About This Lesson
This particular lesson emphasizes deliberation and controversy through its discussion of what level of government most impacts people’s lives, Inquiry Learning through its open-ended nature, and equitable civics through its culturally relevant reading.
Inquiry Question: How does local and state government impact your life?
Goals: Students will understand that local and state governments have significant impacts on their daily lives (often much more than the federal government!) and identify problems they can help address
Note: This lesson and the materials were developed for a diverse group of learners in New York City. The scenarios described in the reading could be easily adapted for other cities with some light editing. Because NYC includes five counties, there is no meaningful interaction with county government there, but teachers may want to include some scenarios on country governments if they are relevant.
