The Class Vote

The class has enough time for one garden project. Charlotte wants a flower patch. Some friends want a little pebble path. “How can we choose?” asks Mr Hill.

The children look at pictures of both ideas. They talk about who could use each one. “A path could keep our shoes out of the mud,” says one friend.

“Flowers could give insects food,” says Charlotte. Mr Hill listens to both ideas. “Everyone can have a say,” he says. “We will each have one vote.”

Each child gets one large wooden token. They put it beside the picture they choose. Charlotte chooses flowers. Her friends make their own choices. No one moves anyone else’s token.

They count the tokens together. The pebble path has more votes. “The path is our first project,” says Mr Hill. Charlotte feels disappointed. She still likes her flower idea.

“You can still like your idea,” says Mr Hill. Charlotte looks at the garden again. “Could our path go beside the flowers that are already growing?” she asks.

The class tries that route with a long rope laid flat. They check there is space to walk. Mr Hill helps them plan the work. Adults will carry the heavy materials.

Soon the class walks along its new low path. Charlotte notices a bee on a nearby flower. “Our votes were different,” she says, “but we helped make one class plan.”