Influencing Public Policy

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Overview

In this lesson students will take a position on a current public policy issue and describe how to influence its formation, development, and implementation.

Grade Levels

9-12

Objectives

Students will:

• identify a current problem in the community; and
• devise a plan to influence the formation, development, and implementation of a current public policy issue.

Estimated Time

2 days, with an additional 1-2 class periods for preparing a group assignment

Materials Needed

• Interactive Learning Module: The Importance of Civic Participation
• Internet-enabled computers with Macromedia FLASH ® installed
• Newspapers and news magazines

Procedure

Day 1

1. Begin the lesson by discussing with students the important role citizens play in a smooth-running, effective government. Focus in particular on the following skills of good citizenship.
   • Being informed of the facts.
   • Communicating effectively and listening.
   • Knowing how to collect relevant data.
   • Being able to organize your thoughts and/or others to effect change (i.e., put together a polished presentation, gather people together for an event or meeting, etc.).
   • Understanding how the decision making process of the relevant group works (i.e., if you want the school lunch menu to offer healthier choices, learn how your school's cafeteria and maybe the local school board makes decisions, rather than how the U.S. Congress makes decisions).
   • Having a well thought-out idea in mind of how to fix the problem.
2. During this discussion, explain that conflict between individuals and between groups is common to the process because people have different perspectives on the substance of the changes as well as how best to accomplish that change.
3. Conclude the discussion by explaining that compromise and negotiation are often necessary to reach a solution.
4. Have students view the biographies in "Individuals Who Made a Difference" in the Interactive Learning Module: The Importance of Civic Participation. Discuss the different biographies, focusing on why each person was successful. Refer back to the different characteristics mentioned in the earlier discussion on effective citizens.
5. Use one of the following scenarios to have students apply the citizenship skills discussed earlier.
   • Option #1: Use the school building and its student body as the community base which will be used to identify problems that need resolution. Students will use their experience as part of this community to identify problems. The school's student council may also be a good resource for the activity, though not necessary. A good reference for this activity may be "Student Government: As Real As It Gets," an article published in Principal Leadership.
   • Option #2: Choose from a neighborhood, the city, the region, or the state as the community base that will be used to identify problems that need resolution. You can provide the students with any of the following sources to identify a problem: local newspapers, a visit to a city council meeting or a neighborhood organization, any local publication, or the experiences of the students or of families in the community. The issue can be something as simple (at least appear as simple) as the request for installation of a new stop sign. The important thing is that the problem needs to be one that concerns a number of people and cannot be resolved privately.
6. Have students work in pairs or small groups to identify a problem that needs to be resolved. Have them describe the problem with as much detail as possible.
7. List the problems students come up with on the blackboard, flip chart, or overhead. Quickly with the class as a whole go over each issue raised.
8. Divide the class into committees that will focus on different problems. Each committee will select a problem and complete the following tasks related to their problem:
   • Gather all the relevant data.
   • Identify the groups and individuals that have a stake in the final solution and their particular interest.
   • Come up with several possible solutions to the problem and a way to pick one.
   • Identify decision makers who will be helpful or opposed to the solution and gatekeepers who are vital to being successful or unsuccessful.
   • Develop a plan to get the decided solution accepted by the appropriate governing body.
   • Develop a plan to communicate with the community affected by the solution.
9. Have students watch and complete the "How to Contact a Legislator Effectively" section in the Interactive Learning Module: The Importance of Civic Participation. Discuss how the lessons from this section apply to their work.
10. Give students 1-2 class periods to work on their problem-solution proposals and prepare a presentation to make to the entire class.

Day 2

1. Have students present their problem-solution proposals. Make sure to allow enough time for questions and answers. Then, have the students vote on which problem-solution proposal they think is most likely to work to solve the problem identified.

Extension Activity 1

Have students put the "most-likely-to-succeed" solution proposal into action. Determine a plan of action, assign different roles or responsibilities to students, and follow the plan. After the plan is implemented determine a time to debrief on the experience—noting successes and failures in working the plan and achieving the desired outcome. Discuss the importance of participation in solving problems, even when the outcomes are not as expected or desired.

Extension Activity 2

Ask students to write a short biography about someone who has influenced public policy. You may want to have them write about someone in the local community. Students can interview family and neighbors, or conduct research at the local library to identify other individuals.

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. Name at least three ways individuals can influence the formation, development, and implementation of policy issues.
2. Name one individual who has influenced public policy. Describe how he or she has influenced the formation, development, and implementation of the policy.

Scoring Guide for Influencing Public Policy

Elements	Possible Score	Assigned Score	Notes
Correct Spelling	10
Correct Grammar (sentence structure, punctuation)	10
Good beginning, middle, and end	10
Names three ways individuals can influence the development of policy	20
Identifies a current problem in the community and offers a way to solve it	25
Describes ways in which individuals can influence local policy decisions	25

 

Lesson Plan Feedback

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