How to Monitor Elected Officials

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Overview

This lesson describes how ordinary citizens can contact their elected officials and monitor their actions.

Grade Levels

5 - 8

Objectives

Students will:

• describe at least two ways citizens can monitor elected officials;
• identify ways that citizens can contact elected officials; and
• develop an appropriate argument to convince a government official to vote for or against a bill.

Estimated Time

2 days

Materials Needed

• E-Learning Module: Civic Participation
• Internet connection with Macromedia FLASH ® enabled
• Projection device

Procedure

Day 1

1. Ask students to complete the quiz in “How to Follow the Work of Congress” in the Civic Participation module.
2. Once students have completed the quiz, ask them to discuss if they were surprised by any of the answers, and why or why not. Talk about any prior misconceptions they may have had.
3. Explain to students that an essential part of active citizenship is staying informed about what’s going on in Congress and state legislatures. As a class, brainstorm ways citizens can stay informed about what is going on. Students may say they can read newspapers, watch television, or visit their representatives’ Web sites.
4. Have students watch the videos located in “How to Follow the Work of Congress.” Make sure students take notes during the interviews.
5. Ask student volunteers to summarize each of the interviews.
6. Use a projection device to show the U.S. House of Representatives Web site at http://www.house.gov and the U.S. Senate Web site at http://www.senate.gov . Tell students that these sites give information about current legislative activities. Navigate the sites and allow students to see the current legislative information that is posted.

Day 2

1. Ask students to describe how they would contact their local representative and convince him or her to vote for or against a particular bill. Compile a list of different ways students can contact their representative. For example: sending an e-mail, calling his office, or writing a letter should all be included in this list. Write this list on a chalkboard, whiteboard, or overhead projector.
2. Use a projection device to show students the “How to Contact a Legislator Effectively” section of the Civic Participation module. Have students answer the questions. Discuss the answers.
3. Have students visit the U.S. House of Representative Web site or the U.S. Senate Web site and learn about upcoming legislation. Ask students to choose one proposed bill to research and follow through Congress.
4. Ask students to learn as much about the proposed bill as possible. Students may want to visit the Web site of special interest groups that are for or against the bill to get more information. Students with limited access to the Internet may wish to write to special interest groups.
5. Have students contact their local representative and explain why they are for or against the particular bill.

Extension and Adaptation Activities

Individualizing the Curriculum

Have advanced students work with students who are having difficulty. Have the two students work together in writing to the local representative. Have students contact the closest district/state office of their Congresswoman/man or Senator [identified from their Web sites]. Ask when the Member of Congress will next have a town meeting or open office hours. Have a student or group of students attend and make their opinion known in person.

Assessment

Basic Concepts and Processes

Ask your students to respond to the following requests for information and assess their knowledge of key concepts taught in this lesson.

1. Describe two ways citizens can monitor elected officials.
2. Name two ways that citizens can contact elected officials.

Scoring Guide for How to Monitor Elected Officials

Elements	Possible Score	Assigned Score	Notes
Correct spelling	10
Correct grammar (sentence structure, punctuation)	10
Good beginning, middle, and end	10
Identifies a specific issue	15
Lists ways to monitor elected officials	15
Lists ways to contact elected officials	15
Provides an appropriate argument to convince a government official to vote for or against a bill	25

Lesson Plan Feedback

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