discuss this question and also interview PBS News Hour's Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins about her early involvement in politics.

Ask students:

1. Do you think the American Dream is achievable for all people living in the U.S. today?

2. Knowing what you know about U.S. history, was the American Dream ever a reality for everyone? Did all people have a right to "unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," as stated in the Declaration of Independence?

Episode 2

How much power does your vote have? What if you're right-leaning and live in a blue state? Or left-leaning and live in a red state? Or what if you're from a U.S. territory, like Puerto Rico and don't have full voting rights?

Ask students:

1. After watching the episode, do you agree with the students' belief that no matter what, you should still vote?
2. In addition to U.S. territories, learn who else may not be able to vote in the list below. Do these rules seem fair or democratic to you? Explain your response.

• Non-citizens, including permanent legal residents, cannot vote in federal, state and most local elections.
• Some states do not allow convicted felons to vote. Check this guide from vote.gov to understand the laws in your state.
• Some people who have a mental disability may not be able to vote depending on the state. Learn about your voting rights.

Episode 3

SRL reporters interview Averie Bishop (D-TX) and Wyatt Gable (R-NC) who are both running for a seat in their state legislature on Nov. 5. Hear from one of the country's youngest mayors, Jaylen Smith from Arkansas, about the impact he's had in his small town.

Ask students:

1. Would you consider running for office in the near or distant future? Explain.
2. Would you vote for someone based on their age alone? What other factors might you take into consideration?

Episode 4

The Electoral College determines the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. But why does the U.S. have this system?

Ask students:

1. Do you think the Electoral College should be abolished? Explain.
2. What could be done to improve it?

For more: Try this lesson plan for a deep dive into the question: Should the Electoral College stay or go?

See the transcript here.

For more:

Click here to find out more about other issues that matter to many young voters. What would you add to the list?

Stay tuned for more episodes!

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