1/23/17 – What does it mean to be an activist 1/23/17 – What does it mean to be an activist? - check in with grades - all late work due Monday, January 30 Today: What is activism? How can you use activism? What issues will you try to affect? What social movements might you join/start?

Vocabulary Journal Activist – a person who works (sometimes outside of their comfort zone) for change not at the individual level but in society.

Activists?

Activists?

Activists?

Activists?

What is an activist? Let’s talk about what it means to be an activist? Do you consider yourself an activist? Why or why not? Have you ever participated in activism? Why did you do it? Did you ever want to participate but didn’t? Why?

What is an activist? Being an activist means sometimes doing things that you aren’t used to doing – “getting out of your comfort zone” What things or people can make you get “out of your comfort zone?”

What Kind of Citizen? Thing back to the 3 kinds of citizens from earlier in the year? What kind of citizen is an activist?

What can I do? I’m just a student! You can do plenty Educate others – know your stuff and pass it on Advocate for policy (laws, etc) Run for office (or supports others) Demonstrate Create public awareness through social media Do a survey, share the results Raise money Engage companies – write letters, boycott companies and businesses Engage in community service – volunteer Get the press involved – engage local news agencies – let them know what you are doing What else..

What can I do? I’m just a student! Everybody has to commit to doing something every single day now. Every single day! You don’t have to quit your job. You don’t have to drop out of school. Every day. It takes three minutes. Wake up, brush teeth, make coffee, contact Congress. That’s the new morning routine. The phone number is(202) 225-3121. You call that number any time of the day or night, a human being answers it. There’s an actual 24/7 switchboard. Call that number. If you don’t know who your congressperson is, that’s OK. Just give them your ZIP code. Everybody knows their ZIP code. Give them yourZIP code, and they will go, "Oh, well, your member of Congress is Jerrold Nadler. May I put you through?" And they’ll put you right through. In fact, you can say, "No, I’d like his private line. Can I have a direct number?" They will give you the direct number. Each of you have one representative and two senators. They only work three days out of the week, Tuesday to Thursday. If you can’t do it all five days, on those three days, call your rep one day, call your senator the next day, and call your other senator the next day.

Before you become an activist Understand why you are doing it. Are you doing it because someone told you to do it? Do you know the issues (both sides!) If someone stopped you and gave you 10 seconds to explain why you are doing what you are doing could you do it? Practice this 10 second speech

10 Second speech – Due Tuesday Think of an issue that you could become an activist in. You are marching (or doing some other form of activism and a person comes up to you and says “Why are you doing this?” What do you say Also, Make a list of 5 things you could do (realistically) to be an activist. For each item explain why you can do it and what help you would need to make it happen