13. Invite a politician to your class
Your classroom is a great forum for discussion. Inviting a politician into your classroom or school is a great way to capture the interests and emotions of your students. Regardless of the curriculum, issues come up in class. Issues such as cloning (science), censorship/free speech (English), corporate scandals (Math/Business), and all of the mainstream societal issues (abortion, welfare, immigration, civil rights, etc.) that are covered in social studies classes.
I have invited our State Assemblyman and Senator into the classroom and they both accepted my invitation. I gathered all my classes into the school auditorium and we conducted a simple question and answer with each of them (separate occasions). Some students liked our guests, some didn’t.
I have also invited two individuals running against each other for our districts seat in the county legislature (separate occasions). One was the incumbent and the challenger was already a member of the town council. My students actually liked this better because they were both more frank about issues and discussed local issues. For example, I had several students expressing concerns about a lack of a skateboarding facility and both candidates gave their views. The town council member gave the students the time and place of their next meeting to come in and express their views publicly.
I have witnessed two changes in the behavior of my students, as a result of these visits. First they tend to vote more frequently. Some have even volunteered on campaigns. Second, they become more informed regarding the world around them, whether it is local, national, or worldwide. The politicians seem to provide a reality to what we discuss and do in the classroom. Contacting your local board of elections or county clerk’s office and asking for a list of elected officials is a great way to get started. All it takes is a phone call or email! The following resources also may be of assistance to you.
http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html
http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm
