Course: Social Science (47-minute period) Grade: 12

Teacher: Kristian Ogungbemi

Overview/Rationale
This lesson is the final of a unit on local government and advocacy in which students have created maps
of their community, written petitions, and learned about the roles of city council. In this lesson, we will
debrief the prior day’s lesson on city council and learn about the public comment section of the local bill
process.

Essential Questions
 How is the public involved in making bills into laws at the local level?

 What makes a public comment effective?

Enduring Understandings
 There are mechanisms built into the local legislative process for public comment.

 Many of the same persuasive techniques are used across multiple forms of advocacy,
such as petition and public comment.

Goals/Objectives
 Describe the role of Philadelphia city council
 Understand components of effective public comment

Materials
 Students completed City Council station worksheets
 Public comment guided notes
 Public comment assignment sheets

Procedures (Opener, body, closer)

Opener
0 -1 1. Return students’ completed City Council station packets. Point them to
section A.
1-4 2. Project the Philadelphia City Council District Maps. Questions for
students:
- What does this map represent?
- What’s going on with the lines/sections on the map?
- This is called gerrymandering. Whoever is in office cuts the district
up in his favor. He will work with the other Councilpeople to make
sure he can get re-elected by redrawing the lines so that he can get
rid of people who won’t vote for him and include people who will
vote for him.
Course: Social Science (47-minute period) Grade: 12
Teacher: Kristian Ogungbemi

- CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING: If I was running for office

against Van, and my district included this section of the room, that is
friends with Van. How could I cut it so I would definitely win?

4– 10 3. Point students to Station 2.

- Because of gerrymandering, there ends up being many different
neighborhoods represented by one person. Councilman Squilla is an
example of that. He represents Kensington and Center City. What
are some differences between Kensington and Center City?
- Do you think he could represent those really different interests well?
- Let’s watch this video of our Council President Darrell Clarke.
- Show video of a protest that interrupted a speech by Clarke
- What did this protest do well? What could he do differently?
- Would a petition work as a protest of this issue?
10 - 4. Point students to Station 3.
20 - Let’s watch the news story about the nuisance business bill.
- Show video of news report on nuisance bill
- It’s clear that many citizens didn’t like the bill. So they protested
outside city hall as seen in the video. But there’s also another forum
for them to share how they feel about the bill – in the public
comment section.
- We are going to watch a few clips of that section to see what public comment is
like at a Council hearing.
- Show public comment for muisance bill
- We know from the history of the bill that is was …(amended) to
exclude the bulletproof glass restriction. Do you think this had
anything to do with the public comments? Why or why not?
- Which was the most effective public comment? Why? Which was
least effective? Why?
20 - 5. Pass out guided notes sheets and direct students to complete notes as
30 the Powerpoint is displayed:
- Public comment gives you a direct audience with the bill makers.
- Public comment is about evoking emotion
- Public comment is about communicating to the council people that
you are an involved citizen who is affected by this bill, and
explaining how it affects you, negatively or positively

30 - 6. Students will have independent work time to begin crafting a public

45 comment that they will deliver next week – the comment can be
about any of the current events we have studied or on the same
subject as their petition.

Closer (minute 45- 47)

 We have only learned two of the various methods citizens can get involved with their
local government.
Course: Social Science (47-minute period) Grade: 12
Teacher: Kristian Ogungbemi

 Although the national government is what you hear about most in the news, it’s at this
level where you can make the most difference!

Accommodations
 Students with IEPs and/or 504-service agreements will be given necessary
accommodations based on these documents, including one-on-one help and extra time.

Assessment/Evaluation
 The teacher will use class participation as a barometer of understanding, as well as the
completion of the guided notes.