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Step Seven: Brainstorm a-Brewin'

Lesson Plan

Armed with knowledge about the chosen issue and about how public policy works from Steps One through Six, students brainstorm a public policy solution for the issue the class has been studying. Students use a “Thinking CAPS” method of organized brainstorming.

This resource was created with support from the National Association of Counties.

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Related Resources

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    County Solutions - MS Overview

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    Step 10: Make Your Pitch

    In the culminating lesson, students learn how to design and deliver an effective slide presentation to gather support for their issue, create a 5-minute presentation targeted to a specific stakeholder audience, deliver their presentations to the class.
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    Step 1: Change the World?

    Kick off this project-based unit by asking students to examine what it means to make change in the world. Students think about why people are motivated to advocate for change, what kinds of issues matter to them personally, and ultimately choose an issue to work on for the rest of the project.
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    Step 2: Find What You Need

    Do your students breeze through internet search results, easily weeding out irrelevant results and finding exactly what they need? No? This step offers a detailed look at how to search for and find reliable, relevant information on the internet. 
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    Step 3: Become an Expert

    In this step, students read and annotate the sources they identified in Step 2. The lesson discusses investigative reading and offers strategies for staying organized when faced with a large amount of information from different sources. 
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    Step 4: Consider the Context

    No issue exists in a vacuum, so in this step, students examine the factors that contribute to the circumstances surrounding their issue to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and its interplay with the world. 
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    Step 5: Identify Your Stakeholders

    In this step, students figure out who’s got a stake in their issue. They learn what stakeholders are and how to identify them, as well as why the power of numbers is important and how to leverage support from other groups.
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    Step 6: Plan Your Attack

    Armed with information and a deep understanding of their issue, students shift into action mode in this step by writing an action plan for “moving the needle” on their issue. 
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    Step 7: Fill the Holes

    Students take a “step” back in Step 7 and identify gaps in their information: What pieces of the puzzle are still missing? What information is important to have before going on? To fill those holes, students learn how to make phone calls and send emails asking for information in a professional manner. 
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See how it all fits together!

View Scope and Sequence