1. Have there been there any Irish elections or referendums that you would have liked to have been able to vote in?
2. If you were given the right to vote now, would you vote? 3. What do you think the legal minimum age of voting should be? 4. Would having the right to vote change your life?
Understand
1. According to Miriam, how have teens shown themselves to be ‘innovators and inspirers’?
2. In what year did Congress give voting rights to women in America? 3. According to Miriam, why are teens not given the right to vote?
4. What does Miriam suggest would be an effective way to increase voting interest among teens?
Explore
3 3
1. How do you know that this is an editorial and not a news article? Give reasons to support your answer.
2. Would you agree that this extract is a persuasive piece of writing? Use reference from the text to support your answer.
3. This editorial won a contest for young writers. Do you think this was worthy of winning? Give reasons for your answer.
Investigate Use your research skills to find other interesting editorials to share with your class. Create
1. Write an editorial on an issue that matters to you in the space provided on pages 66–67 of your Portfolio.
2. Organise a class debate on the following motion: This house believes that the legal voting age should be reduced to 16.
