Participating in the Political Process

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Overview

This lesson describes the means that U.S. citizens use to participate in the political process.

Grade Levels

9-12

Objectives

Students will:

• explain why it is important to participate in government; and
• identify the ways in which a citizen can participate.

Estimated Time

Activity 1: Several class periods in a one-week time frame
Activity 2: 1 day
Activity 3: 1 day

Materials Needed

• Interactive Learning Module: The Importance of Civic Participation
• Internet connection with Macromedia FLASH ® enabled
• Chalk and chalkboard or an overhead projector

Procedure

Activity 1

1. Invite a member of as many as possible of the following local groups to have a conversation with your class: a leader in the local Chamber of Commerce, a local union leader or leader in a farm organization, the leader of the school parent group, a city council member or other local elected official, a leader of a local environmental or animal rights organization, a local leader of the NRA, and the School Board chairperson. Explain to them that your class is studying why people choose to participate or not participate in the political process. Students will be asking each of them questions which focus on the types of activities their organizations engage in to accomplish their program objectives. Ask each community leader to be prepared to make a 10- to 15-minute presentation that addresses the following points.
• The short- and long-term goals of the organization.
• How they recruit volunteers to work in their organizations.
• Which volunteer political action activities have been most successful, and how they got people to participate in the process.
• Activities that did not work—activities in which group or organization members did not want to participate.
• Why he or she got involved in this group or organization and what benefits he or she has experienced as a result of participation.
2. Have students prepare questions that address (1) public policy positions that the speaker's interest group or organization has promoted or opposed and (2) the public activities that the interest group has engaged in to promote its public policy positions.
3. If possible, arrange to have these speakers come into class over a one-week period.
4. After each speaker, ask students to write a journal entry reflecting on the speaker's presentation and the speaker's responses to student questions.
5. Then, debrief each speaker experience with the class, focusing on students' reactions to the speaker's presentation.
6. When all of the speakers have visited the class, have students write a one-page paper summarizing their journal reflections and describing in what ways the speakers did or did not reinforce the importance of citizen participation.

Activity 2

1. Show students the "How to Contact a Legislator Effectively" segment of the Interactive Learning Module: The Importance of Civic Participation and before showing the program's evaluations have them rate the effectiveness of each action on a 1-10 scale. Then look at the program's evaluations and discuss differences between student evaluations and the program's evaluations with the purpose of identifying the source or reason for variations between the two ratings.
2. Show students the "Where to go With a Problem" segment of the module and have them identify the key criteria in determining where one goes with a problem. Then make a list of seven more issues and ask students to properly identify where one would go in each situation.
3. Have students watch the module segment "Individuals Who Made a Difference" and discuss the characteristics or skills that were demonstrated and utilized by each of the six individuals in the segment.
4. Have each student identify one person he or she knows who was able to successfully make a difference in his or her family, school, and community. Ask each student to write a short paper with a description similar to the ones given in the module segment entitled "Individuals Who Made a Difference."

Activity 3

1. Show students the segment of the Interactive Learning Module: The Importance of Civic Participation titled "Joining Interest Groups". Lead students in a discussion focusing on a major advantage of belonging to an interest group—the increased possibility of getting a public policy issue satisfactorily resolved. Ask students why some interest groups are more successful in realizing their goals than others. Also discuss the disadvantages of working through an interest group.
2. Have students choose one interest group he or she would like to learn more about and write a one-page report addressing the following points.
   • The total membership of the group. If possible, also find out how much money the group has spent influencing policies and elections.
   • Two public policy issues they have supported or opposed successfully.
   • The tactics or strategies the interest group uses to promote its interests.

Extension Activity

Draw up a schedule of upcoming local city or county governing entity or school board meetings. Assign students (in appropriate-sized groups) to attend one of the meetings to observe how the meetings are conducted and what role citizen groups play in the deliberations and decisions of the entity. In the first class period after students have attended a meeting have them make a short (5- to 10-minute) report on their experience.

Assessment

Basic Concepts and Processes

Ask your students to respond to the following assessment items to evaluate their knowledge of key concepts taught in this lesson.

1. Explain why it is important to participate in government.
2. Name at least three ways U.S. citizens can participate in their government.

Lesson Plan Feedback

If you have suggestions for improving this lesson plan, or if you have ideas for others using the module, please let us know. We value your input. Thank you!

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