Source: School Library Media Activities Monthly, (6:6, February 1990)

Grade Levels: 7, 8

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/US Government
• Information Literacy/Research Skills

Curriculum (subject area) Objectives:
This activity may be used in connection with a social studies unit on local and state government.

Resources :
Book of the States. The Council of State Governments.
State Government. Congressional Quarterly.
Telephone directories.
Vertical File pamphlets.

Instructional Roles:
The classroom teacher and library media specialist may use this set of activities cooperatively with students at the upper elementary or middle school level. The classroom teacher may develop the schedule and outline for the completion of the assignment. The library media specialist may help the students locate the necessary resources.

Activity and Procedures for Completion :
The set of activities may be introduced with a visit from a local or state representative, or by showing news footage from state government sessions. The classroom teacher may then discuss with students the way laws are made in their state. Students may investigate how laws are made and may act as reporters on a particular local legislative issue. The students' first assignment is to find out how their state government works. The students may go to the library media center to find sources of information. The library media specialist may introduce a strategy for finding such information. Sources may be introduced, including print sources and telephone directories as well as reference and vertical file materials. The students may be given suggestions about how to use the telephone directory to call for information from public library reference, the League of Women Voters, and state government information sources. The students may collect and read the information and take it to class for a general discussion. During a class discussion, the classroom teacher may help students identify and diagram the parts of the state government and outline how state laws are introduced and passed. They may then examine local newspapers set out on tables, working in pairs to identify issues in the state which are under consideration by the state legislature. Once the legislative issues have been identified and listed on a chart, the student pairs may be asked to pretend that they are reporters following a particular issue related to the state. They will collect data for a story using newspaper and television sources. Notes on the issue will be kept in a notebook and copies of proposed legislation may be obtained. After approximately two weeks, the students will use the information which has been collected to write letters to their representative or senator, explaining their opinion of the law and how they think it will affect them as well as other state citizens. The classroom teacher may provide the students with a letter format.

Forms of address for state legislators :
Representative

Senator

The Honorable_______________

The Honorable

Representative

State Senate

(address)

(Address)

Dear Mr./Mrs.___:

Dear Senators:

The students may be given some advice on writing the letters (e.g., outline ideas, include the name and number of the bill, provide specific and concrete examples to support opinions, etc.). Students should use the information which they have gathered and their notes to compose the letters. The students may write the letters (using word processing, if available). First drafts may be edited, and the final letters may be sent.

Evaluation :
The student will locate sources which describe the process of developing state legislation, identify a legislative issue, collect information about the issue, and write a letter to his or her state representative or senator.
 
Follow-Up :
The students may:

 
• Continue to follow the issue and the legislation.
• Find out how their representative or senator voted on the issue.