Billie Bowling
Snapshot
How Can My Voice be Heard: Learning to
Become an Active Citizen
In the project-based unit “How Can My Voice be Heard?: Learning to become an Active Citizen”, students will learn how to participate effectively in civic life. In the first part of the unit students will gain an understanding of governmental processes. In this part students, will research and learn the branches of government and their functions. Local governmental officials will come in and speak with the students. After students, have established background information of governmental processes, they will research current issues in legislation in our state. Students will work in groups and choose an issue, research it, and propose solutions. Through this research students will learn the importance of exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship. To further the understanding of the local implications of civic decisions, students will attend their local fiscal court meeting. At this meeting students, will observe the local governmental decision-making process. Finally, working in groups, students will then brainstorm some issues or some area of concern within their school, that they feel needs to be changed. They will come up with solutions, prepare a presentation and present to the school’s site based decision making team or the board of education.
