Phoenix Academic Magnet Public Elementary
School
Contact:
Norma Stigall
Phoenix Academic Magnet Public Elementary School
4500 Lincoln Rd.
Alexandria, LA 71302
Using the Laws of Equality
Activity Summary:
Throughout the year these 4th grade students worked
with the mayors and the governor on understanding policies and
the laws of our state and cities. The students have worked on
our coastal erosion laws, as well as, polluted bayous and sewage
policies, and the changes they suggested helped the cities save
money. During Law Week the students studied famous attorneys and
gave the book, John Adams, to one of the mayors. Our governor
chose the date of May 1st for Children's Day, at our
students' request. Students wrote city and state proclamations
for Law Day.
Activity Narrative:
The Louisiana Education Assessment Program and the national standards
or benchmarks for educational guidance in the elementary classes
have included objectives that include the understanding of concepts
that relate to the understanding of the laws of our nation and
our world.
These 4th grade students, who we call Louisiana's Youngest Politicians,
developed concepts to understand why all citizens of the United
States have the opportunity to be equal. The creation of national
and international laws were presented in the themes of location,
place, movement relationship and regions and in the reflection
of the studies of history, economics, civics, and geography.
One of the main objectives in our parish's 4th grade curriculum
was to present the birth of our nation's laws and the timeline
of events that created our representative democracy.
Students presented weekly news reports through the school television
station and the school newspaper. At this time students were able
to explain how the laws of equality or the rights and responsibilities
of citizens applied to their presentations. Local newspaper and
television editorials were given about their projects.
Benchmarks state that fourth grade students should be able to
compare civilizations from the past and the present civilizations.
Students presented news, choral readings, summaries, maps and
dramatic presentations of the changes in the laws of equality.
With the use of the Internet students could find out about the
laws of other nations and that all of the children in the world
did not have equal rights.
Groups used the United Nations' web site, "Cyberspace" to find
out about world new events. One UN site concentrates on the lives
of children so the students ere able to compare how various laws
applied to the quality of lives that people live.
Students began their presentation of choral readings, dates and
time line studies with the inclusion of such documents as the
Declaration of Independence Constitution, Bill of Rights, the
Emancipation Proclamation and other documents that ensured citizens
their equality.
Replicas of documents and studies of historical characters ere
added to the presentations. The importance of national and international
laws could then be applied to knowledgeable class discussions
of equality.
Active students changed the laws of the local or city government.
Students introduced themselves to their mayors and had private
interviews with them on many occasions.
As active politicians they suggested that some of the local mayors
send old Christmas trees to the Gulf of Mexico to prevent coastal
erosion. This change in the law and in city management was accepted
by Mayor Fields and Mayor Randolph. The mayors found that the
Governor Foster's plan not only protected the coast against erosion
but that it also saved the cities money. Equal opportunities to
voice opinions allowed the students to change their environment.
Neighborhood citizens called on the young politicians to discuss
their sewerage problem with the mayor and they presented the equality
question of sewage to the mayor.
Congressman Cooksey saw the sincerity of the students. Congressman
Cooksey helped the students obtain books on the Constitution.
Representative Cooksey also found more information about a polluted
bayou for the class and adult citizens.
Child abuse is a news topic, and the students continued to work
on a U.S. postal stamp that would show the equality of children.
Senators Breaux and Landrieu, as well as Congressman Cooksey,
continued to have their staff address the postal commission on
the issue.
Our class is a regular public school class on the side of a bayou
not too far from some railroad tracks. In spite of adversity,
our students, takes advantage of equal opportunities. Some visited
with attorneys that represented minority groups. Some visited
politicians.
The students studied the rights of citizens, governments and
the laws of other nations. When Tyra went to Thailand she brought
samples of her law-related activities and discussed them with
Thailand officials. Sewage, erosion, child abuse, and other topics
were on her topics. The officials agreed that the ideas of the
young politicians were commendable.
During Law Month the children interviewed attorneys, judges,
policemen and mayors who support the equality of citizens and
laws. The students created posters for the Young Lawyers Association.
Proclamations and special forms were created with the help of
our governor and mayors.
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