Day 1: Who am I? Who are we?

• Begin to develop a community of learning and engagement within your section

• Become familiar and comfortable with the tools we’ll be using to learn together (Google Docs, JamBoard)

• Explore our personal identities and histories and how they influence our understanding of and engagement in democracy in the US.

• Develop an understanding of what government is and how it impacts your life.

• Become familiar with the “on your own” exercises for the next session.

• Gain insight and inspiration from guest speakers (Sept. 24: WA Sen. Joe Nguyen).

• Complete this form, if you haven’t already done so. (Due ASAP)

• Watch the documentary 13th. As you watch, consider these questions:

  • How does the 13th Amendment, our current police practices, and racism past and present impact voter turnout in the United States?

  • How do you see this play out locally, where you live and elsewhere in the United States?

• Create a Summer Civics & Swing States journal using this template. Click and copy.

PPT for this session: Click here.

JamBoards for this session. Intros + Guest Speaker Qs

Worksheet for this session: Click here & copy. Or download here.

Reflection (write in journal)

• Guest Speaker Name: ________________ Date:

• What are 1-3 things that you learned, or that struck you, from our time with the guest speaker today? And from our group discussion?

• What follow up questions do you have for the guest speaker? Or, what questions arose from your time with the guest speaker?

0) Reflection.

1) Family History & Voting. Talk to members of your immediate family and extended family (grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.).

• • Are they eligible to vote in the US?

  • Have they voted in prior elections? (If they aren’t currently eligible to vote in the US, why not? Have they voted in elections elsewhere or in the US at other points in their life?)

  • If so, are they registered to vote and are they planning to vote in upcoming elections?

  • If they are eligible and not registered, or aren’t sure if they are registered, ask them to go here or here to find out.

  • If they're not registered to vote, and are eligible, look up the voter registration process for their state here.

  • Call or talk with the oldest family member you know. Ask them the following questions:

    • Have you voted in elections over the course of your lifetime? Why or why not?

    • How have you observed elections and the voting process shift over the course of your lifetime?

    • Have you lived in different states of the US or different countries? If so, how have the voting and election processes differed or been the same in the various places that you’ve voted?

2) Watch the video, “How is power divided in the United States government?” - Please jot down notes in your journal during or after you’ve watched it. We will be discussing this in small groups at our next meeting.

3) Who are your elected officials?

• • Who are your representatives in local, state, and national government? Go to https://myreps.datamade.us/ to find out. Make a list in your journal.

  • Write an email or letter, or call, one of your representatives to share your thoughts on an issue you care about (racial justice, climate change, public health, or anything you care deeply about).

  • [Extra: What elections are happening in your electoral districts this year? When are they? Who are the candidates?]

4) Develop questions for guest speakers.

• For each guest speaker, please read their bio and/or Google them, and develop 1-3 questions you'd like to ask them. Write these in your journal and add ONE to a sticky note in the JamBoard (include your name).

• Our guest speaker on Thursday, September 24 will be WA Senator Joe Nguyen and on Saturday, September 26 Sarah Reyneveld, who is running for WA legislature in the 36th.