What’s In It For Wildlife?

Source
Project Wild - Secondary Activity Guide, Pgs. 205-209.

Objectives
Students will be able to: 1) describe the legislative process in which a bill becomes a law; 2) identify points at which private citizens can have an impact on the legislative process; and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of the legislative process from the perspective of their personal experience.

Method
Students actively participate in the legislative process.

Background
Students can learn about the political process by getting involved at a “grass-roots” level. Voting, letter- writing, and lobbying are among the direct ways used by adults to communicate their opinions to their governmental representatives. Young people can prepare themselves for their voting rights and responsibilities by monitoring the legislative process - specifically following a bill of interest to them in its course toward becoming a law. This activity is best done over a one to two month or longer period. The students should select a local wildlife or other environmental issue of interest to them with related legislation pending. Be sure that the students tackle a piece of legislation that is worth the effort. Real life - rather than simulated - experiences are important in learning these concepts and skills. Although role-play and simulation activities can be useful, they do not come as close to teaching students that they can have an impact in policy making. Instructional benefits to students from this activity will vary depending on their own interest and abilities, access to governing groups, and amount of time available to work on this project. The major purpose of this activity is to give students real-life experience in studying and participating in the legislative process. They are given an opportunity to have an impact on issues of concern to them. HELPFUL HINTS. From a classroom teacher who has successfully done this activity with students! 1. You will make an impact. Four or five letters on a legislator’s desk get attention. This type of campaign will be taken seriously. 2. Your students will really learn how a bill progresses...important knowledge in a democracy where citizens have rights and responsibilities. 3. You might actually assist in getting the bill enacted into law - and make an impact for the good of wildlife and the environment that will last a long time. 4. You might not get your bill through. Most pieces of legislation take three to five years to get through the legislature. It typically takes that long for a bill to get serious attention and for the legislators to acquire sufficient information to consider its importance. If your bill doesn’t pass, don’t be discouraged. You can ask your students to join forces with next year’s class in the same project. Their impact may not bring about the passage of a bill in one year, but it will hasten the time when the bill is finally passed. 5. Be leery about working on an appropriations bill. Bills that require money are a lot harder to get passed. 6. This is a lot of work. Be sure you and your students choose a piece of legislation that is worth the effort.

Materials
Copy of a bill being considered in local legislature, butcher or poster paper, marking pens, writing materials.

1. Ask your students if they know of any laws which affect wildlife and the environment. They may be able to give a few examples. Initiate a discussion about how such laws become laws. Where do they come from and how are they passed into law?
2. Ask for students to volunteer to contact local people about any legislation presently being considered that could affect wildlife or other aspects of the environment. One student could call the state wildlife agency and ask to speak to someone responsible for information about proposed legislation. Another could call a federal agency with responsibilities affecting wildlife. Another student could call a private organization - like a local chapter, affiliate or representative of the American Humane Association, Defenders of Wildlife, Humane Society of the United States, National Audubon Society, National Rifle Association, National Wildlife Federation. The Wildlife Society, or Wildlife Management Institute - for information about proposed legislation they might be concerned about and working on. Industry can also provide valuable information. For example, the government affairs office of a large corporation might be able to assist. Check with the students before they make their calls or send letters. Stress that they make their requests clearly, concisely and courteously. Ask the students to be prepared to report back within two weeks about what they have learned. If possible, by that time the students should have copies of proposed legislation for review by other members of the class.

3. Ask the students who contracted local people about proposed legislation to report to the rest of the class. After hearing the reports, ask the entire class to decide what one piece of proposed legislation they are most interested in finding out more about... by following its route through the legislature to possible passage.

Day Three and on

4. Once the students have selected the legislation they are interested in following these are the next main steps:

1. Know Your Legislation

Give each student a copy of the proposed legislation. Divide the class into committees. Ask each committee to take a section of the legislation, read it, interpret it to the best of their ability, and report back to the whole class. Ask each committee to outline their reports visually and verbally on a large piece of butcher paper for presentation in front of the class.

2. Writing the Position Paper

Ask the students to decide which areas of the legislation they wish to support to work in committees to do research, bringing back information and expert opinions to substantiate their position. All the information and concerns should then be compiled into a class position paper they will use to present their point of view to the legislators and allied groups.

3. Get in Touch with Your Representative or Senator

Next, ask each student to write a letter to his or her state legislator. At least one copy of the students’ position paper should be included with their letters. Be sure to check these letters for grammar and spelling errors - they have to be perfect!