Civic Literacy Curriculum

Introduction

It’s important to make sure that your voice is heard and that the people who represent you know what concerns you. Why? Because if the people do not speak up, then their representatives will not be able to effectively do their jobs. In this activity, students will learn how to write a letter to their senator and share their concerns. 

Preparation

• Print a copy of the letter-writing guidelines for each student. 
• Provide each student with a letter template.
• A rubric is available if this is a graded activity. 
• Find the names and addresses of your state’s Senators at senate.gov 
• Have business envelopes and postage so that the students are able to mail their letters to their senators.

Note: an equivalent exercise can be adapted for members of the House of Representatives (instead using house.gov to find which representative to contact).  See Question 29.

Required files

The Teaching Materials for this exercise includes a rubric.

Instructions

1. Letter writing is generally a solitary activity. However, depending on the age and/or skills level of the students, you may want to have them work in pairs. 
   • Divide the class into pairs based on the students’ individual levels. Group A is the group that needs some extra support. Group B is the core group that has the core knowledge to complete the activity. Group C is the enrichment group who have mastered the material and are prepared to extend their knowledge. Pair those who need support (Group A) with those who have core knowledge and/or have mastered the material (Groups B and C).
2. Explain to the students that they are going to write letters to their senators to express their concern about a topic. 
   • Brainstorm with the students on possible topics -- taxes, civil rights, war, laws, various protests, net neutrality, gun laws, healthcare, government investigations, etc.
   • If the students are struggling with this, ask them about current events. How do they feel about a political happening? Why do they feel this way? What do they want their senator to do about an issue (e.g. vote “no/yes” on an bill, sponsor a bill, or encourage members of a federal agency to vote “yes/no” on an issue).
   • Be aware that some students may wish to write about personal or controversial topics, but may not bring these up during the brainstorming session. To make sure that they realize that they can write about the topics, end the brainstorm with a statement about how the list they see on the board is not exhaustive and that they can choose any topic they wish. 
     • If students are writing about a specific bill or resolution, make 
       sure that they identify it correctly: 
       Senate Bills: "S._____" 
       Senate Resolutions: "S.RES._____" 
       Senate Joint Resolutions: "S.J.RES._____"
   • You may wish to emphasize the following: 
     • You are the only person, other than the senator, who will read the letter.
     • You are not grading them on the topic they choose. The goal of this exercise is to write a letter and make their voices heard. It is 
       not to choose a topic that everyone likes or agrees with.
3. Write the names and addresses of your state’s senators on the board.
4. Review the letter writing guidelines with the students.
5. Have them create an outline or rough draft on the template before writing a final copy.
6. Circulate throughout the room as the students complete their letters to check for understanding and help as needed.
7. Have them write the final copy on a clean sheet of loose-leaf paper.

Note: An equivalent exercise can be adapted for members of the House of Representatives (instead using house.gov to find which representative to contact). See question 29.