Subjects: Civics/government,
US History
Grade Level(s): 6-8
Time Frame: 3, 50-minute periods
Objectives [What the student should know and be able
to do at the end of the lesson]:
1.0 Overall: In this lesson, students examine the different
ways people can participate in representative government through
class discussions, group work, and investigation of primary
and secondary sources. Students then create television commercials
that inform viewers how to get involved in representative government.
Students will identify different forms of participating in
representative government and evaluate the importance of political
involvement.
Bloom's Taxonomy: CongressLink lesson plans are built
around Bloom's
taxonomy. The purpose of the taxonomy is to provide a coherent
format for lessons and to make it easier for teachers to design
them according to CongressLink's standards.
2.0 Knowledge: Students define change and list examples
of changes that could be made at the school level.
3.0 Understanding: Students recognize that actions
can lead to change.
4.0 Application: Students find examples of ways to
make change at the school level.
5.0 Analysis: Students categorize forms of political
participation and describe effective means of carrying them
out.
6.0 Synthesis: Students create a commercial that shows
different forms of political involvement.
7.0 Evaluation: Students justify the importance of
political involvement.
Procedure/Sequence
Class 1
Put students in groups. In groups, students make a list to
answer the following question-If you wanted to make a change
in the school, what are different ways you or your parents
could do that? After students have had ample time, discuss.
(sample responses: call, write, email principal, talk to
other students, have Student Council meet with principal,
PTA talk to principal, etc.) Give students "Contacting your
member of Congress" and women's suffrage letter. Explain
that these handouts give examples of ways people can make
changes through our national government. In groups, students
should read two sources. Using two sources to trigger ideas,
students complete "getting involved" handout: They write
down different ways people can participate in representative
government. For each avenue of participation, they explain
the actual steps needed in order to make that an effective
form of participation. (eg, write a letter to Congress-get
informed about issue, know proper format of letter writing
to Congressperson, find out name and address of person to
send to, write the letter!)
Class 2
Finish charts.
Discuss. Have students present what they came up with (or write
on board). Make sure key forms of participation are included
(voting, writing letters to Congress, meeting with Congressperson,
joining political organizations, becoming informed about issues,
running for political office, informing other people about
issues, etc.). Introduce commercial assignment: In groups (different
ones, preferably), students will create a television advertisement
that informs viewers about "How to get involved" in representative
government. (give them ideas, ie, a woman is overheard in a
drug store complaining about the high cost of prescription
drugs-another customer steps in with advice for how she can
make her views known and change things…OR a father comes
home from work and comments to his son that "those people
in Washington don't know how to run a country"-son responds, "well,
dad, what have you done about it?"). Students work on commercials
in groups.
Class 3
Students finish working on commercials.Students present commercials
to class.
Materials:
"Contacting your Member of Congress" [http://capwiz.com/cl/dbq/officials/]
"Form letter from E. Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucy
Stone asking friends to send petitions for women's suffrage
to their representatives in Congress" http://www.nara.gov/nara/searchnail.html (do
standard search: look up by "Form letter from E. Cady Stanton")
"Getting involved: ways you can make a difference in our government" (handout)
National Standards Addressed by Lesson [based on National
Standards for Civics and Government, Center for Civic Education,
1994. Citation based on section, subsection, standard of the
document]:
5-8 Content Standards
III. D. 1. Who represents you in legislative and executive
branches of local, state, and national governments?
III. F. 1. The public agenda
III. F. 2. Political communication
III. F. 3. Political parties, campaigns, and elections
III. F. 4. Associations and groups
III. F. 5. Forming and carrying out public policy
V. C. 2. Civic responsibilities
V. E. 1. Participation in civic and political life and the
attainment of individual and public goals.
V. E. 3. Forms of political participation
V. E. 4. Political leadership and public service
V. E. 5. Knowledge and participation
Evaluation/Assessment: See: http://www.congresslink.org/rubric/pdf
Author(s):
Hilary G. Conklin
This project is supported by a Robert H. Michel Civic Education
Grant sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, Pekin, IL. |
