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“Grassroots Lobbying”

As an 8th grade teacher of U.S. History, I often hear the following moans and grumbles. “Ms Parra, why do we need to know about dead people?”  “Ms. Parra, this happened so long ago, what does it have to do with me?”  (I imagine that some elected officials hold the same opinions.)  However, as teachers we know one crucial element of learning includes understanding the importance of a particular skill or set of knowledge. As a history teacher I value how a comprehension of history enriches the lives of students. As an educator I appreciate how the study of history promotes analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.  “After all, what is education but a process by which a person begins to learn how to learn?” Peter Ustinov, Dear Me (1977).   

At the beginning of the school year, and again in January, I had students write an essay, Why is History Important? Because I teach inclusion classes, we always start by brainstorming. Brainstorming enables students to express their own thoughts, benefit from the thoughts of others, and advance new thoughts of their own. Next, we use organizing structures for an essay based upon strategies students practice in our school’s writing program, “Wow! I’m a Writer.”

In January, students wrote a new essay using the same prompt from the beginning of the year, Why is History Important?   After receiving their second essays back, they compared it with their 1st versions. Right away they recognized that the 2nd version had a greater use of specific details and historic examples.  Lo and behold, students mentioned the importance of not repeating the mistakes of the past, how history provides role models for us, how events and people can inspire us today to try harder and become better people, how it helps us understand and appreciate  the sacrifices that others have made for us, and how it enables us to be better citizens. Even more important, students could actually measure their growth in knowledge and understanding. Don't you love it?!  My students will do this essay once more in April. I can’t wait to see their essays! Teachers of the other social sciences can easily adapt this process.

Here's the fun part! I'm planning to have the students mail their essays to our state legislators and copies to Gov. Bush. I want our elected officials to examine the important benefits of history and other social sciences as explained by the students.  I think I'm even going to offer extra credit if parents write an affirmation at the bottom of the essay. Starting at the grassroots level with students, this assignment expands to a lobbying activity to impact and influence elected officials. I teach about 160 students. If more teachers across the state did this, the resulting impact will be even greater.  Please join me in this effort to lobby for social studies education.

Contributed by Virginia Parra
Virginia Parra is a social studies teacher in Marion County Schools