Status message

Dear LOR user,

Thank you for being a big part of this community. To better support the initiatives around open educational resources in the state of Michigan, all resources on the Michigan Virtual Learning Object Repository (LOR) are being moved to #GoOpen Michigan on September 30th, 2018. During the transition, our LOR will be moved to an archived state, not allowing new user registration or new content to be added. An email with more details was sent to registered users of the LOR in September. To make use of the great resources on the platform, we encourage you to create an account and add your own new resources to the #GoOpen Michigan platform.

US Government: Interest Groups - Interest Group Interview

Description: 

This activity will have your students locating another person who is a member of an interest group and interview them about their association with that group and its effectiveness in affecting policy. This type of an opportunity will really help your students grasp the prevalence of interest group memberships and investigate the effectiveness of these memberships.

Learning Targets: 
Understand how Interest Groups work
Identify a member of an Interest Group
Conclude how effective the Interest Group is at affecting policy
AttachmentSize
File Interest Groups Interview.docx16.01 KB
Author: 
rdevries
Content Area: 
Social Studies
Civics
Language: 
English
Resource Type: 
Project
Licensing: 
Creative Commons Licence
Grade: 
9-12
Tags: 
Civics
US Government
Interest Groups
Interview

Student prerequisite skills and knowledge

Students should have an idea of what an Interest Group is and what their role is in forming public opinion and policy.

How is the concept or procedure explained or demonstrated?

This concept will be explained via a student conducted interview with a member of an Interest Group. Students will find a person who is a member of an interest group to gain a deeper understanding of what is involved and the benefits and purposes of it. What every answers they cannot get from the interviewee they can glean from the groups website.

What concepts or procedures are being explained or demonstrated in this lesson object?

The concept being explained is that of the frequency of involvement by Americans in an Interest Group. Also the purpose of a specific group. These concepts are very important in a study of American Government since so much of current legislation is being driven or blocked by interest groups via their economic pressure and lobbying efforts

What was your experience, both successes and challenges, using this lesson object with your students?

Most parents or grand parents are members of some type of interest group whether it be AARP, NRA, NAACP, or a work related group. Students often find it enjoyable being able to talk to them about their memberships