After the Count / Teaching guide

Teaching guide

A real-election investigation studio about how votes become seats or an office. Students make an opening prediction, operate checks and comparisons, defend a design and identify evidence that could change their minds.

After the Count. Colored ballots pass through civic gateways toward parliamentary seats.

Publication-edition instructions. The PDF and Word manuals supply the full curriculum and case-specific teaching notes. This web guide adds the current Just exploring / For class routes and clarifies what to collect. No student account, class code, automatic gradebook or instructor dashboard is required.

Learning goals

Trace a result through local plurality, a list threshold, a majority runoff or MMP.
Use the correct quantity, unit, denominator and numerical comparison.
Separate recorded outcomes, held-fixed calculations and predictions about behavior.
Defend a representation priority, acknowledge a cost, compare cases and specify reconsideration evidence.

Historical route and model boundary
Case	What students establish	Limit they must retain
UK 2024	Local first places award seats. Compare the actual totals with a fractional national benchmark.	A fractional benchmark is neither a whole-seat allocation nor a forecast of behavior under reform.
Israel 2022	Valid votes, qualification and seat allocation are distinct. Use the valid-vote denominator and round a qualifying vote cutoff up.	The threshold lab changes eligibility, not exact alternative seats or government stability.
Liberia 2023	Plurality on October votes selects its leader; November was a fresh majority runoff.	The historical rounds have different voters and totals. Net changes do not identify individual switchers or a single-rule causal effect.
New Zealand 2020	5% OR an electorate win opens list allocation. Electorate seats fill part of total entitlement.	Local winners retain their seats if list eligibility changes. Other alternative totals and overhang cases are not computed.

Choose a route and endpoint

For class requires each case explanation and challenge record plus the final comparison. Just exploring makes that writing optional while preserving checks, comparisons and recommendation choices. Switching to class keeps drafts and reopens filed cases missing written work. An exported record identifies the selected route. Completion is not a grade or proof of independent mastery.

Prepare and pace

No advance country knowledge is assumed; rules, dated evidence and tap/focus/hover definitions are supplied. A calculator is useful. Plan about 75 minutes provisionally, or divide into two meetings with JSON backups. Reserve discussion time within your course plan and pilot the pace before a timed assignment. Individual work can precede paired explanation; each learner needs a separate notebook.

Assess reasoning

Use the manual’s 10-point rubric: 0–2 for each of the five dimensions below. Score what the response demonstrates, with full credit for a defensible political choice you do not share.

Mechanism: the stated operation accurately connects votes, eligibility, seats or office.
Evidence and quantities: a relevant figure, correct unit and denominator support the claim.
Model reasoning: fixed inputs and a meaningful allocation or behavioral limit are explicit.
Trade-off judgment: a value is defended, a cost accepted and reconsideration evidence named.
Comparison and transfer: the strategy travels to another case with a substantive difference acknowledged.

Do not score the party helped, selected reform, speed or use of accessibility support. The notebook preserves submitted checks and support timing when available; it does not automatically assess written reasoning. Report supported practice and independent transfer separately where useful.

Debrief

Where did a vote total change meaning between a national total and a local victory?
Which lab result is a controlled held-fixed calculation, and which comparison also changes the participating vote pool?
What would make a preferred rule fairer by one standard and worse by another?
Which observation would challenge your recommendation? What would you need beyond these cases?

Collect work

Assign a readable TXT or printed/PDF notebook through your usual course system. A JSON is principally a portable progress backup. Students must upload submissions themselves. Saves are separate on each website. Remind students to export at the midpoint and endpoint.

Teaching downloads

The reviews use AI-simulated perspectives and technical checks. Human comprehension, actual completion time and learning effects have not been established. Pilot procedure and review evidence.