MORRISDALE, Pa. -- They may be too young to vote in this election, but that has not stopped eighth-grade students from West Branch Area School District from voicing their opinions about who they believe should be the nation's next president. Each armed with a hand-painted sign, students lined the street in front of their school chanting, "Vote for McCain," "Let's end the drama. Vote for Obama," and "Go Nader."

The exercise, which included a last ditch voter registration drive, capped off weeks of non-partisan study and analysis of the 2008 presidential election in both the classroom and at home.

"The goal is not only to educate students, but to help that conversation and dialogue at home, so students are more aware of why they think the way that they do, what their parents believe, and what they might do in four years when they can actually go out and cast their ballots," said civics teacher Joe Matson.

Students cited issues such as abortion, guns and energy independence as topics that struck a chord with them.

"It's pretty interesting just to find out about who is going to be ruling our country," explained eighth-grader Levi Kephart.

For some students, particularly young women, Republican Vice Presidential Nominee Sara Palin's entry into the race peaked their interest.

"I think she knows a lot about the issues," said Ryan Lajoie.

Matson's philosophy as a teacher is to provide students with opportunities that are meaningful and authentic. The voter registration drive helped to register all 105 seniors who were eligible.

"The kids need to be politically active," said 12-grade citizenship teacher Jennifer Brickley. "That's one thing I emphasize in my class. In four years I will see these eighth-graders as seniors. I'm hoping this experience will have an effect on them in the future."

Matson said that "by encouraging students to know more about the issues and know more about the candidates, we are fostering a situation where students are aware and can make decisions when they are eligible to vote."