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Getting Involved
General Overview
The Center on Congress and the Close Up Foundation partnered to produce a video series in which legislators and political scientists address questions from a studio audience on some of the most urgent issues in government. This module takes the best of those programs and presents them in a Web-based, easy access format. Examples of the issues addressed include "Youth Involvement," "Voting," and "Getting Involved in Your Community." View the "how to" document.
Lessons and Assessments
The lessons listed below are self-contained. You may complete them in any order you wish.
Preserving Democracy (Grades 5 – 8)
In this lesson students examine how citizens can help preserve our representative democracy. Students create a skit for a television commercial that encourages citizens to become actively engaged in our government.
Writing Letters to Legislators (Grades 5 – 8)
This lesson examines the importance of communicating with legislators. Students analyze letters and explain whether or not they think the letter is an effective form of communication.
Getting Involved at School (Grades 5 – 8)
In this lesson students will discuss how young people can become involved with government. Students work cooperatively to identify a problem in their school and develop a plan of action to rectify the problem.
The Influence of Citizen Action (Grades 9 – 12)
In this lesson students will analyze and evaluate the influence of citizen action on government.
Measuring Civic Engagement (Grades 9 – 12)
In this lesson students will define the term "citizen," and examine the various roles of citizens. Students will take a survey to measure civic involvement in their community.
Staying Informed (Grades 9 – 12)
This lesson examines why citizens must look at news from multiple sources. Students will examine different news sources for one week and critically analyze a current issue.
Rubric: This section contains performance assessment rubrics for students who have completed all of the lessons in the Getting Involved Module. These rubrics may be saved and used "as-is," or you can modify the rubrics in any way that is appropriate for your students.
Other Resources
Glossary: The glossary provides the definitions for key terms that students should know in order to complete this module.
Web sites: This section includes Web sites that will help students learn more about how citizens can get involved with government.
Print Materials: This section lists resources for both teachers and students about civic engagement.