How Ordinary People Can Have an Impact

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Overview

Students will identify ways to follow the actions of political officials and learn what individuals can do to influence political leaders.

Grade Levels

5 - 8

Objectives

Students will:

• identify at least thee ways the Federal Government impacts their daily lives; and
• name at least three ways citizens can influence political leaders.

Estimated Time

60 minutes

Materials Needed

• E-Learning Module: Public Criticisms of Congress
• Internet connection with Macromedia FLASH ® enabled
• Projection device

Procedure

1. Use a projection device to display Criticism 5 in the Public Criticism E-Learning Module. Have students explain if they agree or disagree with this statement, and why.
2. As a class, compile a list of things citizens can do to influence legislators.
3. Play the response to Criticism 5 and discuss students’ reactions. Summarize the response, and make sure students understand that for the most part Members of Congress are responsive to individuals. If you want to have an impact on Congress, you have to make the effort to have an impact. Individuals need to learn how to ask for specific remedies to problems and how to communicate with their own representatives in Congress.
4. Distribute copies of the local newspaper to students. Have students identify a specific problem identified from the newspaper articles.
5. Ask students to devise a plan to rectify the problem. This plan should incorporate the recommendations for influencing politicians that are listed in the response to Criticism 5.

Extension and Adaptation Activities

Extending the Activity

Invite your local representative to speak to the class. Ask your representative to explain the various ways he or she can be contacted and to give examples of citizens who may have influenced them, and how they did so.

 

Cross-Curricular Activity

Ask students to choose one person described in Citizen Democracy: Political Activists in a Cynical Age (Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999), by Stephen E. Frantzich, and tell them to read about how this person engaged in civic activity. Have students write a report that explains how this person influenced politics and made a difference.

 

Assessment

Basic Concepts and Processes

Check your students’ understanding by asking them to provide the information requested in Numbers 1 and 2:

1. Identify at least three ways the federal government impacts their daily lives.
2. Name at least three ways citizens can influence political leaders.

Scoring Guide for A Closer Look at Voting Patterns

You may want to use the following rubric to grade the papers that each student submits.

Elements	Possible Score	Assigned Score	Notes
Correct spelling	10
Correct grammar	10
Good beginning, middle, and end	10
Identifies a specific issue	20
Includes a well-thought-out plan	25
The plan includes suggestions from the response to Criticism 5	25

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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