Day 1:
1. Ask students if they or their parents have every voted for anything.
What or who were they voting for? Do they think voting is important?
Voting is one way citizens can participate in a democracy, and is often
the activity we think of first, but there are many other ways a citizen
can participate.
2. Have students brainstorm a list of ways they can participate in
government (local, state, and national levels). Write ideas on the board
and have students write down the methods as well. Compare their results
to the list below. Is anything missing?
- Reading different sources of newspapers/ magazines
- Voting in school or classroom election
- Running for/Holding a public office Holding a group discussion about
a political issue
- Trying to convince someone to vote a certain way
- Drafting a petition or signing a petition for a cause
- Wearing a button or putting a sticker that has a political message
Giving money to a party or candidate
- Writing a letter to your local representative about an issue that
concerns you
- Campaigning for a candidate
- Writing a letter to the editor of your school paper or local paper
Attend a school board or local county board meeting
- Making a public comment at a board meeting
- Organizing an after-school group to discuss issues
- Volunteering
- Keeping yourself informed of the goings-on by reading/watching the
news
- Serving the country through military or civil service
- Disobeying laws and accepting the consequences to show that a law
or policy is unjust Serving as a juror Participating in a protest
march or boycott
- Joining an interest group
3. How many students have participated in ways that students brainstormed?
Have all the students begin standing and start going through the list.
Are there any students left standing by the end of the list? Ask the
students the following questions:
- Are you surprised by the results? Why or why not?
- For those of you who don't engage in activities, why? (lack of education/practice,
intimidation, no one else is doing it, can't vote yet, etc)
- Of the list of methods of participation generated, which would
you be most likely to engage in? Least likely to engage in? Why?
4. Have students take the list home and ask their family members to
check which of those activities they have participated in. When did
they engage in the activities, do they still participate, what keeps
them from participating more (if this applies), and which methods of
participation they think are most advantageous/desirable and why. Students
should write out their answers to turn in.
Day 2: Have students discuss their results from the assignment in the
large class setting. What have their parents participated in? Who was
surprised by the amount of participation? Which methods did parents
like the most and why?
Day 3:
1. Activity:
Campaign Committees: Tell the students that now it's time for the students
to think of specific local issues they care about. What kind of issue
would motivate them to take action? Have students brainstorm a list
of five or ten items. For example, school issues like dress code, prayer
in school, lunch concerns, community service requirements. Encourage
students to think outside of their school community to address issues
such as local curfew laws, skateboard parks, students riding in cars
with other students under 18.
2. Split students into groups of 6 or 7. Each group represents a campaign
committee for a local mayoral candidate. (Have each student group pick
a candidate.) What result would they like to see to the issues raised
above, how would the result address the concerns raised, and how would
their solution address everyone's concerns, not just theirs? Have each
group draft policy statements on three different issues that include:
1) What is the policy and why is it important?
2) Why is this policy good for the public and the community.
3) What are the steps that need to be taken to implement this policy?
3. Have each mayoral candidate present the drafted policies for the
candidates. Have the class take a class majority vote to see which candidate
would win. Why did students vote for one candidate over the other and
why did the winner prevail?
4. Assignment: Have each group pick one issue they focused on
in the last activity and investigate what their city officials' (whether
it be the mayor or school board president) actual stance is and why.
This information may be found in local papers, on the web, or students
may need to contact the appropriate official. Give students a week to
gather the information.
Day 4: Activity: Writing to a Representative
Now that the students have gathered the information on a local issue,
have them draft a letter to their local official agreeing or disagreeing
with the position. Letters should
1) convey their opinion,
2) list three reasons supporting their opinion and
3) ask for a response. Students should peer edit their letters
before sending them out.
Sources consulted: Chin, Tanya and Clayton DeKorne. "Defining Issues:
Exploring Civic Awareness and Political Involvement in Your Community".
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lesson/20020509thursday.html
"How Can Citizens Participate?" http://www.civnet.org/resources/teach/lessplan/level2b.htm
Copyright 2003 Citizen Advocacy Center. All rights reserved. No part
of this lesson plan may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior, written permission of the Citizen Advocacy Center.
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