1. Lesson 3:
Identifying Community Issues

2. End DO NOW Student Handbook: Page 9
Fill in your name at the center of the wheel
Write in the specific communities you are a part of within each category (example: for Family you might write Mother, Father and One Sister).
In the blank triangles of the wheel, add in any communities you are a part of that are not listed.
Shade in the communities that you feel MOST connected to
TIP: Alongside the directions, show your own Community Map on the board to offer students an example.
NOTE: The bar at the bottom of the slide is a 5 minute timer. Clicking on the slide will start the timer, a gong sound will play at the end of 3 minutes and the “End” graphic will pop up. If you don’t want to use this feature, simply select the timer elements and delete them from the slide.
End 2
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3. COMMUNITY Class Definition: GC’s Definition: Sample Sentence:
A group of people with a common characteristic (place, interest, history, etc.)
Sample Sentence:
Your community might be the neighborhood you live in, the school you attend, or your circle of friends. 3
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4. COMMUNITY ISSUES Goals: Three main resources:
Brainstorm all of the issues in your community that you might address.
Narrow these down to the ones you are most interested in working on in GC.
Three main resources:
Personal Experiences (OBSERVATIONS)
Interviews conducted for homework (INTERVIEWS)
Local Journalism or Media (MEDIA) 4
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5. MEDIA Class Definition: GC’s Definition: Sample Sentence:
Means of mass communication, especially television, radio, newspapers, and the internet
Sample Sentence:
The media loves talking about Donald Trump. 5
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6. COMMUNITY ISSUES Work in groups of 3-5 people, (3 OR 6 groups total)
Use one resource at a time (Observations, Interviews, and Media) to brainstorm community issues. 6
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7. COMMUNITY ISSUES Round 1: 5 minutes
Write as many ideas as possible on group paper.
(In the Media station, student should use local media to scan headlines and articles about what other people are thinking or talking about. If students did not conduct interviews, at the “Interview” station, they should put themselves in the shoes of a family member or friend and brainstorm issues from their perspective.) 7
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8. COMMUNITY ISSUES Round 2: 2 minutes ROTATE!
Make sure a NEW group member is writing with the marker.
Add any new ideas or put a check mark next to ideas your group is also interested in.
(In the Media station, student should use local media to scan headlines and articles about what other people are thinking or talking about. If students did not conduct interviews, at the “Interview” station, they should put themselves in the shoes of a family member or friend and brainstorm issues from their perspective.) 8
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9. COMMUNITY ISSUES Round 3: 2 minutes ROTATE!
Make sure a NEW group member is writing with the marker.
Add any new ideas or put a check mark next to ideas your group is also interested in.
(In the Media station, student should use local media to scan headlines and articles about what other people are thinking or talking about. If students did not conduct interviews, at the “Interview” station, they should put themselves in the shoes of a family member or friend and brainstorm issues from their perspective.) 9
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10. COMMUNITY ISSUES Round 4: 2 minutes
ROTATE back to your original paper.
Make sure a NEW group member is writing with the marker.
Put a check mark next to the 2 ideas your group is most interested in.
(In the Media station, student should use local media to scan headlines and articles about what other people are thinking or talking about. If students did not conduct interviews, at the “Interview” station, they should put themselves in the shoes of a family member or friend and brainstorm issues from their perspective.) 10
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11. COMMUNITY ISSUES Student Handbook: Page 10
Share out the top 2-3 issues that received the most checkmarks.
Take notes on the issues presented by other groups.
Teacher or DC should record student answers publically. 11
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12. NARROWING ISSUES Blind Vote: Narrow to Top 4 Issues
Record these in the “Master Advocacy Hourglass” on page 1 of your Student Handbook!
Teacher or DC should record student answers publically. 12
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13. ADVOCATING Student Handbook: Page 11
Goal: Debate to narrow Top 4 issues to Top 2 issues!
What makes an effective debate?
Teacher or DC should record student answers publically.
Suggestions:
Provide evidence to back up ideas
Plan out your ideas before sharing
Speak loudly and clearly
Consider arguments other may have against your idea and address these 13
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14. ADVOCATING You will be assigned one issue to advocate for:
Don’t worry, you can vote for whichever topics you wish at the end of the period.
Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project?
Develop an argument for the debate that includes the following things:    
Personal Stories
Facts and Figures
Counter Arguments 14
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15. ADVOCATING
Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
Personal Stories – What experiences tell you this issue is important to address?
Facts and Figures - What background information do you know about this issue that makes it a pressing issue to address?
Counter Arguments - Are there any arguments you think other people would make against working on your issue?  How would you address these arguments?  
2 Minutes – Huddle and plan your main ideas
One group member =record all ideas.
Two group members =elected to share out these ideas.  
End 15
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16. ADVOCATING
Group 1: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
1 minute: Share your arguments with the class. 40 39 41 43 44 38 42 36 32 31 33 34 45 35 37 46 56 55 57 58 60 59 54 53 48 47 49 50 52 51 30 28 8 7 9 10 12 11 6 5 1
End 2 3 4 13 14 23 22 24 25 27 26 29 21 16 15 20 17 18 19 16
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17. ADVOCATING
Group 1: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
30 Seconds: Other groups share counter arguments/concerns about issue 20 21 19 17 16 22 18 24 28 29 30 27 26 15 25 23 13 4 5 3 2
End 1 14 6 11 12 7 10 9 8 17
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18. ADVOCATING
Group 1: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
1 Minute: Share your arguments to address counter arguments/concerns 40 39 41 43 44 38 42 36 32 31 33 34 45 35 37 46 56 55 57 58 60 59 54 53 48 47 49 50 52 51 30 28 8 7 9 10 12 11 6 5 1
End 2 3 4 13 14 23 22 24 25 27 26 29 21 16 15 20 17 18 19 18
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19. ADVOCATING
Group 2: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
1 minute: Share your arguments with the class. 40 39 41 43 44 38 42 36 32 31 33 34 45 35 37 46 56 55 57 58 60 59 54 53 48 47 49 50 52 51 30 28 8 7 9 10 12 11 6 5 1
End 2 3 4 13 14 23 22 24 25 27 26 29 21 16 15 20 17 18 19 19
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20. ADVOCATING
Group 2: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
30 Seconds: Other groups share counter arguments/concerns about issue 20 21 19 17 16 22 18 24 28 29 30 27 26 15 25 23 13 4 5 3 2
End 1 14 6 11 12 7 10 9 8 20
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21. ADVOCATING
Group 2: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
1 Minute: Share your arguments to address counter arguments/concerns 40 39 41 43 44 38 42 36 32 31 33 34 45 35 37 46 56 55 57 58 60 59 54 53 48 47 49 50 52 51 30 28 8 7 9 10 12 11 6 5 1
End 2 3 4 13 14 23 22 24 25 27 26 29 21 16 15 20 17 18 19 21
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22. ADVOCATING
Group 3: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
1 minute: Share your arguments with the class. 40 39 41 43 44 38 42 36 32 31 33 34 45 35 37 46 56 55 57 58 60 59 54 53 48 47 49 50 52 51 30 28 8 7 9 10 12 11 6 5 1
End 2 3 4 13 14 23 22 24 25 27 26 29 21 16 15 20 17 18 19 22
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23. ADVOCATING
Group 3: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
30 Seconds: Other groups share counter arguments/concerns about issue 20 21 19 17 16 22 18 24 28 29 30 27 26 15 25 23 13 4 5 3 2
End 1 14 6 11 12 7 10 9 8 23
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24. ADVOCATING
Group 3: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
1 Minute: Share your arguments to address counter arguments/concerns 40 39 41 43 44 38 42 36 32 31 33 34 45 35 37 46 56 55 57 58 60 59 54 53 48 47 49 50 52 51 30 28 8 7 9 10 12 11 6 5 1
End 2 3 4 13 14 23 22 24 25 27 26 29 21 16 15 20 17 18 19 24
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25. ADVOCATING
Group 4: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
1 minute: Share your arguments with the class. 40 39 41 43 44 38 42 36 32 31 33 34 45 35 37 46 56 55 57 58 60 59 54 53 48 47 49 50 52 51 30 28 8 7 9 10 12 11 6 5 1
End 2 3 4 13 14 23 22 24 25 27 26 29 21 16 15 20 17 18 19 25
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26. ADVOCATING
Group 4: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
30 Seconds: Other groups share counter arguments/concerns about issue 20 21 19 17 16 22 18 24 28 29 30 27 26 15 25 23 13 4 5 3 2
End 1 14 6 11 12 7 10 9 8 26
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27. ADVOCATING
Group 4: Why is your issue the best choice for our class advocacy project? 
1 Minute: Share your arguments to address counter arguments/concerns 40 39 41 43 44 38 42 36 32 31 33 34 45 35 37 46 56 55 57 58 60 59 54 53 48 47 49 50 52 51 30 28 8 7 9 10 12 11 6 5 1
End 2 3 4 13 14 23 22 24 25 27 26 29 21 16 15 20 17 18 19 27
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28. REFLECTION What did you do well during the debate?
What could you improve on?
Anything to add to the Classroom Constitution? 28
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29. EXIT TICKET
Write down the top two issues you want the class to work on.  
If there is an issue that you personally feel you absolutely could not work on, please write an explanation so that your facilitator can follow up with you individually.
Bonus Question (if applicable): Where is your Democracy Coach originally from? 29
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30. Follow @gencitizen on Twitter
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