Civics Standard 4 - Grades 6-8

Sample Activities

After selecting an important political issue (e.g., health care, income taxes, environment, etc.), students would then examine news reports to find out what position different office-holders take on the issue. Each student should then research the issue and prepare a letter to one of the office-holders advocating a particular course of action [Participation].

This activity and an economics activity which explores money and taxation could easily be linked together.

Parent Partnership Project: Students might develop a questionnaire on a given political issue which would be used in interviewing family and neighbors, or even use the same questions reported in newspaper or television polls in order to compare the results. The students and their parents could then chart the results and share them with local legislators [Participation].

to Civics Standard Four.