Advocating
A Community Need
Lesson
Materials (word document)
Overview
This lesson follows Lesson
Two on equity and equality.
(Need Lesson One?)
After a discussion
of wants and needs of a community as well as the needs the government
provides, discuss a community’s needs and issues relevant to
your students. For example, you may talk about a need in your school,
or a physical need in your community, such as a needed stoplight or
improvements to a playground. Guide your class to a realistic need.
The purpose is to inform elected officials of a community need. Keep
realistic expectations. The focus of the lesson is writing a letter
of advocacy.
Objectives
Students will
- Express a community
need to an elected official
- Begin to develop
a sense of advocacy
- Provide rationale
for their request
- Collaborate
to create a persuasive message
Materials
-Address of elected
official (when online, print out a picture of your elected official
and his/her bio to make a stronger connection with your students)
-Chart paper
-Marking pens
-Large Envelope
-Class photo
-White Paper
Introduction
1. Review your
discussion of wants and needs. Talk about community needs that aren’t
being met. Try to focus on an issue that your students can relate
to. Here are some talking points: “In our last few lessons,
we’ve discussed the need of our community, and it seems that
some of the needs of our community are not being met. We can do something
about it! We can write a letter to _______ and tell him/her what our
class thinks.”
Lesson
2. “Since
we have chosen to write our community need ________, I want to share
with you who we are writing to.” Present the name, photo and
bio of your elected official.
3. “Before
we start writing our letter, let’s discuss important things
to include (you may work with a whole group on the rug or have students
fill in a ready made handout with the following table):
4. “Now
let’s write our letter.” Guide your students’ writing.
Make sure you use a proper format with correct grammar and spelling.
Who are we? |
What is the
problem? |
Why is it
a problem? |
Why
does our community need it? |
Who
benefits from it? |
Ms. X’s
class of first graders at P.S. |
Broken equipment
on playground and poorly maintained |
Kids could
get hurt on broken equipment
Kids don’t like using the playground because there is
_______
|
Kids should
have public places to play.
Kids need
to play to stay healthy. |
Parents and
Children |
|
Subject
Areas:
Social Justice
Grade Levels: K-2
About
the teacher:
Karyn
Wynn is a first grade teacher at P.S.
204 in the South Bronx. In her third year teaching, Karyn builds a
community classroom with her students, emphasizing team work, building
self esteem and celebrating every student accomplishment. As the lead
first grade teacher at her school, Karyn collaborates with her collegues
to integrate and differential curriculum across the grade. A recent,
Teaching Fellow graduate, Karyn holds a Masters in Education from
Mercy College. Karyn in still involved in the Teaching Fellow Advisory
Board, supporting their mission to recruit and train new teachers
to serve high need areas. Participating in the Teacher's College Writing
Project this year, Karyn hopes to create a more dynamic writing workshop,
as well as, developing a love of literacy in her classroom. It is
this area of study which Karyn hopes to further investigate in her
teacher research project thought the Teachers Network Leadership Institute
fellowship. When Karyn is not teaching, she loves to travel, cook
and read.
karynwynn@hotmail.com
|