AUTHENTIC STUDENT

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:
A GUIDE TO PROJECT CITIZEN
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Presented by:
Classroom Law Project
 AUTHENTIC STUDENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:
A GUIDE TO PROJECT CITIZEN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ..........................................................................................................2

What is Citizenship? .............................................................................................3

Humpty Dumpty’s Great Fall ..............................................................................7

Oregon Middle School Civics Standards

& Alignments with Project Citizen ...........................................................9

Service Learning Standards & Best Practices .................................................11

What is Public Policy & a Civic Community? ..................................................14

Project Citizen - the Overview ..........................................................................18

Part 1 - Identify the Problem (Inquiry) ..............................................................26

Part 2 - Alternative Solutions (Collaboration)..................................................40

Part 3 - Choosing a Solution (Consensus)........................................................43

Part 4 - Develop a Portfolio & Action Plan (Creativity) ..................................46

Wrapping it all up: Civic Participation is the Point

(Testimony & Reflection) .......................................................................49

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 AUTHENTIC STUDENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:
A GUIDE TO PROJECT CITIZEN

Introduction
Project Citizen is an inquiry-based student action program developed by the Center for
Civic Education over 30 years ago. Since then, every year thousands of students around
the country research and collaborate together to develop new policy around issues
that are important to them in their communities. Using proven student engagement
methods, Project Citizen can transform civic engagement for all types of learners.

Objectives of the Project:

• Identify the knowledge and skills that are gained through interaction with
government and civic life
• Practice teamwork, problem solving, and civic participation
• Analyze problems and determine multiple solution options
• Support decisions with evidence, practice, and follow up

How a Project Works:

• Students work together to conduct

research about important problems in
their community
• They choose one of the problems
that they think most needs a solution
• They identify alternative solutions to
the problem and weigh
advantages and disadvantages of
each
• Students then propose one policy
solution that includes interaction
with government action
• They propose an action plan for their
chosen policy solution
• Their steps and results are recorded and demonstrated in both documented
research and a display of some kind
• Students present their results or even take part in a simulated agency hearing where
they are asked questions about their project

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 “Students can only truly learn civics by doing civics”
- Jessica Lander

What is Citizenship?

Civics = Citizenship

Of the three types of citizenship:

(1) personally responsible citizenship,

(2) participatory citizenship, and
(3) justice-oriented citizenship

….the focus in classrooms is usually only on the first or second

types.

So how do we get to the 3rd type and combine all 3?

+ + + + + +

Project Citizen helps students move from:

“what should be done?”

to
“what should WE do?”

It creates space for active and authentic civics (citizenship):

• working with government to tackle community challenges and

injustices
• building coalitions
• support and teach others
• making lasting, justice-based change

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The Eric Liu equation:

P + Ch = Ci

Power: a literacy that students deserve to learn

+
Character (in the collective): living
constructively in a community

=
Citizenship: Compassion
Justice
Shared responsibility

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Authentic civic engagement means building all 3
types of citizenship:
personal responsibilities, participation, justice

the following combo will naturally build intrinsic motivation

and curiosity in students:

Autonomy Competence Purpose

Control Relatedness
Achievement
Choice Relevance
“I earned this”
Ownership Connectedness
Accomplishment
Power “Epic Meaning”

Agency

Tool: Timely
Tool: Inquiry Feedback Tool: Participation

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Humpty Dumpty’s Great Fall
(Solving Community Problems)

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses
And all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

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 Humpty Dumpty’s Great Fall
(Solving Community Problems)
Directions: Use the creative problem-solving process to develop a public policy for Mr. Dumpty’s community.

The Problem Alternative Policy Options Our Policy Our Action Plan
The Problem: Alternative 1: Our Proposed Policy: Steps we will follow:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Does our policy protect people’s Who would be Who would be

Current Policy: Alternative 2: rights? (Is it Constitutional?) Supporters: Opponents:

Advantages:

Which Agency of Government is

Disagreements in the Community: involved? Sources of information we used:
Disadvantages:
Oregon Middle School Civics Standards that align to
Project Citizen
Grade 6
Civics and Government – Western Hemisphere
6.2 Recognize historical and contemporary means of changing societies and promoting the
common good.
6.3 Investigate current issues and how they relate to other countries.

Social Science Analysis

6.9 Gather, interpret, document, and use information from multiple sources and diverse media,
distinguish facts from opinions while recognizing points of view through inquiry and research.
6.10 Critique information by determining its sufficiency to answer questions and if the source is
credible.
6.11 Analyze how a specific problem can manifest itself at local, regional, and global levels.
Identify challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address a specific problem.
6.12 Assess individual and collective capacities to take action to address local and regional issues,
taking into account a range of possible levers of power, strategies and potential outcomes.
6.13 Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging
the strengths and limitations of these arguments.

Grade 7
Civics and Government - Eastern Hemisphere
7.1 Describe the role of citizens in governments.
7.4 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies and promoting the
common good.

Social Science Analysis

7.10 Critique and analyze information for point of view, historical context, distortion, propaganda
and relevance including sources with conflicting information.
7.11 Draw on multiple disciplinary lenses to analyze how a specific problem can manifest itself at
local, regional, and global levels over time, identifying its characteristics and causes, and the
challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address the problem.
7.12 Assess individual and collective capacities to take informed action to address local, regional,
and global problems, taking into account a range of possible levers of power, strategies and
potential outcomes.
7.13 Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources and diverse media,
while acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments.

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Grade 8
Civics & Government

8.2 Identify and understand how to apply the rights and responsibilities of individuals under the
Constitution.
8.4 Examine the evolution of political parties and interest groups and their effect on events,
issues, and ideas.
8.5 Examine and analyze important United States and Oregon documents, including (bu not
limited to) the Constitution, Bill of Rights, 13th-15th Amendments and Oregon Constitution.
8.8 Analyze important political and ethical values such as freedom, democracy, equality, equity,
and justice embodied in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the United
States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
8.9 Analyze the effect of historical and contemporary means of changing societies, and
promoting the common good.
8.10 Explain specific roles and responsibilities of citizens (such as voters, jurors, taxpayers, members
of the armed forces, petitioners, protesters, and office-holders).

Social Science Analysis

8.15 Critique and analyze information for point of view, historical context, distortion, bias
propaganda and relevance including sources with conflicting information in order to
question the dominant narratives in history.
8.16 Analyze how a specific problem can manifest itself at local, regional, and global levels over
time, identifying its characteristics and causes, and the challenges and opportunities faced
by those trying to address the problem.
8.17 Analyze and apply a range of deliberative and collaborative procedures to make decisions
and take informed action.
8.18 Construct explanations using reasoning, correct sequence, examples and details with
relevant information and data, while acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of the
explanations.

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Service Learning Standards & Best Practices*
Meaningful Service
Service-learning actively engages participants in meaningful and personally relevant
service activities.

1. Service-learning experiences are appropriate to participant ages and developmental

abilities
2. Service-learning addresses issues that are personally relevant to the participants.
3. Service-learning provides participants with interesting and engaging service activities
4. Service-learning encourages participants to understand their service experiences in the
context of the underlying societal issues being addressed
5. Service-learning leads to attainable and visible outcomes that are valued by those being
served

Link to Curriculum
Service-learning is intentionally used as an instructional strategy to meet learning
goals and/or content standards
1. Service-learning has clearly articulated learning goals
2. Service-learning is aligned with the academic and/or programmatic curriculum
3. Service-learning helps participants learn how to transfer knowledge and skills form one
setting to another
4. Service-learning that takes place in schools is formally recognized in school board
policies and student records

Reflection
Service-learning incorporates multiple challenging reflection activities that are
ongoing and that prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one’s
relationship to society
1. Service-learning reflection includes a variety of verbal, written, artistic, and nonverbal
activities to demonstrate understanding and changes in participants’ knowledge, sills
and/or attitudes
2. Service-learning reflection occurs before, during, and after the service experience
3. Service-learning reflection prompts participants to think deeply about complex
community problems and alternative solutions
4. Service-learning reflection encourages participants to examine their preconceptions and
assumptions in order to explore and understand their roles and responsibilities as citizens
5. Service-learning reflection encourages participants to examine a variety of social and
civic issues related to their service-learning experience so that participants understand
connections to public policy and civic life

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Diversity
Service-learning promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all
participants.
1. Service-learning helps participants identify and analyze different points of view to gain
understanding of multiple perspectives
2. Service-learning helps participants develop interpersonal skills in conflict resolution and
group decision-making
3. Service-learning helps participants actively seek to understand and value the diverse
backgrounds and perspectives of those offering and receiving service
4. Service-learning encourages participants to recognize and overcome stereotypes

Youth Voice
Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and
evaluating service-learning experiences with guidance from adults.
1. Service-learning engages youth in generating ideas during the planning,
implementation, and evaluation processes
2. Service-learning involves youth in the decision-making process throughout the service-
learning experiences
3. Service-learning involves youth and adults in creating an environment that supports trust
and open expression of ideas
4. Service-learning promotes acquisition of knowledge and skills to enhance youth
leadership and decision-making
5. Service-learning involves youth in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the service-
learning experience

Partnerships
Service-learning partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial, and address
community needs.
1. Service-learning involves a variety of partners, including youth, educators, families,
community members, community-based organizations, and/or businesses
2. Service-learning partnerships are characterized by frequent and regular communication
to keep all partners well-informed about activities and progress
3. Service-learning partners collaborate to establish a shared vision and set common goals
to address community needs
4. Service-learning partners collaboratively develop and implement action plans to meet
specified goals
5. Service-learning partners share knowledge and understanding of school and community
assets and needs, and view each other as valued resources

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Progress Monitoring
Service-learning engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of
implementation and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for
improvement and sustainability.
1. Service-learning participants collect evidence of progress toward meeting specific
service goals and learning outcomes from multiple sources throughout the service-
learning experience
2. Service-learning participants collect evidence of the quality of service-learning
implementation from multiple sources throughout the service-learning experience
3. Service-learning participants use evidence to improve service-learning experiences
4. Service-learning participants communicate evidence of progress toward goals and
outcomes with the broader community, including policy-makers and education leaders,
to deepen service-learning understanding and ensure that high quality practices are
sustained.

Duration and Intensity

Service-learning has sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and
meet specified outcomes.
1. Service-learning experiences include the processes of investigating community needs,
preparing for service, action, reflection, demonstration of learning and impacts, and
celebration
2. Service-learning is conducted during concentrated blocks of time across a period for
several weeks or months
3. Service-learning experiences provide enough time to address identified community
needs and achieve learning outcomes

* from National Youth Leadership Council

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 Public Policy & Civic Community

Public Policy is a concept or set of ideas that guides a course of action or a

procedure used in dealing with public issues or problems.

Policies are:
• Embodied in laws, rules, or regulations
• Agreed upon procedures used by government to fulfill its responsibilities
• Serve to distribute certain benefits, manage resources, or manage conflicts

Examples of Public Policies:

• A law that forbids selling alcohol to persons under the age of 18
• A law that forbids smoking in public institutions
• A law that forbids carrying guns in schools
• Regulations about work time in places of business
• A school district policy about absenteeism

Public Policy can:

• Include any kind of community problem or issue
• Center on all questions or problems that are sometimes called “general welfare”
issues (a Constitutional term)
• Include education, medicine, economics, social care, housing, safety, or any
other areas of public concern

Participants in Public Policy making include:

• Executive or Legislative branches of federal, state, or local government
• Government agencies
• Citizens who influence decision makers

Public Policy …
• is purposeful
• is responsive
• is authoritative
• is coercive
• may resolve conflict
• has public input

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Public policy can be…
• Substantive: major rearrangements of public resources or values (ie, tax reform)
• Symbolic: more psychological relief than actual change (ie, legislation against
flag burning)

Different Types of Policy:

Private: the section of society where people pursue their own private interests within
the scope of the law, free of unreasonable and unfair intrusion by the government.

Civil Society: the section of society where people associate with each other
voluntarily to pursue interests they share. They might pursue these interests as
individuals or members of groups or organizations. Community groups enacting civil
society policy can also keep the government in check.

Public/Government: the section of society that includes formal government

institutions at local, state, and national levels. These might be legislative, executive,
and judicial branches at all three levels.

Civic Community is the combination of public concerns and values of members of a

community.

In a democracy, members of a community, or citizens of a community, have both rights

and responsibilities. In a civic community, “citizenship” is not a legal status, but rather a
set of individual rights and responsibilities that contribute to the health and well-being of
the community.

People are empowered to participate in a democratic society and are all members of
a civic community.

The three spheres of influence in a Civic Community are:

The Private Sphere

Most social interactions take place in the private sphere: family, religion, clubs, other
social organizations. As long as members of these different social groups don’t engage
in activities that violate existing laws they may reasonably expect to continue, free of
government involvement or interference.

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Civil Society

Civil Society is made up of the individual, social, economic relationships and

organizations that are not part of formal government institutions. This could include
interest groups, unions, businesses, political parties, and other associations that are
dedicated to the well-being of their members. Civil Society provides an arena for these
institutions to operate freely (within the law) free of government influence. But often
these organizations participate in monitoring and influencing public policy and
government action in their communities.

Political Communities (Government)

The US Constitution establishes multiple levels of government (federal, state, local) that
distribute authority among 3 branches of power: executive, legislative, and judicial.
State and Local governments possess substantial powers that affect almost every
aspect of a person’s life, which makes them most often the focus of public policy issues.

The overall civic community operates best when all three spheres of influence work
together towards the general welfare of all members of the community.

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 NAME: _________________________________________

Understanding types of Public Policy Solutions

Read the first example of a community problem shown in the middle column below and the examples of
(1) a public policy solution (by a government institution acting with or without civic society and (2) a
solution to the problem solely by civil society.

Fill out the rest of the chart with your own suggestions for public policy and civil society solutions to the
problems noted. You can use the last spaces to identify a problem in your own community.

Public Policy Solution Community Problem Civil Society Solution

City officials fund a program to Poor families in the community Members of a civic organization
give needy individuals vouchers need food and adequate conduct a drive to collect food
to buy food and clothing from clothing and clothing and then distribute
participating merchants it to the needy.

School-aged children are out on

the streets late at night

Parents are not using child

protective car seats properly.

The lake in the community is

polluted and filled with litter

Owners of a professional
baseball team want to build a
stadium in the city

Many local high school students

have been cheating on exams

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The Project - Step by Step:

6. Reflect on
your Learning
5. Present Experience
Your Portfolio
4. Develop a
Class
3. Gather Portfolio:
information
on the
2. Select a Problem your
Problem for Class will
1. Identify the Class to Study
Public Policy Study Explain the Problem:
issues or gaps in Explain the selected problem, why is it
our community serious and why should it be handled by
public policy

Examine Alternative Policies:

Explain and evaluate alternative policies that
might solve the problem

Chosen Policy:
Propose and explain the policy that you
believe will best deal with the problem

Develop and Action Plan:

Lay out a plan of action that will get the
proposed policy accepted and implemented
by the necessary government entity

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Portfolio & Evidence Collection

1. A Portfolio demonstrates all the work the students do (whether whole class or different
groups). It is a way to display and explain the policy solution they worked so hard to
develop.

2. The Portfolio needs to have coherence – the sections are sequential and substantively
relate to each other. The four main sections that should be displayed for their
stakeholder audience are:
a. Explain the Problem
b. Examine Alternative Policy Solutions
c. Demonstrate the Chosen Policy Solution
d. Argue for an Action Plan

3. Any one student should be able to present all four sections to demonstrate their
understanding of public policy, but the final presentation can be done in groups. All
students need to understand the content of each section to do work as a small group.

4. All students need a clear understanding of the problem before working on different
sections of the project.

5. An important role for the teacher is to facilitate the learning by helping students to:
• Set criteria for what makes a good problem for a community action project
• Narrow the problem
• Develop consensus
• Discuss alternatives
• Provide intentional time for students to communicate across groups
• Help them see how research from one group will impact or assist other panels

6. Students should have experience with many sources of evidence as possible. Evidence
should be authentic, from your community, and associated with the problem. Surveys,
interviews, and local media can be included. The Internet is only one source of
information. Teach students to carefully evaluate, summarize, and select sources for their
Portfolio.

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 The Project Portfolio
Portfolio Part 1: Display Board or Digital/Multimedia Visuals

• Title of the project and school

• Appropriate titles for each section/panel
• Community supporters who helped
• Government involvement clear
• Well organized
• Information is thorough
• Appropriate graphics and pictures
• Attention getting!

Portfolio Part 2: Documentation

Can be done in a binder for display or a digital folder of documentation

General: • Level of government responsible

• Cover Page and what it needs to do
• Clear Sections • Graphic presentation
• Table of Contents • Bibliography/Source List
• Names of students and teacher
Action Plan:
The Problem:
• How to gain support from:
• Problem Summary o Individuals
• Graphic presentation
o Groups
• Problem identification form
• Other:
• How to gain support of
o Interview form government
o Printed sources • Graphic presentation
o Radio/TV/Websites • Bibliography/Source List
o Publications
• Bibliography/Source List Evaluation:
• Constitutional opinion form
Alternative Solutions: • Student evaluation form
• Summary of alternative policy • Teacher evaluation form
solutions (with advantages &
disadvantages)
• Graphic presentation
• Bibliography/Source List for each

Chosen Policy Solution:

• Narrative of the Chosen Policy
• Advantages
• Disadvantages

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 Problem Solving in Brief
Directions: Use the creative problem-solving process to develop a public policy outline for an issue in your community.

The Problem Alternative Policy Options Our Policy Our Action Plan
The Problem: Alternative 1: Our Proposed Policy: Steps we will follow:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Does our policy protect people’s Who would be Who would be

Current Policy: Alternative 2: rights? (Is it Constitutional?) Supporters: Opponents:

Advantages:

Which Agency of Government is

Disagreements in the Community: involved? Sources of information we used:
Disadvantages:

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 Project Tips for Teachers

1. Make it inquiry based: The students should choose the problem they want to
address. If the students choose they will be much more invested in the issue and
the whole process will be much more exciting for everyone.

2. Make contact early. Start contacting community members, local civic leaders,
experts, etc., as early as possible in the process. Correspondence with public
officials can take some time. Be sure to brainstorm your contact list with your kids
sooner rather than later so students will have time to include the responses in their
portfolio.

3. Practice, practice, practice. Have students practice their presentation for the
whole class, for the administration, for a faculty meeting, for the class pet turtle, in
front of the mirror at home… Each time their audience (except, maybe, the turtle)
will give them new questions to consider and they will become more comfortable
and knowledgeable about their presentation.

4. Be flexible. There are many different ways to fit a Community Action Project into
your year. The following are some variations that might work for you:

7-8 Week “Perfect World” Plan:

During school 2 or more times a week for an hour a day
• Steps 1-2: 1-2 days each
• Steps 3-5: 2 weeks each

4-8 Week “After School Special” Plan:

After school club that meets for 30-45 minutes once or twice a week
• Steps 1-2: 1 meeting each
• Steps 3-5: 2-4 meetings each
• For this plan you will need to assign work (research) to the kids they can do at
home
• Allow kids to work on research and writing during some class times
• Enlisting help for the students (a volunteer parent, possibly) will make their meeting
times more effective

2-4 Week “Maximum Overdrive” Plan:

Every day 45-60 minute lessons
• Steps 1-2: 1 day each
• Steps 3-5: 2 weeks total
• Warning: You may not be able to contact experts and get responses back with
this short time span
5. Set a date for your school showcase, then plan backwards. Allow at least 4-6
weeks to prepare if you have them.

6. Contact community leaders, policy makers, and any other interested experts,
professionals, or others who might be interested in helping your students during
the project.

7. Let the students know what parts of the project you will grade and what you
expect form each student

8. Plan lessons around each stage of the process – you can teach a LOT of content
and skills as they work on the project itself.

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 Inquiry-Based Learning Tips

The 4 Steps of Inquiry-Based Learning

1. Students develop questions that they are hungry to answer. Have them develop a
problem statement that requires them to pitch their question using a constructed
response, further inquiry, and citation.

2. Research the topic using time in class. It’s crucial to have some of this be classwork
so students have access to the head researcher in the room—you. You aren’t going
to do the work for them, but you are going to guide them and model methods of
researching reliably.

3. Have students present what they’ve learned. Students should create and present a
culminating artifact. When I have my students present what they’ve learned, I use a
rubric with “Able to Teach” as the acme of what to reach for. After all, many people
can understand content, but can they communicate it? Students can develop a
website using Weebly, or perhaps a slideshow using Google Slides.

4. Ask students to reflect on what worked about the process and what
didn’t. Reflection is key. And it isn’t just about asking them to think back on their
opinion of the topic. It’s about reflecting on the process itself. That’s where you can
work in metacognition—thinking about thinking. Have students focus on how they
learned in addition to what they learned.

~from Edutopia

The principles of inquiry-based learning

• Principle 1: Learners are in the center of the entire process, while instructors,
resources and technology are adequately organized to support them.
• Principle 2: All learning activities revolve around information-processing skills.
• Principle 3: Instructors facilitate the learning process, but also seek to learn more
about their students and the process of inquiry-based learning.
• Principle 4: Emphasis should be placed on evaluating the development of
information-processing skills and conceptual understanding, and not on the
actual content of the field.

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The 4 forms of inquiry

• Confirmation inquiry: Learners are given a question, as well as a method, to which

the end result is already known. The goal is to confirm the results. This enables
learners to reinforce already established ideas, and to practice their investigative
skills.

• Structured inquiry: Learners are given the question and the method of achieving
the result, but the goal is to provide an explanation that is already supported by
the evidence gathered during and through the investigative process.

• Guided inquiry: Learners are only given a question. The main goal is to design the
method of investigation and then test the question itself. This type of inquiry is not
typically as structured as the previously mentioned forms.

• Open inquiry: Learners must form their own questions, design investigative
methods, and then carry out the inquiry itself. They must present their results at the
end of the process.

~from eLearning

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 Project Citizen 101
Part 1 - Identify the Problem

This is where inquiry begins. Students are empowered to explore and choose issues and
problems in the community and begin the process of collaboration, persuasion, and building
consensus.

Ways you can introduce students to the consideration of problems:

• Discuss some examples of problems or gaps in policy in various communities

(young people, the school or district, the city, the state, the country, the
environment, etc.)
• Bring in members of the community to discuss their organizations or issues and
give students a chance to question them
• Go on a field trip or virtual field trip of the community to simply observe the
environment to identify gaps or problems
• Have students interview others in the community about what problems they
observe
• Survey the local or school/district news for what issues are being addressed or
discussed

Once students begin brainstorming problems, provide them the structure for thinking through
how they might fit into the process of problem solving and making policy.

Logistics:

1. Whole Class brainstorming or exploration of issues

2. Small group work on issues of choice and persuading the class or larger group
to tackle them
3. Research, investigation and exploration of issues and problems
4. Presentations from small groups
5. Whole class or larger group decision on problem of choice to tackle

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 Problem Solving Criteria

For each problem you brainstorm, complete the following checklist to see if it would be a
good challenge for the class to take on. In order to be a good community problem for us, it
should meet all four requirements in the list.

Problem:

Criteria for a good problem: Yes No

1. Does government have a responsibility to deal with it?

2. Is the problem important to community and our class?

3. Is there enough information to gather about the problem?

4. Is it a problem that we might be able to solve?

Problem:

Criteria for a good problem: Yes No

1. Does government have a responsibility to deal with it?

2. Is the problem important to community and our class?

3. Is there enough information to gather about the problem?

4. Is it a problem that we might be able to solve?

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Problem:

Criteria for a good problem: Yes No

1. Does government have a responsibility to deal with it?

2. Is the problem important to community and our class?

3. Is there enough information to gather about the problem?

4. Is it a problem that we might be able to solve?

Problem:

Criteria for a good problem: Yes No

1. Does government have a responsibility to deal with it?

2. Is the problem important to community and our class?

3. Is there enough information to gather about the problem?

4. Is it a problem that we might be able to solve?

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 Project Citizen: Problem Presentation Checklist

Your Task: Your group’s task is to convince the class that your problem is the one we
should choose for Project Citizen.

You need to show that:

• This problem is actually a problem!
• people care about this issue
• there is evidence this issue is a problem
• this issue falls under the “good problem” criteria:
o government has a responsibility to deal with it
o there is enough information
o it’s solvable

Collect evidence to prove your problem is a good problem:

• Interviews with concerned residents, students, parents, school staff, other community
members
• Surveys of concerned residents, students, parents, school staff, other community
members
• Articles / stories from local newspapers, newsletters or other news media
• Articles that support a similar issue in other places
• Maps that show how your issue is a problem
• Other data collection (e.g., counting cars or bicycles, etc.) to support your argument

Presentation:

• Your team will present your findings and your argument together. Presentation
requirements:
• A visual poster or digital presentation that presents the problem and why it is a good
problem
• A 5-minute oral presentation that explains why your problem is a good problem,
including your evidence, that is persuasive to your audience
• A 5-minute question-answer time: all group members should participate and be
prepared to answer questions

Hand In: In addition to your presentation, your group will need to hand in complete
documentation of your research:
• Your Research Plan/Checklist
• Your Team’s In-depth Evaluation of the Problem
• Interview sheets with all information and dates filled in
• Articles with citation sheets complete
• Data sheets or tables with complete labeling

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Scoring:

You will receive individual score for your daily participation on the project. In addition, your
team’s work will be scored based on the following rubric:

5 4 3 2-0
The team did an The team clearly The team made The team made
outstanding job proved that your some good a few good
presenting your issue is a points to support points to support
argument using problem using your argument. your argument.
Evidence several pieces of evidence Much of the There is little or
clear, well- (interviews, argument was no evidence to
documented surveys, etc.) supported by support your
evidence some evidence. argument.

Teamwork Team members Team members Some effort was Little or no effort
communicated communicated made for group was made for
regularly to well to create a members to decisions to be
create a group plan and communicate discussed or
comprehensive share work and create a made as a
group approach plan group

Presentation The presentation Team members The presentation The argument

was outstanding, all presented was adequate was not clear or
tremendously and made a and the not persuasive.
persuasive, and good argument argument was Only a few
all members for your problem mostly clear. members
took part Most members participated.
participated.
Documentation The team The team The team The team
handed in handed in all handed in most handed in few
several well- needed of the needed or no
constructed, documentation documents. The documents. The
easy to read for your work. documents are documents are
documents. The Documents are mostly neat and messy, hard to
documents neat and complete understand, or
serve as further complete. incomplete.
evidence to
support your
argument.

Passing: 14 points

30
 Research Plan
(to be turned in with final project)

Group Member Names:

Research Topic/Issue:

Team Jobs:

Facilitator/Recorder (makes sure everything

gets done and accurately records information):

Researcher/Team 1 (finds information for items

1, 2, & 3 on Research Checklist):

Researcher/Team 2 (finds information for items

4, 5, & 6 on the Research Checklist):

List at least FOUR resources you used (include names, titles, dates, URL, etc.)

Book

Data base

Internet site

Magazine

Pamphlets

Newspapers

31
Journals

Interviews

Other

Research Checklist:

P
1 Is there already a public policy or law in place?
2 Are there any civic or community groups already
working to solve this problem?
3 If so, who are they?
4 Did you find any local sources?
5 Do you have any supporting statistics (charts,
graphs, tables)?
6 Did you find evidence that some might NOT think
this is a problem? What is that evidence?

AFTER your research - Re-evaluate the problem:

Criteria for a good problem: Yes No

5. Does government have a responsibility to deal with
it?

6. Is the problem important to community and our class?

7. Is there enough information to gather about the

problem?
8. Is it a problem that we might be able to solve?

32
 Project Citizen:
Evaluating your Problem in Depth
In order to explain your issue and persuade the class that it is an important problem to solve, you
must first answer the following questions about your issue.

Create a document to hand in that responds to each of these questions:

1. What is the issue/problem that you and your team wants to study?

2. Intensity of the Problem: Which community does this issue most affect and how serious is it for the
community?
• How concerned are people about the problem (how upset are they)?

3. Scope of the Problem: How widespread is the problem in the community?

• How many people are affected by it and how?

4. Duration of the Problem: How long has this been a problem in the community?

5. Resources: what might people gain or lose because of this problem or how it is responded to?

6. Is government already working with the issue? If so, how?

7. Why is this a problem that can be solved by government and which level of government
(federal, state, local) is best suited to solve it?

8. Is there already an existing law or policy around this issue, and why is it not adequate to solve the
problem?

9. What disagreements, if any, are there in the community about this problem and the way it is
being handled?

10. Who are the individuals or groups with an interest in this issue/problem? For each individual or
group you identify, answer the following questions:
• Name of individual/Group:
• What is their position on the issue?
• Why are they interested?
• What are the advantages of their position?
• What are the disadvantages of their position?
• What are they doing to influence government or the community to adopt their view?

33
 NAME: ______________________________________

Guidelines for Conducting an Interview

Have the following information prepared for yourself so you can thoroughly introduce and
explain the project and get the information you need:

1. Introductions:

“My name is ____”

“I am a (grade level) student at (your school)”

“I am working on a policy project for (name of class)”

“We are studying local problems, how are they dealt with by different policy
solutions, and how citizens can participate in their community.”

2. Briefly describe the problem

(how would you explain this to someone in 2 minutes or less??)

3. Go through your pre-prepared list of questions.

(see “Interview Report Form”)

4. Some follow up questions:

1. Is there someone else you think I should speak with about this topic?

2. Do you have any printed information you can provide me?

3. Do you know any other sources of information I can pursue?

34
 NAME: _____________________________________

Interview Report Form

Before beginning the interview be sure to identify yourself and briefly explain the problem you
are researching (see Guidelines for Conducting an Interview). If a person does not wish to be
named, respect their privacy and indicate only their role in the community.

Name and title of person being interviewed:

The person’s role in the community (example: parent, community volunteer, business person,
etc.):

Record the interviewee’s responses to the following:

1. Do you think the problem I have described is important? Why?

2. Do you think others in our community believe this is an important problem? Why?

35
3. What might be the cause or causes of this problem?

4. Do you think this is a problem that should be dealt with by:

• Government acting alone? Why/Why Not:

• Government with the assistance of Civil Society? Why/Why Not:

• Government with the assistance of Private Individuals? Why/Why Not:

5. What policy, if any, is already in place to deal with this problem?

5a. If a policy does exist ask the following questions:

o What are the advantages of this policy?

o What are the disadvantages o the policy?

o How might the policy be improved?

36
 o Does the policy need to be replaced?

o What disagreements about this policy, if any, exist in our community?

5b. If there is no policy currently in place to deal with the problem, ask the following
questions:

o What sort of policy do you think might be needed to address the problem?

o What level(s), branch(es), or agency(ies) of government are responsible, or

should’ve responsible, for dealing with the problem?

6. Do you have any suggestions for where I might get more information about this problem
and the different positions people take on the problem?

37
 NAME: _____________________________________

Documentation of Information from Publications

or Internet Sources
1. Briefly describe the problem being researched:

2. Identify the library, office, agency, organization, website, or other where you obtained
this publication:

3. Title of the Publication: _____________________________________________________________

4. Author(s): ________________________________________________________________________

5. Date of Publication: ____________________________________

6. According to this publication, what community(ies) is/are affected by this problem?

7. According to this publication, how serious is this problem in the community?

8. How widespread is the problem in other communities and states?

38
9. Is there a public policy that deals with the problem? (circle one) YES / NO

If yes, answer the following questions:

a. What form does the policy take (law, regulation, judicial order, etc.):

b. Briefly describe the public policy. Does it involve action by the government, cviil
society, the private sphere, or a mix of all?

c. Is the public policy dealing with the problem adequate, or is it being poorly
enforced or implemented? Explain:

If there is NO policy, explain why you think there is no policy:

10. What level(s) and branch(es) of government is/are responsible for dealing with the
problem?

11. What disagreements about this public policy, or the current way of dealing with it,
exist in the community?

12. Who are the major individuals, groups, or organizations expressing opinions regarding
the problem?

39
 Project Citizen 101
Part 2 - Alternative Solutions
This is where consensus and problem-solving skills develop. Students work together in
teams to research and analyze a variety of options for addressing the chosen
problem through public policy.

Alternative policy options might include:

• Proposals that have been suggested by different political parties or interest

groups
• Suggestions or bills put forward by elected officials
• Policy ideas put forth in speeches by elected officials or citizens
• Current policies in other towns, cities, states, or countries
• Proposals generated by the students themselves brainstorming ideas

A way to introduce this concept may be to walk through a current policy that
students are familiar with and what were or might have been alternative ways to
handle the issue.

For example: what different alternatives might there have been to address the issue
of marijuana legalization in Oregon before we got the current policy?

Logistics:

1. Whole class brainstorming or exploration of alternative solutions to an issue or

two
2. Research, investigation and exploration of alternative options
3. Presentations from groups
4. Whole class or larger group decision on solution of choice to tackle

40
 NAME:

Your Policy Solution Proposal Checklist

For each policy solution you think of, complete the following checklist with thorough
responses. This will also be your outline for presenting your policy solution.

Summarize your policy solution in 5 sentences or less:

Title/Name of your Policy: List of sources where you got the ideas for
this policy:

Who in the community Who in the community

will support this policy? might oppose this
policy?

What are at least 3 What are at least 2 What questions do you still have with
advantages of this disadvantages of this regard to this policy solution?
policy? policy?

What level of government is involved?

Why are you confident this policy is a good solution to our problem?

41
 Name:

Analyzing Alternative Policies

As you consider each alternative, analyze each one to help you decide which might
be best to choose.

Policy Name/Title:

Basic description:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Supporters / Opponents:

Things we still need to find

out about this policy:
Policy Name/Title:

Basic description:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Supporters / Opponents:

Things we still need to find

out about this policy:
Policy Name/Title:

Basic description:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Supporters / Opponents:

Things we still need to find

out about this policy:

42
 Project Citizen 101
Part 3 - Choosing a Policy Solution
Students must now come to agreement on the final direction of their policy project.

This part of the project is quite brief but can involve the rich experience of learning
how to come to consensus on a solution. This section also provides students an
opportunity to learn about the limits of government based on the Constitution and
how that might affect whether a policy is successful.

In deciding which solution to pursue, students may:

• Support one of the alternative policies proposed in Part 2

• Modify one of those policies
• Combine aspects of several of the alternatives, or
• Develop an entirely new public policy solution

Logistics:

1. Review the alternative solutions

2. Teach about building consensus and how reaching consensus may not mean
everyone agrees
3. Use your chosen method of consensus to determine the policy solution for the
problem
4. Finalize the chosen policy solution
5. Give students an opportunity to reflect on the Constitutionality of the chosen
policy. This is an opportunity to extend some teaching about constitutional
basics and/or give students a chance to reflect on how the decision was
reached.

43
 NAME:

The Constitutionality of the Chosen Policy

Evaluate the constitutionality of the chosen policy by responding to the following
questions in your own words:

1. The chosen policy serves the following purposes of government (based on the Preamble
of the Constitution (check all that apply):

£ Creates more unity in the £ Provides for the common defense of

community the community

£ Establishes justice in the £ Promotes the general welfare of the

community members of the community

£ Ensures peace in the community £ Secures liberty for the future of the
community

2. Which of these do you think is the primary purpose of the project and why?

3. The chosen policy respects the following individual rights of members of the community (choose
all that apply):

£ The right to freedom of religion

£ The right to freedom of speech & expression

£ The right to due process of law

£ The right to privacy

£ The right to equality of opportunity

4. Explain in your own words how the policy respects the rights you checked above:

44
 NAME:

Reflection on Choosing a Policy Solution

Respond to the following questions to reflect on your experience of choosing a policy
solution and the project so far.

1. Based on your own research and review of the alternative policies, which policy did
YOU think would be the best choice for a policy solution and why?

2. Did the group decide on the same policy you preferred? YES / NO

3. Did you feel that the process for deciding the chosen policy was fair - why or why not?

4. What new ideas or skills did you learn from participating in a group decision-making process and
how might those ideas or skills help you in the future?

45
 Project Citizen 101
Part 4 - Develop an Action Plan
The final piece of putting together the project portfolio is the creative conclusion to choosing
a policy solution.

Now that a policy has been chosen, students must develop an action plan to get the policy
adopted and implemented for the community. This means focusing on the government
entity that will be responsible for making that successfully happen.

NOTE: An action plan is how to get the policy implemented (NOT how the policy will work -
that should have been explained in the policy proposal itself)

An action plan should contain the following:

• Identify influential individuals and groups in the community who might be willing to
support the proposed policy and how you might convince them to support

• Identify groups or individuals in the community who might oppose the policy and how
you might persuade them to support it

• How you will get the appropriate government entity to support the policy

• What evidence you will use to persuade the appropriate entities to support and
implement the policy

Students should document any communications with the above groups in their attempts to
get the policy implemented.

Logistics for the students:

1. Respond to the 4 items on the Action Plan Checklist

2. Alternative / Extension assignment: Persuasive Writing & Rhetoric (worksheet included)
3. Create a digital or IRL display of the evidence to support the Action Plan
4. Prepare to present the action plan process and any results that have come of it prior
to the presentation of the full portfolio

46
 Action Plan Checklist

Respond to each of these items thoroughly (each response should be at least several paragraphs,
typed and double spaced for presentation in the portfolio) - the responses should be part of your
documentation for the portfolio and serve as an outline for your presentation of the action plan.

1. Identify influential individuals and groups in the community who might be willing to
support the proposed policy and how you might convince them to support

2. Identify groups or individuals in the community who might oppose the policy and how
you might persuade them to support it

3. How you will get the appropriate government entity to support the policy

4. What evidence you will use to persuade the appropriate entities to support and
implement the policy?

Your Acton Plan entry in the Portfolio should include all documentation of the above responses, as
well as the actual evidence you have to support it (correspondence with government entities,
contact with supporters/opposition, charts, graphs, news articles, pictures, video, etc.)

47
 Name:

Persuasive Speaking / Rhetoric

To convince your audience of your policy proposal, you must be persuasive - but how can you best do that?
Below are the 3 main types of rhetoric (ways of speaking & writing) that you might use to persuade someone to
your way of thinking on a topic. Consider each one, and then try them out in brief persuasive sentences.

Scenario: You must convince your audience that your policy proposal is the BEST idea and
should be enacted.

Logos: appealing to the logic of your listener. You might cite facts or statistics, or authorities (in a
hearing, this would include former cases or the law) to appeal to the reason of your listener to
convince them of your view.

1. Write a Logos argument for the above scenario:

Ethos: making an ethical appeal to your listener based on your good character or reliability. You must
convince the listener that you are fair, reliable, and understand what you are talking about.

2. Write an Ethos argument for the above scenario:

Pathos: appealing emotionally to your listener. You persuade by appealing to the emotions of your
audience, calling on personal experiences, sympathetic stories, drawing compassion and empathy
from your listener.

3. Write a Pathos argument for the above scenario:

48
 Project Citizen 101:
Wrapping it up: Civic Participation is the Point

A. The Testimony

A Showcase of the projects includes the opportunity for relevant members of the community
to observe and review the work of the students (similar to a science fair type of display), as
well as a chance for the students to defend their work to a relevant audience.

The most enriching part of this project is when students have put their portfolio and
documentation together and present or testify about the policy to the relevant government
or community entity.

This presentation could take the form of:

• Testifying before the school board or a legislative committee

• A presentation at a Town Hall with the City Council
• A presentation to members of the school administration
• Testifying to an executive agency

This kind of final presentation has much more impact than traditional class presentations
because the result is actually relevant to the effort students have invested from the
beginning of the project.

The following pages are evaluation sheets that observers and or evaluators of the portfolios
and presentations may use to provide feedback on the project and policy.

49
 Project Citizen Showcase
Portfolio Evaluation
Name of Project:________________________________________________

Give only one whole numeric rating (1–10) for each of the five sections of the Criteria for Evaluation.
Excellent: 9–10 Above Average: 7–8 Average: 5–6 Below Average: 3–4 Insufficient: 1–2

Score Comments
Panel 1: Understanding the
Problem

Panel 2: Analysis of Alternatives

Panel 3: Persuasive Policy Plan

Panel 4: Action Plan

TOTAL:

Criteria for Evaluation

Section 4: Implementation of an Action Plan
Section 1: Understanding the Problem • Identifies individuals and groups, both supporters and opponents, who will need
to be influenced
• States and explains the problem and its causes and presents evidence that there is
a problem • Identifies government officials, both supporters and opponents, who will need
• Demonstrates an understanding of issue(s) involved in the problem to be influenced
• Demonstrates an understanding of existing or proposed public policies • Outlines and explains an action process for getting their proposed public policy
enacted
• Explains disagreements about the problem that may exist in the community
• Proposes action that builds and expands on evidence presented in
• Explains why government should be involved in the solution
previous panels

Section 2: Analysis of Alternative Policies Overall Portfolio: Extent to which the complete portfolio
• Presents two or three alternative public policies to address the problem
• Explains advantages and disadvantages of each alternative policy presented
does the following:
• Identifies controversies and conflicts that may need to be addressed for • Presents material in the display and binder that correlate to and support each
each alternative other
• Constructs a clear and convincing sequence from one panel/section to the next
• Uses and documents research from multiple sources and provides appropriate
Section 3: Public Policy Development and Persuasiveness notation for the sources and research evidence used
• States a public policy that addresses the problem and identifies the government • Follows standards of good writing
branch or agency responsible for enacting their proposed public policy • Uses relevant and appropriate graphics and written information
• Supports their proposed public policy with reasoning and evidence • Is visually appealing
• Identifies and explains advantages and disadvantages of their proposed public • Includes evidence of student reflection that states what the students have learned.
policy
• Explains and supports why their proposed public policy is constitutional

50
 Project Citizen Showcase
Hearing Evaluation
Name of Project:________________________________________________

Give only one whole numeric rating (1–10) for each of the five sections of the Criteria for Evaluation.
Excellent: 9–10 Above Average: 7–8 Average: 5–6 Below Average: 3–4 Insufficient: 1–2

Score Comments
Panel 1: Explaining the Problem

Panel 2: Analysis of Alternatives

Panel 3: Persuasive Policy Plan

Panel 4: Action Plan

TOTAL:

Criteria for Evaluation

Section 4: Implementation of an Action Plan
Section 1: Understanding the Problem • Identifies individuals and groups, both supporters and opponents, who will need
to be influenced
• States and explains the problem and its causes and presents evidence that there is
a problem • Identifies government officials, both supporters and opponents, who will need
• Demonstrates an understanding of issue(s) involved in the problem to be influenced
• Outlines and explains an action process for getting their proposed public policy
• Demonstrates an understanding of existing or proposed public policies
enacted
• Explains disagreements about the problem that may exist in the community
• Proposes action that builds and expands on evidence presented in
• Explains why government should be involved in the solution
previous panels

Section 2: Analysis of Alternative Policies Overall Hearing: Extent to which the entire presentation
• Presents two or three alternative public policies to address the problem
• Explains advantages and disadvantages of each alternative policy presented
has:
• Identifies controversies and conflicts that may need to be addressed for • Constructed a clear and convincing sequence from one group to the next
each alternative • Used and documented research from multiple sources and made
reference to sources and research used
• Referenced relevant and appropriate graphics and written information
Section 3: Public Policy Development and Persuasiveness • Used standards of good oral presentation (pace, projection, articulation, poise,
• States a public policy that addresses the problem and identifies the government eye contact)
branch or agency responsible for enacting their proposed public policy • Shared speaking responsibility while making the presentation
• Supports their proposed public policy with reasoning and evidence • Included evidence of reflection that states what the students learned
• Identifies and explains advantages and disadvantages of their proposed public
policy
• Explains and supports why their proposed public policy is constitutional

51
 B. The Reflection

Reflecting is crucial for students to consider fully the Project and the process the they
experienced:

Inquiry

Collaboration

Consensus

Creativity

=
relevant and meaningful civic participation.

The reflection allows students not only to think critically about the process itself, but to
consider that while doing the project, they have been exercising many of the rights
and responsibilities of citizenship in their community that they explored at the very
beginning.

Expecting public officials to act democratically, to listen to citizen ideas and

proposals, learning about civil society and their role in it, and practicing the act of
authentic participation are all aspects of civic engagement in which students now
have experience.
 NAME: _________________________________________

Project Reflection

1. What have you learned about how your community and public policies are organized
and enacted?

2. What responsibilities of public officials or members of the community did you find most
influential as you did this project? Why?

3. What conflicts or challenges did you encounter while doing this project? How did you
resolve them?

53
4. Which parts of the project did you enjoy most and why?

5. Explain how the following attitudes and character traits are important for members of a
community in a democracy – and how/if any of these were involved in this project?

Individual responsibility:

Self discipline:

Civility:

Courage:

Respect for the rights of others:

Respect for law:

Honesty:

54
 Open-mindedness:

Critical thinking:

Negotiation and Compromise:

Persistence:

Civic-mindedness:

Compassion:

6. Now that the project is complete, what do you feel more confident about for
future projects you work on?

55
 NAME:

My Project Contributions

Explain in detail what you did for this project in each of the following categories.

Research:

Writing / Documentation:

Interviews, Surveys, Data Collection:

Other:

56
57