March+On!+Reinforcing+Activity

**March On Reinforcing Activity**

//**__Before Reading__**// //**__During Reading__**// //__**After Reading**__//
 * Introduce the book by giving some background knowledge on Martin Luther King Jr. (If possible, use clips from documentaries on YouTube in order to accommodate visual learners)
 * Make sure every student knows who he is and why he is important
 * Discuss Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy
 * Courage to speak out against people in power
 * Freedom of Speech
 * Then, read the book aloud to the class
 * Tell students to pay special attention to all of the different kinds of ways that everyday citizens participated and influenced the government.
 * Discuss things like songs, marches, speeches, meetings, protesting, and talking as they appeared in the book.
 * Students share their reaction to the book with a small group of 2-3 students
 * The class will come together and discuss as a whole their responses & questions they have about the book

**__//Activity//__**
 * Use inspiration from the teacher's book
 * Direct students to think about a local, state, or national issue that they feel strongly about
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use print or electronic resources to research the issue
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Find out the different sides, background, and whether there are any kinds of movements or groups trying to fix it.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next students investigate ways in which citizens can participate in and influence their government. Some things they can do now (letter writing, volunteering, communicating with officials) and some will come later (voting).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//__**Once students have done sufficient amount of research:**__//
 * If students have selected similar issues, have them come together and share their findings, selecting their strongest arguments and brainstorming what they would include in a letter to their congressman.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have students write a letter to their congressman explaining their issue and what they would like to see changed
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students will prepare a brief presentation (no longer than 5 minutes) to tell the class their thoughts on the issue they have researched
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All letters will be collected and mailed to their congressmen in a large envelope by the teacher