2013 Illinois Youth Summit Curriculum

Copyright © 2013 Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago.

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2013 Illinois Youth Summit Resource Guide

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2013 ILLINOIS YOUTH SUMMIT – i © 2013

Table of Contents

Introducing the 2013 Illinois Youth Summit 1

What is the Illinois Youth Summit? ................................................................................................. 1 Policy Questions for 2013 Summit .................................................................................................. 1 Objectives ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Discussing Controversial Public Issues in a Democracy .................................................................. 1 What This Curriculum Does ............................................................................................................ 2 Preparing for the Culminating Summit ........................................................................................... 2 Beyond the Summit .......................................................................................................................... 2

Unit 1: Should YOU Have the Right to Vote? 3

Overview, Focus Question, Objectives, Materials ........................................................................... 3 1A: Activity: Considering Restrictions on Voting ............................................................................ 4 1B: Handout: What Restrictions on Voting Would You Support? ................................................... 5 1C: Activity: Examining Historical Case Studies ............................................................................. 6 1D: Handout: Case Studies .............................................................................................................. 7 1E: Activity: Analyzing Arguments for and against Lowering the Voting Age .............................. 12 1F: Reading: What Should the Minimum Voting Age Be? ............................................................. 13 1G: Activity: Planning a Campaign on the Focus Question .......................................................... 15 1H: Handout: Advocacy Campaign Guidelines ............................................................................. 16 1I: Handout: Tips for Creating an Advocacy Campaign ................................................................ 17 Lowering the Voting Age: Selected Resources ............................................................................... 19

Unit 2: A Matter of Life and Death: Should Illinois Allow Physician-Assisted Suicide? 20

Overview, Focus Question, Objectives, Materials ......................................................................... 20 2A: Activity: Introducing the Focus Question .............................................................................. 22 2B: Handout: What Would You Do? .............................................................................................. 23 2C: Activity: Analyzing Quotes on Physician-Assisted Suicide ..................................................... 25 2D: Quote Gallery: Quotes on Physician-Assisted Suicide ............................................................ 26 2E: Handout: Hippocratic Oath (Modern Version) ....................................................................... 28 2F: Activity: Defining Terms .......................................................................................................... 29 2G: Handout: What Is Physician-Assisted Suicide? ....................................................................... 30 2H: Activity: Deliberating Physician-Assisted Suicide ................................................................... 31 2I: Handout: Defining Deliberation ............................................................................................... 34 2J: Reading: Should Illinois Permit Physician-Assisted Suicide? ................................................... 35 Physician-Assisted Suicide: Selected Resources ............................................................................. 38

Unit 3: Is Decriminalizing Marijuana Good Policy for Illinois? 39

Overview, Focus Question, Objectives, Materials ......................................................................... 39 3A: Activity: Analyzing Cartoons ................................................................................................... 40 3B: Handout: Cartoons .................................................................................................................. 42

2013 ILLINOIS YOUTH SUMMIT – ii © 2013

3C: Activity: Each One Teach One: Facts and Opinions on Decriminalizing Marijuana .............. 43 3D: Handout: Each One Teach One Notes Chart ......................................................................... 45 3E: Each One Teach One Cards ..................................................................................................... 46 3F: Activity: Analyzing Arguments for and Against Decriminalizing Marijuana ........................... 49 3G: Handout: State Senate Staff Assignment .................................................................................. 50 3H: Reading: Interviews with Advocates ....................................................................................... 51 3I: Activity: Making the Case: A State Senate Debate .................................................................... 54 3J: Handout: Instructions for a State Senate Debate ...................................................................... 55 Decriminalizing Marijuana: Selected Resources ............................................................................ 56

Unit 4: Taking A Stand: Position Statements on the Focus Issues 58

Policy Questions ........................................................................................................................... 58 Steps for Writing Your Position Statement .................................................................................... 58 4A: Handout: Position Statement Assessment Guide ..................................................................... 60

Unit 5: Conducting a Service Learning Project 61

Overview, Objectives, Materials ..................................................................................................... 61 5A: Handout: Selecting a Service Learning Project ........................................................................ 62 5B: Tool: Action Planning for a Service Learning Project .............................................................. 63 5C: Tool: Service Learning Project Planning Form ....................................................................... 64 5D: Evaluation: Service Learning Project Reflection Log ............................................................... 65 5E: Sharing Your Service Project ................................................................................................... 66

Unit 6: Preparing for the Culminating Summit 67

Requirements and Reporting Deadlines ......................................................................................... 67 6A: Activities of Delegates at the Illinois Youth Summit ............................................................... 68 6B: Tool: Weigh the Evidence ........................................................................................................ 69 6C: Activity for Non-Delegates on the Day of the Summit ............................................................ 70 6D: Activities: After the Summit .................................................................................................... 71

Participating Schools .............................................................................................................. 72

The 2013 Illinois Youth Summit is a program of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago. Major funding is provided by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Additional funding provided by the Stuart Family Foundation and the CRFC Board of Directors. In-kind support and assistance is provided in part by the Illinois State Bar Association, Winston & Strawn, LLP, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

The views and statements expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the McCormick Foundation, the Stuart Family Foundation, or any other supporters of the 2013 Illinois Youth Summit. CRFC is not responsible for the contents of external web links listed within this curriculum.

The Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago thanks Laurel R. Singleton for her help in preparing this Resource Guide.

2013 ILLINOIS YOUTH SUMMIT – 1 © 2013

Introducing the 2013 Illinois Youth Summit

What is the Illinois Youth Summit? Youth have the power to bring about change. Since 1995, the Illinois Youth Summit has given students an informed voice in discussions about current issues that affect them.

The 2013 Illinois Youth Summit is a chance for you to explore and discuss these issues as participants in our democratic society. You and your classmates will: study and assess three focus issues; survey other students about the issues; share positions on one or more of the focus issues; and conduct a service project to teach one or more of these issues to other students.

On April 26, 2013, student delegates from each school will meet with policymakers to share their thoughts and experiences on these issues. After the Summit, delegates will report back to their classes, and interested classes will present portions of the Summit to other students.

Policy Questions for 2013 Summit This past fall, students from participating Illinois high schools selected three issues that they believed were important to understand and address. Based on their decisions, the 2013 Summit will focus on these policy questions:

Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older? Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide? Should Illinois enact a law that would decriminalize possession of marijuana for people age

18 and older in possession of 15 grams or less?

Objectives The purpose of the Illinois Youth Summit is to help you and other participating students:

Analyze the facts and discuss different viewpoints relating to the focus issues

Practice discussing and deliberating current public policy issues

Conduct an educational service project in your community based on a Summit issue

Develop with other students a short position statement on one or more of the focus issues

Become actively involved in the culminating Youth Summit, either as a delegate or by helping to prepare a class delegation

Share learning from the Summit with other students

Discussing Controversial Public Issues in a Democracy Democratic societies draw their authority from the consent of the governed. Without popular support and participation, democracy fails. A critical form of participation is discussion. But how do we listen to and discuss opinions that often are very different from our own? How do we make decisions fairly? How do we accept outcomes with which we don’t necessarily agree? The Illinois Youth Summit curriculum is designed to foster these vital conversations.

2 – 2013 ILLINOIS YOUTH SUMMIT © 2013

What This Curriculum Does This curriculum is designed to help students explore, discuss, and take a position on the Summit issues. It features models for deliberating issues. It introduces public policy—how government responds to problems and gets things done—and offers ways for you to assess a policy’s effect and effectiveness. The curriculum is organized as follows:

Units 1, 2, and 3 are each devoted to a different focus issue. Each unit includes readings, classroom activities, discussion strategies, and additional resources to help you develop the skills necessary to share your views and the views of your classmates with policymakers.

Unit 4 features instructions for you or your class to write and submit to CRFC position statements on one or more of the focus issues. Selected position statements will be included in the Summit Program Booklet to be distributed on April 26.

Unit 5 offers ways to teach about the focus issues through service projects. Every school will plan, conduct, and assess an educational service project and report on their work to CRFC. You can conduct your project with other students in your school, other schools, or your community. Each school that completes a project will be recognized on April 26 and their service project descriptions will be included in the Summit Program Booklet to be distributed on April 26.

Unit 6 provides information for preparing for and participating in the culminating Summit, as well as ideas for taking the conversation on the focus issues beyond the Summit.

Preparing for the Culminating Summit Your class will send a delegation to the Youth Summit on April 26 at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago. In the weeks before the Summit, CRFC will notify your school regarding the final number of delegates who will represent your school.

Your delegates are responsible both to represent the ideas of everyone in class and to speak their own minds. Which policies seemed most promising? Least promising? How did issues look in light of your research and experiences? If you disagree with a policy, what alternatives do you propose? Remember that the delegation needs to be able to explain the class service project. This curriculum also has an activity for students who remain in school the day of the Summit.

Beyond the Summit After the Summit, delegates are encouraged to share their experience with their classmates. This curriculum also has ideas for post-Summit activities.


Unit 1: Should YOU Have the Right to Vote?

Overview Since 1971, when the Twenty-sixth Amendment was ratified, the minimum voting age in the United States has been 18, an age qualification that many other countries also use. Is there a good reason for drawing the line at 18, or should younger citizens also have the vote? That question is being debated not only around the United States, but around the world as well. In this unit, you will have the opportunity to explore a proposed federal law extending the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older.

Throughout U.S. history, changes in voting rights have come about through constitutional amendment, litigation, and state and federal law. Because lowering the voting age by two years does not represent a fundamental structural change in voting rights, this unit focuses on passing a federal law. This is a straightforward approach that would ensure equal treatment for people in all states. In Katzenbach v. Morgan (1966), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the constitutional authority to pass legislation related to voting if necessary to “secure Fourteenth Amendment guarantees” (equal protection).

Focus Question Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and

older?

Objectives Identify reasons for using certain criteria to define the right to vote.

Describe examples of the evolution of voting rights in U.S. history.

Present arguments for and against a federal law extending the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older.

Develop a plan for influencing public opinion and policymakers on behalf of their own ideas regarding lowering the voting age to 16.

Materials 1A: Activity: Considering Restrictions on Voting

1B: Handout: What Restrictions on Voting Would You Support?

1C: Activity: Examining Historical Case Studies

1D: Handout: Case Studies

1E: Activity: Analyzing Arguments for and against Lowering the Voting Age

1F: Reading: What Should the Minimum Voting Age Be?

1G: Activity: Planning a Campaign on the Focus Question

1H: Handout: Advocacy Campaign Guidelines

1I: Handout: Tips for Creating an Advocacy Campaign

Lowering the Voting Age: Selected Resources


1A: Activity: Considering Restrictions on Voting

Objective Working in small groups, students consider what restrictions they would place on voting; during discussion of the restrictions they support, the unit focus question is presented.

Procedures Ask students: Did you vote in the 2012 election? For students who answer “no,” ask

them to explain why. Some students will likely say their age or citizenship status prevented them from voting (Note: You may wish to clarify that students need not “out” themselves as unauthorized immigrants; they can simply share that they are not citizens.) Some students who are 18 and citizens might say they were not registered to vote or chose not to vote for a variety of reasons. Record the answers given on the board.

Point out that some of the reasons students give illustrate restrictions on the right to vote. Over the course of U.S. history, there have been many different restrictions placed on the right. In this activity, students are going to have the chance to decide what restrictions they would place on voting if they were in charge of deciding who can vote and who can’t.

Organize students into groups of three or four. Give each group a copy of Handout 1B. Explain that they are to discuss each of the categories and decide if they would restrict voting based on that category. If so, they should specify how they would restrict voting; for example, if they would restrict voting by age, what would they set as the minimum voting age? For each restriction they decide to place on voting, they should give at least one reason.

Poll the class to see which categories a majority of the groups would use as the basis for restricting voting. Discuss the results of the poll, focusing on why some categories are good reasons for restrictions and others are suspect. Discuss the age category last, drawing out students’ ideas about why age restrictions are a good idea and what they see as the appropriate minimum age for voting.

Explain to students that, while the minimum voting age is currently 18, it has not always been the case and will not necessarily be the case in the future. In this unit, students are going to have the opportunity to consider whether it is time for a change. Introduce the focus question: Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older? Take a quick poll of students’ initial opinions on the question and record the results on the board.


1B: Handout: What Restrictions on Voting Would You Support?

Directions: With the members of your group, consider whether voting should be restricted based on the categories listed below. If you support restriction, give a reason for your decision and describe the restriction you would place on voting. One example is provided.

Category Restrict Voting? Yes/No

Explain Your Reason Restriction You Would Place

Example:

Race

No Race has nothing to do with your ability to vote

None

Age

Citizenship

Criminal status (felon or ex-felon)

Education

Mental competence

Registration

Sex

Wealth


1C: Activity: Examining Historical Case Studies

Objective Having identified their initial views on the unit focus question, students examine two historical case studies: (1) women’s suffrage, which was first granted in selected states and then, under intense pressure from activists, was guaranteed nationwide through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution and (2) the Voting Rights Act, which the federal government enacted, again under pressure from activists, to enforce voting rights of African Americans in states that were preventing them from voting.

Procedure Point out that, while today most Americans see votes for women and other groups once banned from voting as basic justice, at the time these groups gained the vote, many people felt differently. Supporters of expanding the vote have worked incredibly hard to achieve change. They have also used different approaches to achieving change. Today, students will look at two different approaches to expanding voting rights, one used to gain the vote for women, the other to ensure that voting rights for African Americans would not be blocked by state and local officials.

Organize students into four groups. Two groups will examine the women’s suffrage case study, while two consider the case study on the Voting Rights Act. Distribute Handout 1D to each group, along with the appropriate case study (1D:1 for women’s suffrage, 1D:2 for the Voting Rights Act). Go over the directions with students, noting that there are two reporting tasks for each case study: (1) presenting a timeline of key events related to your case study and (2) explaining what the case study illustrates about the process of expanding voting rights. Each group will do just one of these tasks. You may wish to make the reporting assignments at this point or wait until after students have read and discussed the case study before making the assignments.

When students have finished their preparation, have the groups present their findings.

Use the following questions to debrief the activity: o How are the two cases similar? (Both efforts took a long time and required

extraordinary effort on the part of activists. Both involved state and federal governments, and both eventually involved a solution at the federal level.)

o How are the two cases different? (The issue of women’s suffrage was settled with a constitutional amendment, while several constitutional amendments were insufficient to ensure that African Americans would enjoy the right to vote. Federal legislation was also required. In the case of women’s suffrage, some states led the way in granting women the right to vote. In the case of the Voting Rights Act, states were lagging behind in terms of ensuring African Americans’ right to vote.)

o What can we apply from the case studies to our examination of the focus question? (The process of extending the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds may take time and require extraordinary effort. Federal action, whether a law or a constitutional amendment, may be the best way to ensure that all young people in this age category win the right to vote.)


1D: Handout: Case Studies

Directions: Read the case study assigned to your group. Then discuss the case study questions. After you have discussed the case study, prepare for the reporting task assigned to your group.

Case Study Questions:

At what level of government did this effort begin?

What roles did state and federal government play in this case study?

What tools (laws, constitutional amendments, court cases) were used to extend the vote in this case study?

How important were activists in this case study?

Both case studies involve advocacy over a long period of time. Why do you think the process of extending the vote in your case study took so long?

Reporting Tasks:

Your teacher will ask you to prepare for one of these tasks:

Present a timeline of key events related to your case study.

Explain what the case study illustrates about the process of expanding voting rights.


1D:1: Case Study: Women’s Suffrage in the United States

Some people say the fight for women’s suffrage began when Abigail Adams wrote the following in a letter to her husband in March 1776:

. . . in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.

The Framers did not respond favorably, and it was not until 1848 that the first women’s rights convention was held. That convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York, included the right to vote in its list of resolutions. The idea was controversial, however, as some people at the convention argued that it should be removed.

After the Civil War, several organizations devoted to suffrage were formed. In 1869, women were given the vote in the new territory of Wyoming; when Wyoming became a state in 1890, it

became the first state in which women could vote.

Meanwhile, women were going to court, claiming that the Fourteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote. They lost their cases. So, too, did Susan B. Anthony, who was charged and convicted of a crime for voting in the election of 1872.

The first constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote was introduced in the U.S. Congress in 1878. It was unsuccessful. The advocates for women’s suffrage focused mostly on changing state and local law. They achieved some successes. Their greatest

victory came in 1917, when New York gave women the right to vote. While most of the Western states allowed women to vote, east of the Mississippi, only New York and Michigan gave women


full suffrage. The rest of the country was a patchwork. Some states did not allow women to vote under any circumstances. Some allowed women to vote in primaries. In some states, women could vote only in selected cities. Other states allowed women to vote in primaries or presidential elections—but not other elections.

In 1913, two young activists, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, organized the Congressional Union. Their goal was to get a constitutional amendment passed to gain the vote for women all over the United States. They borrowed strategies from British women’s groups who also were working to gain the vote in their country. They organized parades, lobbied, members of Congress, and picketed the White House. Women who took part in protests were sometimes attacked by members of watching crowds. Some were arrested and spent time in jail. Imprisoned activists who went on hunger strikes were force fed.

The public had sympathy for the women, and President Woodrow Wilson felt compelled to endorse the women’s suffrage amendment in 1918. Congress passed the amendment in 1919, and the states ratified the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

Protest in Chicago (1916)

Courtesy Library of Congress Manuscript


John Lewis being beaten by state troopers during the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march.

Courtesy National Archives

1D:2: Case Study: Voting Rights Act of 1965

In 1865, Frederick Douglass, a leading abolitionist and former slave, made a passionate speech advocating voting rights for African Americans. In this speech, he said:

I am for the “immediate, unconditional, and universal” enfranchisement of the black man, in every state in the Union. Without this, his liberty is a mockery; without this, you might as well almost retain the old name of slavery for his condition; for, in fact, if he is not the slave of the individual master, he is the slave of society, and holds his liberty as a privilege, not as a right.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the Fourteenth (ratified in 1868) and Fifteenth (ratified in 1870) Amendments seemed to answer Douglass’s call. The Fourteenth Amendment states that any person born or naturalized in the United States is a citizen of the nation, as well as the state in which he lives. Thus, for the first time, the federal government, as well as the states, became the source of citizenship. States could no longer limit or deny the rights and privileges of national citizenship. The Fifteenth Amendment provides that the right of citizens to vote cannot be denied or limited because of race, color, or “previous condition of servitude.”

As a result, many African American men were able to vote in the Reconstruction Era. Many were elected to state and federal offices. However, when Reconstruction ended, states began taking action to make it difficult if not impossible for African Americans to vote. This included intimidation and violence as well as laws aimed at preventing African Americans from voting. These laws included requiring voters to pass a literacy test, which was made more difficult for black voters than white voters, or charging a tax to vote. This tax was called a poll tax. The Supreme Court upheld both literacy tests and poll taxes as constitutional.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was formed in 1909. Its goal was to gain civil rights, including the right to vote, for African Americans. The organization and others concerned with voting rights had some successes in legislatures and in the courts.

With the rise of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, voting rights became a major issue. Thousands of people traveled into Southern towns to conduct voter registration drives. Marches were held to draw attention to the issue. In 1962, Congress passed the Twenty-fourth Amendment banning poll taxes. The states ratified the amendment early in 1964, a major step. Yet Southern states were still preventing many African Americans from voting.


The Democratic Party won a huge victory in the 1964 election. Civil rights groups and political leaders decided the time was right to push for legislation. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Voting Rights Act to Congress in March 1965. The bill was passed and signed into law on August 3.

In essence, the Voting Rights Act banned discrimination in voting practices. It provided for the federal government to oversee elections in states with a history of discrimination. In addition, to make any changes in voting practices, those states had to clear the changes with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Voting Rights Act has been renewed four times, most recently in 2006. In late 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case calling the 2006 reauthorization of the bill into question. Supporters of the act say that there are still problems with voter suppression in the historically suspect areas. But opponents say that times have changed and evidence of current discrimination should be provided, rather than enforcing the law based on things that happened 50 years ago.


1E: Activity: Analyzing Arguments for and against Lowering the Voting Age

Objective

In this activity, students complete a reading that lays out arguments for and against lowering the minimum voting age to 16. They create a class chart of the arguments pro and con and identify the arguments they find most persuasive.

Procedures

1. Remind students of the unit focus question: Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older? If students raise the issue of whether extending the right to vote should be done through a constitutional amendment, confirm that an amendment would be one approach, but that a law is simpler option that the Supreme Court’s ruling in Katzenbach v. Morgan (1966) has suggested would be constitutional.

2. Distribute Reading 1F. Have students read the handout, highlighting arguments for and against lowering the voting age with two different colors of highlighters.

3. Guide students in a discussion of the arguments, creating a classroom chart of the arguments on both sides of the issue:

Arguments for Lowering the Voting Age to 16 Arguments against Lowering the Voting Age to 16

Allow time for students to add arguments that were not included in the reading.

Next, ask students to work with a partner and to identify the most persuasive argument on each side of the focus question.

Poll the students regarding their views on the most persuasive arguments, allowing time for students to explain why they found particular arguments persuasive.

Take a poll of where students stand on the focus question: Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older? Compare the results with the poll you took at the beginning of the unit. Have any students changed their minds? If so, what persuaded them to do so? For those students whose opinions’ have not changed, are they better able to support their position now? What do they understand about the opposing viewpoint that they didn’t understand before?


1F: Reading: What Should the Minimum Voting Age Be?

Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older?

More than 40 years ago, U.S. President Richard Nixon signed into law the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That amendment lowered the minimum voting age in the United States from 21 to 18. As he signed the amendment, he said, “…[T]he reason I believe that your generation, the 11 million new voters, will do so much for America at home, is that you will infuse into this country some idealism, some courage, some stamina, some high moral purpose that this Nation always needs….”

Today, most democratic nations in the world give the franchise, or the right to vote, to persons at least 18 years of age. A few nations have higher minimum voting ages, while a few have lowered the voting age to 16 or 17. Beginning with Nicaragua in 1984, several nations gave the franchise to people as young as 16. These include Austria, Brazil, Cuba, and Ecuador. The minimum voting age is 17 in East Timor, Indonesia, North Korea, South Sudan, and Sudan. In Bosnia, Serbia, and Montenegro, 16- and 17-year-olds can vote if they have jobs. Some U.S. states have also considered a lower minimum voting age, but none have yet enacted it.

Is lowering the voting age a good idea? Those who support the idea argue that it will involve more people in voting and strengthen democracy. Those who oppose the idea argue that it will not increase involvement and may actually harm democratic practice.

Lowering the Voting Age to 16: Supporters and Opponents

When the 26th Amendment was passed, one of the persuasive arguments used to support lowering the voting age was that, since 18- to 20-year-olds were being drafted into the military, they should also have the right to vote. But a similar argument is made regarding paying taxes. It is argued that making teens pay billions of dollars in sales and other taxes without a say in how those taxes are spent is unfair. In fact, some call it “taxation without representation.”

But opponents point out that 16- and 17-year-olds generally require parental consent for most major life-decisions. In the United States, teens can enter the military at age 17, but only with parental consent. Under U.S. laws, minors are not considered to have the capacity to enter contracts. With some exceptions, such as buying retail goods, contracts they have signed may be voided — just because they are minors.

Regardless of these limits, supporters of lowering the voting age say it is morally wrong to treat young people unequally to adults when it comes to voting. The arguments used against the youth vote are the same as those once used to keep women, racial minorities, or poor people from voting.

Opponents point out that minors are different from these other categories of people. The condition that keeps minors from voting is temporary. They will eventually be able to legally vote.

Supporters argue that engaging young people in elections will decrease long-term voter apathy. Research has shown that people who turn 18 in an election year are more likely to vote in future elections than those who turn 18 immediately after an election year. The idea behind this “birth effect” is that the longer an eligible voter must wait to vote in an election, the less Adapted from a reading developed for Deliberating in a Democracy in the Americas, a collaborative project of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago, Street Law, and the Constitutional Rights Foundation.


enthusiastic and less likely he or she will be to vote. In the first five years after Austria lowered the voting age to 16, many seem to remain engaged in the electoral process.

Voters in lower age groups do not show up to the polls in large numbers. The U.S. Federal Election Commission has stated that not even one in five adults aged 18-25 votes at all. Thus, the idea that lowering the voting age will decrease apathy is not well-founded.

Furthermore, opponents say, the teenage brain is less capable of making rational decisions than is the adult brain. Research by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health reveals that the prefrontal cortex of the human brain does not fully mature until a person is about 25 years old. The prefrontal cortex controls decision-making, judgment, and impulse control.

Because of this lack of full mental maturity, opponents say that minors can be easily manipulated. Politicians of the ruling party will be able to unduly influence teen voters more easily than adults. Or teen voters will just vote in line with their parents. Teen voters may not be committed enough to become well-informed. Surely, opponents argue, we do not need more voters who do not understand the issues.

Supporters say that even if the brains of teenagers are not fully developed, the choice of 18 as the voting age is arbitrary. Young people aged 16 and 17 are capable of understanding the choices offered at the ballot box. Since they study history, government, and current events in school, they may be better informed than older Americans.

Furthermore, supporters say, politicians now take young people for granted. Many laws affect teenagers as much as they affect voting adults. Teenagers ought, therefore, to have a voice in the political system.

What do you think: Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older?

Glossary of Highlighted Terms

Franchise – the right to vote, especially to elect representatives to a national legislature or a parliament.

Minors – people younger than the legal age of adulthood

Capacity – the legal ability or qualification to do something such as make an arrest or a will or enter into a legal contract

Electoral – relating to or involving elections, electors, or voters


1G: Activity: Planning a Campaign on the Focus Question

Objective

The vote is, of course, not the only way in which U.S. citizens can make their voices heard in the political process. Indeed, other avenues are open not only to citizens but to noncitizens as well. Students wrap up their study of the minimum voting age by planning a campaign to sway public opinion and policymakers to their position on this issue. This plan can serve as the basis for students’ service project.

Procedures

1. Ask students: Most of you are not currently eligible to vote. Does this mean you have no voice in the policymaking process? In what other ways could you make your voice heard? Students should be able to list a variety of methods, from writing to Members of Congress to distributing information about the issue to members of the public and starting a petition on the White House “We the People” site.

2. Tell students that they are going to be planning a campaign to advance their position on the focus question: Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older? Students will be able to work with a group of like-minded students to plan how they would influence policy and public opinion on the question. Allow time for students to form groups with three or four other students who have similar opinions on the focus question.

3. Distribute Handouts 1H and 1I and go over the instructions with students. The task asks students, acting as the Communications Department of a nonprofit advocacy group, to develop a plan for influencing both policymakers and the public. They are also to complete at least one advocacy product called for in their plan. Depending on the time available and your plans for the service project (see Unit 5), you may want to have students more fully implement their plans (i.e., complete and distribute other products called for in their plans).


1H: Handout: Advocacy Campaign Guidelines

Imagine this scenario. Your group is the Communications Team for a national nonprofit with headquarters in Chicago. Your organization has taken a strong position on extending the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds. Your position is:

The Communications Team has been asked to develop a plan to advocate for your position.

The plan must include four components:

1. A description of what you will do and the products you will create to influence public opinion.

2. A description of what you will do and the products you will create to influence policymakers.

3. A sample product called for in your plan. This sample can be used to show your nonprofit’s board the direction you will be taking. The sample product should include a tagline around which your campaign will be built (e.g., “It gets better” or “Think texting and driving is NBD? RIP”).

Handout 1I provides tips and suggestions that may be useful in creating your plan and product.

Influencing Public Opinion

Describe the steps you will take to influence public opinion and list the products that will be used in implementing those steps.

Influencing Policymakers

Describe the steps you will take to influence policymakers and list the products that will be used in implementing those steps.

Sample Product/Tagline

Attach your sample product. Explain the thinking behind the tagline included in the product.


1I: Handout: Tips for Creating an Advocacy Campaign

Persuasion Persuasion is at the heart of advocacy. You are trying to persuade others that your viewpoint is right. A few skills are key to being persuasive: Clearly state your message. Carefully craft a description of the issue. Tell why it is

important to society. Write a concise statement of your position on the issue. Pull together the arguments for your position. Gather evidence, quotations, anecdotes,

and visuals to support your view. Stories can pack an emotional punch. But you need sound reasoning too!

Refute the opposition’s position. Demonstrate that you can counter the opposition’s arguments. But be brief and fair.

Know your audience. Understand to whom you are talking. Tailor your message to the interests and concerns of the audience. But don’t “sell out” your message to attract an audience.

Influencing Public Opinion

Whose opinion will you try to influence? Here are some possibilities:

Individuals: Sometimes it is easiest to start close to home. Try persuading friends, family members, fellow students, teachers. To influence policy, however, you will have to reach out to other members of the community.

Businesses: Public policy often affects businesses. Consider whether a particular business or the business community might support your efforts.

Nonprofits: These include advocacy and interest groups. Neighborhood associations, unions, political organizations, and environmental groups are examples. Other examples are service, volunteer, and charitable groups such as the United Way or groups that focus on helping one particular problem. Religious groups are also part of this category.

Influencing Policymakers

What policymakers will you try to influence? A key is identifying what policymaking bodies will be acting on the proposal you are supporting or opposing. Targeting the wrong level of government is ineffective. It is also embarrassing.

Advocacy Tools

The strategies and tools available are nearly limitless. Here are a few:

Letters, emails, or telephone calls to public officials. Letter-writing campaigns, designed to get many people to send letters or emails to

officials. In designing a campaign, you will need to create sample letters or emails. You will also need to think about how you will involve people in the campaign.

Petitions. A petition is like a letter with many signatures. It is easier to get people to sign a petition than write a letter. The White House even has a page for creating petitions

Adapted, in part, from the Civic Action Project, Constitutional Rights Foundation Los Angeles.


(www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/09/01/we-people-announcing-white-house-petitions-how-they-work). You will need to draft the petition and consider how you will get people to sign it.

Social media campaigns. Tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs/vlogs, and wikis can be used to promote ideas.

Public service announcements and other educational products. Public service announcements on the Internet, television, or radio can influence public opinion. Ads in print media, as well as posters, brochures, and similar tools, can also be useful. Careful analysis of whom to target and how to reach them is key to making these tools effective.

Demonstrations. Another approach to affecting public policy and opinion is by demonstrating. A demonstration can include marching, picketing, and walkouts. Demonstrations draw attention to an issue. But they can also create a backlash. This is especially likely if the demonstration disrupts people’s lives or results in violence.

Using the media. You can do this by getting the media to report on your issue or even creating your own media project. Think about what is most appropriate for your purposes. You can write articles for your school paper or website. You can send letters to the editor or press releases to local newspapers. You can have a press conference.

Be creative in developing your plan. Let this list inspire you. But don't let it limit your thinking!


Lowering the Voting Age: Selected Resources

Sources

Cheng, Jenny Diamond, “Leave the Voting Age Alone,” The New York Times (May 28, 2012), www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/05/28/do-we-need-to-redefine-adulthood/leave-the-voting-age-alone.

CIRCLE Staff with Haley Pero and Laura Nelson, Voting Laws, Education, and Youth Civic Engagement: A Literature Review, CIRCLE Working Paper #75 (Boston: Tufts University, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, November 2012), www.civicyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/WP_75_CIRCLEStaff.pdf.

CRF Staff, “Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16?” CRF Forum (Los Angeles: Constitutional Rights Foundation, n.d.), www.crfforum.org/topics/?topicid=23&catid=12&view=document&id=15.

James, Geoffrey, “The Teen Ticket: Are Teenagers Old Enough to Vote?” Edutopia (September 14, 2004), www.edutopia.org/teen-ticket.

Levinson, Ellie, “The Voting Age Should Be Raised, Not Lowered,” The Independent (April 19, 2004), www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/ellie-levenson-the-voting-age-should-be-raised-not-lowered-560411.html.

Maas, Susan, “It’s Time to Extend Voting Rights to 16- and 17-Year-Olds,” MPR News (Minneapolis: Minnesota Public Radio, October 16, 2012), http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/10/16/maas.

Nixon, Richard, “Remarks at a Ceremony Marking the Certification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution,” The American Presidency Project (July 5, 1971), www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=3068.

“Top Ten Reasons to Lower the Voting Age” (Rockville, MD: National Youth Rights Association, n.d.), www.youthrights.org/vote10.html.

Court Cases

Katzenbach v. Morgan, 384 U.S. 641 (1966)

Minor v. Happersett, 88 U.S. 162 (1874)

U.S. v. Reese, 92 U.S. 214 (1875)

Information and Analysis

Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, www.civicyouth.org

Civic Action Project, Constitutional Rights Foundation, www.crfcap.org/

National Youth Rights Association, www.youthrights.org/

Voting Rights Act of 1965, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1973–1973aa-6


Unit 2: A Matter of Life and Death: Should Illinois Allow Physician-Assisted Suicide?

Overview

Death is an unavoidable part of life—people have no choice about whether they will die. But debate rages about how much control people—especially terminally ill patients suffering considerable pain—should have over the time and manner in which they die. Illinois is one of 36 states with specific laws prohibiting doctors from helping patients commit suicide. Advocates of physician-assisted suicide argue that patients who are dying and going through extreme pain should have the option of asking their physician to assist them in ending their own lives. Allowing this practice would give people the opportunity to die with dignity. Opponents counter by pointing out that assisting in suicide violates the Hippocratic Oath, which all doctors take. They also say that if all patients received appropriate palliative care, they would not want to commit suicide. In this unit, students explore arguments on both sides of the assisted suicide debate.

Note: Terminology can be confusing when discussing end-of-life issues. Differentiating between euthanasia (essentially when the doctor actively kills the patient; illegal throughout the United States) and physician-assisted suicide (when the doctor provides information or means for the patient to kill him/herself; legal in a few states) is critical for clarity. For that reason, the second activity in this unit is a vocabulary development exercise that will help students understand key differences, but using the right terminology is stressed throughout the unit, which focuses on physician-assisted suicide rather than euthanasia.

Focus Question Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide?

Objectives Identify beliefs that underlie views on physician-assisted suicide.

Define terms related to physician-assisted suicide, differentiating physician-assisted suicide from euthanasia.

Present arguments for and against an Illinois law permitting physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide.

Deliberate the question of whether Illinois should permit physician-assisted suicide and identify areas of agreement with classmates.

Materials 2A: Activity: Introducing the Focus Question

2B: Handout: What Would You Do?

2C: Activity: Analyzing Quotes on Physician-Assisted Suicide

2D: Quote Gallery: Quotes on Physician-Assisted Suicide


2E: Handout: Hippocratic Oath (Modern Version)

2F: Activity: Defining Terms

2G: Handout: What Is Physician-Assisted Suicide?

2H: Activity: Deliberating Physician-Assisted Suicide

2I: Handout: Defining Deliberation

2J: Reading: Should Illinois Permit Physician-Assisted Suicide?

Physician-Assisted Suicide: Selected Resources


2A: Activity: Introducing the Focus Question

Objective

Students are introduced to the focus question and put themselves in the place of a member of the Illinois General Assembly faced with letters from constituents on both sides of the question.

Procedures Ask students if they have heard of physician-assisted suicide. Do they know what the phrase

means? Clarify that physician-assisted suicide involves doctors providing information or means (e.g., a prescription for drugs) that a patient needs to commit suicide. It is not the same as euthanasia, in which the doctor acts to end the patient’s life (e.g., by administering the drugs).

Introduce the focus question for the unit: Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide? Students will have the opportunity to explore both sides of this question; they will start by putting themselves in the place of a member of the Illinois General Assembly, who is faced with letters from constituents on both sides of the question.

Distribute Handout 2B, and go over the directions with students. Have students work in pairs to read and discuss the letters.

Poll students as to whether they would vote for or against the bill permitting physician-assisted suicide. Record the class tally on the board and allow time for a few students to present their reasons. Tell students they will be learning more about arguments for and against such a bill in the next lesson.


2B: Handout: What Would You Do?

Directions: Imagine that you are a state representative. Each morning, staff members leave letters from constituents on your desk. The letters are about issues you will vote on that day. Today, you will be voting on a bill that would allow doctors to assist dying patients who wish to commit suicide. You have not made up your mind on how to vote on the bill.

Read the two letters the staff has placed on your desk today. Will you vote for or against the bill?

Dear Representative Smith,

I am writing to support the bill that would permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide. I have incurable cancer. I have been through four years of grueling treatments and surgeries. Nothing has worked, and I have now stopped all treatment. I am waiting to die and enduring terrible pain. The doctors have given me serious painkillers—but they cause me to sleep most of the day and to feel groggy when I am awake. I have no real life, and I feel like my illness is ruining my loved ones’ lives. If I could get a prescription for a drug that would allow me to commit suicide, I would be so thankful.

My doctor says that prescribing a deadly drug violates the Hippocratic Oath. But Hippocrates also wrote doctors should “do no harm.” Allowing patients to suffer unbearable pain for no reason is, in my view, “harm.” Besides, Hippocrates lived more than 2000 years ago. I think the times have changed, and so should doctors!

My doctor also says that if physicians are allowed to help patients commit suicide, it will change the relationship between doctor and patient. I agree, but I think the change would be a good one. If I can trust that my doctor will help me when all hope is gone, that would strengthen our bond.

Please vote for this important bill. You will help me and many others like me, whose lives have become a river of pain.

Sincerely,

R. T. Bryant


Dear Representative Smith,

I am a physician in suburban Chicago. I have been in practice for 20 years. I am writing to oppose the bill that would permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide. There are several reasons I oppose the bill.

First, helping patients commit suicide is forbidden in the Hippocratic Oath, which sets out the principles by which doctors must work. The Oath says: “I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.” Even if Illinois legalizes this type of activity, my Oath will still forbid it.

Second, my religious beliefs make it impossible for me to assist in suicide. My religion holds that life is sacred. Taking a life is morally wrong.

Third, allowing physicians to participate in assisted suicide would put our state on a slippery slope. Soon, family members might be pressuring patients to lighten their burden by committing suicide. People might start advocating for a more active role for doctors—administering the “suicide drug” or actually making the decision to kill a terminal patient who is in terrible pain. That could be very dangerous.

Finally, my job is to heal. If I participate in patient suicides, I may become insensitive. My patients may lose confidence in my commitment to their cure. Doctors’ public image could suffer.

Please vote against this bill.

Yours truly,

J.P. Gonzalez


2C: Activity: Analyzing Quotes on Physician-Assisted Suicide

Objective

Students analyze quotations on both sides of the assisted-suicide issue. Through discussion of the quotes, they will have an opportunity to identify beliefs that influence their own views on the focus question.

Procedures Enlarge the quotes provided in 2D: Quote Gallery. Post the quotes around the room. Remind students of the focus question for the unit: Should Illinois permit physicians to assist

terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide? Today students will have the opportunity to explore further both sides of this question, using a Quote Gallery that you have set up in the classroom.

Point out the quotations you have posted around the classroom and explain that students are to tour the gallery, reading and thinking about the quotations. Each student is to identify the quote that has the most meaning for them and be prepared to talk about their selection with classmates. The quotes they pick do not have to reflect their exact point of view; the quotes should be those that make a point students find personally relevant.

When students have had time to read all the quotations, organize them into groups of three or four. Ask students to share the quotes they selected and the reasons those quotes were most meaningful.

Draw the activity to a close with a class discussion of what students gained from reading and discussing the quotes. Did they gain insight into the beliefs that influence their own and others’ views of physician-assisted suicide? What values are most important to people on both sides of the issue? (Supporters: personal autonomy/dignity; Opponents: Protection of life, equal treatment of all)

Optional Activity Before starting the “Analyzing Quotes Activity” have students read the modern version of the

Hippocratic Oath (Handout 2E) and ask them to write what it means in their own words. Discuss the Oath as a class before proceeding.


2D: Quote Gallery: Quotes on Physician-Assisted Suicide

Quote 1

Approaching the problem of suffering among the dying through the lens of assisted-suicide is like looking through the wrong end of binoculars; it narrows and distorts the view. . . . In the very rare situations in which physical distress is extreme, it is always possible to provide comfort through sedation.

Dr. Ira Byock, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College and author of Dying Well.

Quote 2

The much-quoted reference [in the Hippocratic Oath] to “do no harm” is also in need of explanation. Does not doing harm mean that we should prolong a life that the patient sees as a painful burden? Surely, the “harm” in this instance is done when we prolong the life, and “doing no harm” means that we should help the patient die.

Dr. Philip Nitchschke, Director, Exit International

Quote 3

The right of a competent, terminally ill person to avoid excruciating pain and embrace a timely and dignified death . . . is implicit in the concept of ordered liberty. The exercise of this right is as central to personal autonomy and bodily integrity as rights safeguarded by this Court’s decisions relating to marriage, family relationships, procreation, contraception, child rearing and the refusal or termination of life-saving medical treatment.

ACLU brief in the case of Vacco v. Quill (1996)

Quote 4

. . . assisted suicide and euthanasia will be practiced through the prism of social inequality and prejudice that characterizes the delivery of services in all segments of society, including health care. Those who will be most vulnerable to abuse, error, or indifference are the poor, minorities, and those who are least educated and least empowered.

New York State Task Force on Life and the Law (1994)


Quote 5

Our opposition to physician-assisted suicide is not to hinder freedom but to protect the right to die with human and Christian dignity. . . . It will be our compassion toward the sick and dying that will ultimately make our teaching on assisted suicide effective and credible enough to shape and guide the public agenda.

Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, Archdiocese of Belleville, Illinois (1997)

Quote 6

. . . human life has inherent dignity, which may be compromised when life is extended beyond the will or ability of a person to sustain that dignity . . . Unitarian Universalists advocate the right to self-determination in dying, and the release from civil or criminal penalties of those who, under proper safeguards, act to honor the right of terminally ill patients to select the time of their own deaths.

Unitarian Universalist Association General Resolution on The Right to Die with Dignity (1988)

Quote 7

The patient’s autonomy always, always should be respected, even if it is absolutely contrary—the decision is contrary to best medical advice and what the physician wants.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, convicted of second-degree murder for assisting suicide

Quote 8

Legal acceptance of PAS [physician-assisted suicide] will put gobs of grease onto the path that leads to death as a legally permissible solution to the suffering of the non-terminally ill, the elderly, the disabled, the parent suffering the loss of a child, the person suffering chronic back pain, the depressed teenager, and so on. In other words, the legal acceptance of PAS puts us on a slippery slope that embraces death as a solution to medical, social, and psychological problems.

Dr. Hendrik van der Breggen, philosophy professor, Providence University College (2011)


2E: Handout: Hippocratic Oath (Modern Version)

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

—Written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, and used in many medical schools today.


2F: Activity: Defining Terms

Objective Having examined quotations expressing a variety of opinions on physician-assisted suicide, students begin the process of digging deeper into the issue by defining key terms in the debate over physician-assisted suicide.

Procedure Remind students of the distinction you drew between physician-assisted suicide and

euthanasia in the opening activity. Point out that this distinction is broad and there are other, more specific terms that they should understand before students dig into this topic.

Distribute Handout 2G and go over the directions with students. Have students work on the exercise in pairs. Allow them to use reference materials if they wish to do so.

Make sure students have properly matched the terms and definitions:

Involuntary active euthanasia The doctor actively causes the patient’s death (e.g., by administering a fatal dosage of drugs) without the patient’s consent.

Voluntary active euthanasia The doctor actively causes the patient’s death (e.g., by administering a fatal dosage of drugs) with the patient’s consent.

Physician-assisted suicide The doctor provides information or the means by which the patient commits suicide.

Passive euthanasia

The doctor withholds treatment at the request of the patient or family, resulting in death.

Discuss how students placed the four options on the continuum. While there is no “right”

answer, by forms of active euthanasia are likely to be close to the “no acceptance” end of the continuum, while passive euthanasia will be closer to the “full acceptance” end. Physician-assisted suicide belongs somewhere in the middle (public opinion polls suggest that slightly more than half of Americans support physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients in great pain; for more opinion polls on this topic, see http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000134#1). Point out that while there is agreement among people at both ends of the spectrum, in the center there is disagreement and thus controversy.

Remind students of the focus question: Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide? Ask if there are any other terms in the focus question that students should have a common definition of before they learn about the arguments related to this controversy. You may want to start a collaboratively created unit dictionary (on a section of the board or as a Google document) to which students can add as they proceed through the unit.


2G: Handout: What Is Physician-Assisted Suicide?

Directions: Below are four terms describing different ways in which a doctor might be involved in the death of a patient. With your group, decide which definition matches each term. You may use reference materials to help you complete the task.

Involuntary active euthanasia The doctor causes the patient’s death by withholding treatment.

Voluntary active euthanasia The doctor actively causes the patient’s death (e.g., by administering a fatal dosage of drugs) without the patient’s consent.

Physician-assisted suicide The doctor provides information or the means by which the patient commits suicide.

Passive euthanasia

The doctor actively causes the patient’s death (e.g., by administering a fatal dosage of drugs) with the patient’s consent.

Once your group has agreed on the definitions of the terms, place each term on the continuum below to show to what extent you think each type of physician involvement in patient death is acceptable to the public.

Public Acceptance of Physician Involvement in Patient Death

No acceptance Full acceptance


2H: Activity: Deliberating Physician-Assisted Suicide

Objective This activity is designed to introduce students to the opposing views on the focus question: Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide? Using the Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) methodology, students consider various perspectives on the issue and attempt to find areas of agreement.

Procedures

Step 1: Introduction (In class the day before)

Distribute Handout 2I. Explain that students are going to be deliberating the focus question: Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide? To be successful with this task, students need to understand the process of deliberation.

Discuss the definition of deliberation (Handout 2I). Explain that deliberation is different from debate because in a debate there are winners and losers. In a debate, people only listen to each other to find flaws in the other side’s reasoning; they pick apart those flaws to win the argument. The point of a deliberation is to listen to and analyze multiple viewpoints to uncover new ideas and possible solutions to a problem.

Discuss why it is important to learn how to deliberate. Explain that, in a democracy, people must be willing and able to exchange ideas in a civil way to make effective public policy. The more people who have a chance to contribute to a solution to a problem, the more likely the solution is to be successful and to gain broad acceptance.

Review the rules of deliberation, focusing on keeping an open mind and remaining respectful even when there is disagreement.

Assign students to read the deliberation text (Handout 2J) as homework.

Step 2: Careful Reading of Text (10 minutes in class to review reading done as homework)

Separate the class into heterogeneous groups of four students each. Have students review the text in their small groups.

When students are finished reading, check for understanding and clarify any unfamiliar terms. If students do not understand the reading, the deliberation will not be successful.

Ask each small group to identify at least three interesting or surprising facts and/or ideas presented in the text. Have each group reach a decision on the most interesting or surprising point and report it to the whole class. Remind students that this is not a time to present their opinions, but information they learned from the text.

Step 3: Taking Sides (15 minutes)

Tell students that they are going to be assigned a role to play as either a supporter or opponent of a law allowing physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide. Their job is to be as convincing in this role as possible whether or not it reflects their personal opinion.

Divide each small group into pairs, TEAM YES and TEAM NO.


Ask Team Yes to find at least two compelling reasons to support (say YES to) the law and Team NO to find two compelling reasons to oppose (say NO to) the law.

Once each pair has chosen at least two reasons, instruct the pairs to share their reasons with each other, starting with TEAM YES, followed by TEAM NO. The two teams should have an equal amount of time to present their reasons (two to three minutes each will be plenty).

Remind students to listen carefully to the other pair’s reasons. They should not respond, argue, or insert their personal beliefs at this point of the deliberation. However, students should be encouraged to ask clarifying questions if they did not understand something.

Step 4: Reversing Roles (5 minutes)

Next, tell students that they will be switching roles. TEAM YES becomes TEAM NO and vice versa.

Ask each pair to explain the best argument they heard from the other team and then find at least one additional reason to support their new position. Remind students to base their arguments on logic and sound reasoning.

Again give each team time to present their reasons, beginning with the new TEAM YES. One minute per team is likely to be enough for this step.

Step 5: Open Deliberation (15 minutes)

Tell students to drop their roles and deliberate the question in their small groups. Now, they can use personal opinions and experiences to support their reasoning.

Remind students that the role of deliberation in a democracy is to reach well-reasoned decisions. Ask students to work together civilly to reach a decision on the focus question in their small group. If they are unable to reach consensus on the question (YES/NO), they should find points of agreement. For example, “We all agree that all patients should have access to adequate pain management.”

Step 6: Whole Class Debrief (20 minutes)

Have the class reconvene as a whole. Ask groups to report on such questions as:

What were the most compelling reasons for each side?

What areas of agreement did you find?

What questions do you still have? Where can you get more information?

Did anyone change their mind during the deliberation? If so, why?

Poll the class on the deliberation question. Once the class stance is evident, ask the students to briefly discuss why they think the class arrived there. Do most students agree? Why? Is there broad disagreement? Why?

Ask students to take a step back from the content of their deliberation to discuss the deliberation process. (Hint: The following strategy can be useful in ensuring equitable opportunities to participate. Have the class sit in a circle. Give each student three Popsicle sticks. When a student says something, he/she must toss a Popsicle stick into the middle of the circle. Each student has to use all three, and once they have used all three, they cannot say anything else.) Use such questions as the following to stimulate discussion:

How was the deliberation different from the way you normally speak to each other?


Why do you think deliberation is important to democracy? Why do you think it is important to practice deliberating? Why are deliberation skills so

important? What did your group do particularly well in the deliberation? What could your group improve? Is reaching agreement difficult? Why or why not? Do you feel more informed about the focus question as a result of taking part in the

deliberation? Why or why not? Conclude the deliberation by asking students: If you feel passionately about this issue, what

can you as an individual or the class as a whole do to make your views known? To help others understand the issue?

Source: Adapted from Deliberating in a Democracy (Chicago, IL: Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago,

2005, 2006, 2007, 2009).


2I: Handout: Defining Deliberation

What Is Deliberation?

Deliberation is the focused exchange of ideas and the analysis of multiple views with the aim of making a personal decision and finding areas of agreement within a group.

Why Are We Deliberating?

People must be able and willing to express and exchange ideas among themselves, with community leaders, and with their representatives in government. People and public officials in a democracy need skills and opportunities to engage in civil public discussion of controversial issues in order to make informed policy decisions. Deliberation requires keeping an open mind, as this skill enables people to reconsider a decision based on new information or changing circumstances.

What Are the Rules for Deliberation? Read the material carefully and ask questions if you do not understand.

Focus on the deliberation question.

Listen carefully and analyze what others are saying.

Speak and encourage others to speak.

Refer to the reading to support your ideas.

Use relevant background knowledge, including life experiences, in a logical way.

Remain engaged and respectful when controversy arises.

Deliberation question: Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide?

Reasons to Support the Question - YES Reasons to Oppose the Question - NO

Source: Adapted from Deliberating in a Democracy (Chicago, IL: Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago,

2005, 2006, 2007).


2J: Reading: Should Illinois Permit Physician-Assisted Suicide?

Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide?

What Is Current Law Regarding Physician-Assisted Suicide?

Under current Illinois law (Illinois Criminal Code Section 12-34.5), “inducement to commit suicide” is a crime. A person is guilty of the crime when he or she knows someone is intending to commit suicide and provides the means for the person to do so. If the person kills him/herself, the offense is a Class 4 felony. If the person attempts suicide but survives, it is a Class A misdemeanor.

Over 30 states have similar laws. Physician-assisted suicide is a crime under common law in nine states. The past fifteen years have seen 75 bills introduced in 21 states, all designed to permit physician-assisted suicide. None have passed. Referenda to legalize the practice have been on the ballot in six states. Those states are California (1992), Oregon (1997), Michigan (1998), Maine (2000), Washington (2008), and Massachusetts (2012). The measures passed in Washington and Oregon. In Montana, the state Supreme Court has ruled that, if the patient consents, a doctor cannot be prosecuted for assisting in a suicide (Baxter v. Montana).

Federal law prohibits federal funds from being used to support assisted suicide. This means assisted suicide cannot be covered by Medicaid, Medicare, military and federal employee health plans, veterans’ health care systems, and any other federal programs.

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided some important cases related to this issue. In two 1997 cases (Vacco v. Quill and Washington v. Glucksberg), the Court took into consideration the long history of anti-suicide laws in the United States. It ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause does not provide a right to assisted suicide. However, the Court did recognize the right of states to permit the practice. In the 2006 case Gonzalez v. Oregon, the Court held that the federal government could not use drug laws to prosecute a doctor who wrote a prescription under the Oregon law permitting physician-assisted suicide.

Since Oregon has the longest experience with legalized physician-assisted suicide, that law is worth more detailed examination.

How Has Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Law Worked?

Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act became law in 1997. It allows adults who are terminally ill to get a prescription for a lethal dose of medication from their doctor. The patients take the medication themselves. To be eligible, a patient must be 18 or older, a resident of Oregon, capable of making decisions, and diagnosed with an illness that will lead to death within six months. The doctor decides whether the patient meets these criteria.


The state of Oregon keeps detailed data on assisted suicide. The numbers have increased significantly from 1998 to 2012.

Source: Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act—2012 (Eugene, OR: Oregon Public Health Division, 2013), http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Documents/year15.pdf.

The most common reason given for requesting the fatal prescription is loss of autonomy (93.5%). Second is decreasing ability to participate in activities that made life enjoyable (92.2%). Third is loss of dignity (77.9%). Critics of the Oregon law say that doctors should be required to try palliative care first. Palliative care is an approach that focuses on the prevention and relief of pain. If pain is controlled, patients may decide not to commit suicide.

Why Should Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Permitted?

Supporters of legalizing physician-assisted suicide give many reasons for their position:

Suffering is a part of life. But prolonged suffering at the end of life is unnecessary and cruel. People should be able to stop their pain. That pain may be physical, existential, social, or psychological. Palliative care cannot address all of these issues. Physician-assisted suicide is a compassionate response to suffering.

Assisted suicide allows patients to keep their autonomy. That is, it allows them to control their own lives and deaths. The right to self-governance is a fundamental right in our democracy.


The state has no compelling interest in prolonging the life of someone who is going to die anyway. The state’s lessened interest is reflected in the fact that people are allowed to refuse life-extending treatment.

Patients who are on life-support systems can have those treatments withdrawn to hasten death. Terminal patients who are not receiving that type of treatment have no options for hastening death. Thus, allowing assisted suicide is just. It provides an equal opportunity for all terminal patients to escape their pain.

Laws can be written with specific guidelines. These guidelines can provide protection for patients who are disadvantaged in some way. This can prevent use of assisted suicide to control costs or for other bad purposes.

Physicians already assist patients in committing suicide. But they must cover their tracks. Legalizing assisted suicide would allow honest discussion of this topic. End-of-life issues would be more transparent.

Why Should Physician-Assisted Suicide Remain Illegal?

Opponents of physician-assisted suicide also provide numerous reasons:

Life is sacred. Suicide of any kind violates the sanctity of life. Thus, it violates the moral precepts of many religions. It also violates secular beliefs about life.

The purpose of medical care is to heal. In fact, the oath taken by doctors specifically says “I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.” Putting doctors in the role of prescribing lethal drugs changes the patient-doctor relationship. It may make doctors less sensitive to human needs. It may also harm the public image of doctors.

Using pain management drugs can control suffering. If doctors were better trained in palliative care, patients could spend precious time with loved ones. Suicide would not be seen as a good option.

Many patients request assistance in committing suicide because they are not getting good care or because they have psychological issues. Some people believe that asking for assistance is actually a symptom of a psychological problem.

Physician-assisted suicide leads down a slippery slope. If we become used to this practice, active euthanasia could easily follow.

Some patients may be pressured to opt for assisted suicide. If a patient lacks health insurance, family members or health care providers may push for suicide for cost-related reasons.


Physician-Assisted Suicide: Selected Resources

Sources

Byock, Ira, Dying Well (New York: Putnam, 1997).

Gregory, Wilton D., “Why the Church Opposes Assisted Suicide,” Catholic Update (1997), www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0897.asp.

Illinois Compiled Statutes: Criminal Offenses, Illinois General Assembly (2012), www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs2.asp?ChapterID=53.

“High Court Upholds Oregon Assisted-Suicide Law,” Associated Press (January 18, 2008), www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10891536/ns/us_news-the_changing_court/t/high-court-upholds-oregon-assisted-suicide-law/.

Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act—2012 (Eugene, OR: Oregon Public Health Division, 2013), http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Documents/year15.pdf.

“Physician Aid-in-Dying,” Ethics in Medicine (Seattle, WA: University of Washington School of Medicine, n.d.), http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pad.html.

Sullivan, Paul, “Baxter v. State – 2009 MT 449,” Montana Appeals (February 10, 2010), www.mtappeals.com/baxter-v-state-2009-mt-449/.

Top Ten Pros and Cons: Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?” proCon.org (n.d.), http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000126.

Van der Breggen, Hendrik, “Physician-Assisted Suicide Is a Slippery Slope,” The Carillon (December 1, 2011), http://apologiabyhendrikvanderbreggen.blogspot.com/2011/12/physician-assisted-suicide-is-slippery.html.

Court Cases

Baxter v. State of Montana, 354 Mont. 234 (2009)

Gonzales v. Oregon, 546 U.S. 243 (2006)

Vacco v. Quill, 521 U.S. 793 (1997)

Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997)


Death with Dignity National Center, www.deathwithdignity.org/

Patients Rights Council, www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/


Unit 3: Is Decriminalizing Marijuana Good Policy for Illinois?

Overview

According to state and federal law, possessing marijuana is illegal in Illinois. Many people, however, are concerned that punishment for possessing marijuana is too harsh—especially those for possessing small amounts of marijuana. In Illinois, the penalty for possessing less than 2.5 grams of marijuana (about one-tenth of an ounce) is 30 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,500; for possession of more than 30 grams, the penalty is one to three years in a state penitentiary and fines of up to $25,000. Some cities, including Chicago, have passed ordinances decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana. Rather than arresting people, police officers can write a ticket. Not everyone agrees that decriminalization is a good idea, however. The disagreements about decriminalization are the focus of this unit, which looks at the possibility of extending Chicago’s decriminalization policy to the entire state of Illinois.

Focus Question Should Illinois enact a law that would decriminalize possession of marijuana for people

age 18 and older in possession of 15 grams or less?

Objectives Identify the thesis statements of cartoons about marijuana.

Evaluate arguments for and against a state law decriminalizing possession of marijuana for people age 18 and older in possession of 15 grams or less.

Take and defend a position on whether decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana is good policy for Illinois.

Materials 3A: Activity: Analyzing Cartoons

3B: Handout: Cartoons

3C: Activity: Each One Teach One Activity on Decriminalizing Marijuana

3D: Handout: Each One Teach One Notes Chart

3E: Each One Teach One Cards

3F: Activity: Analyzing Arguments for and Against Decriminalizing Marijuana

3G: Handout: Senate Staff Assignment

3H: Reading: Interviews with Advocates

3I: Activity: Making the Case: A Senate Debate

3J: Handout: Instructions for Senate Debate

Decriminalizing Marijuana: Selected Resources


3A: Activity: Analyzing Cartoons

Objective This activity introduces the unit focus question and engages students in analyzing two cartoons on the topic. The cartoons provide students with an argument on each side of the marijuana issue: (1) that marijuana, while perhaps not harmful in and of itself, leads to the use of other, more dangerous drugs and (2) that punishing violators of marijuana laws is more expensive than allowing people to use the drug. Procedure Post the focus question for this unit: Should Illinois enact a law that would decriminalize

possession of marijuana for people age 18 and older in possession of 15 grams or less? Ask if there is anything they don’t understand about the focus question. You may need to help students distinguish between decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing it. If marijuana is decriminalized, it will still be against the law to own it, but it will be a civil offense rather than a criminal one; the person in possession of marijuana would be issued a ticket rather than arrested. Students may not have a good idea of how much 15 grams is; 15 grams is .52911 ounces, or about as much as half a slice of bread.

Explain that students will begin their study of the focus question with two cartoons presenting different views on marijuana. Introduce the idea that a cartoonist starts with a thesis statement, just as students do when they are writing an essay. The thesis statement is the idea they want to convey through the cartoon. They then use the tools of the cartoonist—symbolism, labeling, exaggeration, analogy, and irony, among others—to convey that thesis statement. If necessary, explain these tools:

Symbolism – Symbols are images used to represent something else; for example, Uncle Sam is often used in cartoons to represent the United States.

Exaggeration – Physical characteristics of people or things are exaggerated to make a point. Cartoonists have found something to exaggerate in virtually every President’s appearance, whether it is President Obama’s ears or President Reagan’s hair.

Labeling – People and objects are labeled to make it clear who or what they represent. Analogy – One thing or situation is likened to another thing or situation that might

otherwise seem unrelated. For example, a recent cartoon compared budget cutting by Congress to a butcher cutting up a side of beef.

Irony – The difference between the way things are and the way things ought or should be is expressed. A well-known historic cartoon showed immigrants from many different nations building a wall to keep Chinese immigrants out.

Distribute Handout 3B and ask students to work in pairs to analyze the cartoons about marijuana. Their goal is to determine what each cartoonist’s thesis statement is. The questions on the handout will help them do that.

When students have completed their work, discuss each cartoon as a class, using the following questions: In your opinion, what is the primary message of this cartoon? Does it support or

oppose marijuana and/or its decriminalization? What elements of the cartoon lead you to this conclusion?

Did you find this cartoon persuasive? Why or why not?


What arguments germane to the focus question of this unit can you identify in this cartoon?

Using the arguments students identified in the cartoon, start class lists of arguments for and against decriminalizing marijuana. Tell students that, in the next activity, they will be adding to these lists as well as gathering information to evaluate these and other arguments on both sides of the focus question.


3B: Handout: Cartoons

What objects do you see in this photo?

Are any of the objects symbols? That is, do they represent something else?

What do the labels in the cartoon tell you about the cartoonist’s point of view?

Is the cartoonist drawing an analogy between marijuana and something else?

Does the cartoonist use irony? That is, does the cartoonist compare things as they are with things as they should be?

What is the thesis statement of this cartoon?

Source: CartoonStock.com.

What objects do you see in this photo?

Are any of the objects symbols? That is, do they represent something else?

What do the labels in the cartoon tell you about the cartoonist’s point of view?

Is the cartoonist drawing an analogy between marijuana and something else?

Does the cartoonist use irony? That is, does the cartoonist compare things as they are with things as they should be?

What is the thesis statement of this cartoon?

Source: Adam Zyglis, Buffalo News (June 8, 2012), www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/8911d7b1-9103-4e7d-a07b-61e6f4314468.html.


3C: Activity: Each One Teach One: Facts and Opinions on Decriminalizing Marijuana

Objective Having been introduced to the focus question and at least one argument on each side of the issue, students in this activity deepen their understanding of the issue through an “each one teach one” activity. Each student receives a card containing information about marijuana and its decriminalization. Students teach the information from their card to their classmates, considering how they could use what they learned to argue for or against decriminalizing marijuana.

Procedure Remind students of the unit focus question. Ask: What do you need to know in order

to decide whether such a law would be good policy for the state of Illinois? Accept all student answers, posting them on the board.

Inform students that they will be teaching and learning information about marijuana. E3plain the Each One Teach One activity to students. Each student will receive a card with information about legalizing marijuana. There are 14 different cards, so in most classes some students will have the same card. (If time allows, you might have students with the same card caucus briefly before the teaching and learning begin so they can discuss how they will teach the information on their card to classmates.) Each student’s job is to teach the information from his/her card to classmates and to learn the information from classmates’ cards. The teaching and learning should be done one-on-one; that is, students will pair up, teach and learn, and then move on individually to conference with another classmate. Distribute Handout 3D and explain that students will use this chart to record the information they learn; as they record information, they could use that information to argue for decriminalizing marijuana, against decriminalizing marijuana, or both. Answer any questions students have and then set them to work with the two following pieces of advice:

Don’t just read from your card. Share the information in your own words and have a conversation about that information with your classmate.

You will have 15 minutes to do this teaching. Afterwards, I will ask you to report on what you learned, so good notes will be important.

As students are teaching and learning, remind them not to form larger groups (as necessary). Give a two-minute warning before time is up. When time is up, ask students to return to their desks.

Use the following questions to debrief the activity: What facts did you learn about the marijuana issue? What surprised you? What information was not clear to you? What did you agree with? What did you disagree with? What information that you learned could be used to argue for decriminalizing

marijuana? Against it? For both sides? Note: Students may need help differentiating between (1) decriminalization and legalization, (2) medical marijuana laws and decriminalization laws, and (3) state and federal laws.


Decriminalization means that someone possessing marijuana will not be charged with a crime. However, they may still be charged (ticketed) with a civil offense. In other words, possessing marijuana is still illegal but punished less severely. Legalization means that possessing marijuana is no longer against the law. There is no punishment—civil or criminal—associated with possessing marijuana.

Medical marijuana, as noted on one of the Each One Teach One cards, is marijuana prescribed by a doctor to treat certain illnesses. Medical marijuana is legal in 17 states and the District of Columbia (the specifics of the laws vary from state to state). With a prescription, a person can be in possession of marijuana completely legally according to state law. Decriminalization laws apply more broadly, since they cover marijuana held for recreational use as well as medical use. But possessing marijuana is still a civil (ticketed) offense under decriminalization statutes.

All of the reforms to marijuana law to date have been at the state level. This has created a conflict between state and federal law. Whether a state has legalized medical marijuana or decriminalized possession of marijuana for all users, possessing marijuana is still a federal crime. In the case of Gonzales v. Raich (2005), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld enforcement of U.S. drug laws in states that have legalized medical marijuana.

Ask students to return to the list of things they would need to know in order to decide whether law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana would be good policy for the state of Illinois. Check off items that this activity covered. Encourage interested students to research items that are still unknown and explain that the next activity may also provide some of the needed information. If students have inferred pro and con arguments from the information gained in the Each One Teach One activity, these arguments could be added to the class list.


3D: Each One Teach One Notes Chart

Directions: You will be teaching and learning from your classmates. You will meet with one classmate at a time. Decide whether each piece of information could be used to argue for or against decriminalizing marijuana. Then make notes in the right or left column below. If you aren’t sure or think it could be used to argue both sides, put the information in the center column.

Information that Could Be Used to Argue for Decriminalization

Not Sure/ Both Information that Could Be Used to Argue Against

Decriminalization


3E: Each One Teach One Cards

Do Americans Favor Changing Marijuana Laws?

As of late 2011, a majority of Americans favor legalizing marijuana. A 2011 Angus Reed poll showed that 55% of Americans supported legalization of marijuana; 40% oppose it. A Gallup poll earlier the same year showed a smaller margin—40% supporting, 46% opposing. The support has increased steadily since 1969, when only 12% of Americans thought marijuana should be legal.

Who Favors Changing Marijuana Laws?

Some groups favor legalizing marijuana more strongly than others. A Gallup poll showed that liberals, moderates, independents, and Democrats all favor legalization. Republicans and Conservatives do not. Support for legalizing marijuana is stronger among younger Americans than among older ones. Men favor legalization, while women do not. The South is the one region where a majority of people oppose legalization.

What Is Marijuana?

Marijuana is the dried flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant. Marijuana’s psychoactive properties result from the compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Different parts of the cannabis plant have different levels of THC. Different types of cannabis plants also have different levels of THC. According to police reports, the level of THC in marijuana confiscated in drug arrests has risen sharply since the 1980s.

How Common Is Marijuana Use?

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. According to a government-sponsored survey, in 2009, 28.5 million Americans over the age of 12 had used marijuana at least once in the prior year. A 2010 study showed that 13.7% of eighth-graders, 27.5% of 10th-graders, and 34.8% of twelfth-graders had used marijuana at least once in the past year.

What Does Illinois Law Say about Marijuana?

Possession of marijuana is a crime in Illinois. The seriousness of the crime depends on how much marijuana the person has. Possessing small quantities—up to 2.5 grams—is a class C misdemeanor. If convicted, a person can be sentenced to spend up to 30 days in jail and/or pay a fine of up to $1500. Possessing progressively larger quantities is a progressively more serious crime with more severe penalties.

What Is Chicago’s Marijuana Ordinance?

In mid-2012, Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that decriminalized possession of small amounts (up to 15 grams) of marijuana. Marijuana is still illegal, but possessing it is a civil offense, not a crime. Thus, a person caught with a small amount of the drug is ticketed rather than arrested. The cost of the tickets can range from $250 to $500. People actually smoking marijuana, those under 17, those who believe intend to sell the drug, and those carrying the drug in parks or on school grounds are still arrested.


What Does Federal Law Say about Marijuana?

The federal Controlled Substances Act puts drugs into five groups or “schedules.” The classification is based on potential for abuse, safety of use, and whether there is an accepted medical use for the drug. Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, deemed to have high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use for the drug. No matter what state or local law says, possessing marijuana is a federal crime. This is true even if the marijuana is for medical use. In the case of Gonzales v. Raich (2005), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld enforcement of U.S. drug laws even in states that have legalized medical marijuana.

What Do Other States’ Laws Say about Marijuana?

In 2012, voters in two states—Colorado and Washington—voted to legalize marijuana. Thirteen other states have decriminalized marijuana. In those states, a person who is caught for the first time with a small amount of marijuana is ticketed rather than arrested. The details of these laws vary widely from state to state.

What Are Marijuana’s Short-Term Effects? According to U.S. government reports, marijuana use impairs short-term memory, slows reaction time, and reduces coordination. It also alters judgment and increases the heart rate. Based on animal research, government reports say that exposure to THC (the psychoactive component of marijuana) in key periods of brain development can alter the brain. These key periods include during pregnancy, in infancy, and in adolescence. Marijuana use also alters the user’s mood, causing euphoria or calmness. Using large quantities can cause anxiety and paranoia.

What Are Marijuana’s Long-Term Effects? According to U.S. government reports, long-term marijuana use can lead to the following problems:

Addiction Poor performance in school or on the

job Respiratory problems Psychosis (in vulnerable individuals) Impaired decision-making

Others disagree. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws says that marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco.


Have Any Bills to Decriminalize Marijuana Been Introduced at the Federal Level?

Yes, early in 2013, two bills were introduced that would change federal law having to do with marijuana. Representative Jared Polis (D-Colorado) proposed a bill that would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act. States could decide how to handle marijuana within their borders. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) has proposed a bill that would levy taxes on the sale of legally grown marijuana. Polis and Blumenauer believe Congress must act to end conflict between states and the federal government.

How Would Decriminalizing Marijuana Affect the State Government?

Issuing tickets for marijuana possession may raise revenue. Many marijuana cases involving possession of small amounts are dropped. The government does not collect any fines. With the issuing of tickets, fines would be collected. In Chicago alone, as many as 18,000 people annually are arrested for possession of a small amount of marijuana. This could generate millions in fines. In addition, each arrest requires up to four hours of police time. Issuing a ticket and testing the drug would require only about a half-hour. Thus, the police should have additional time available.

What Is Medical Marijuana?

Medical marijuana is marijuana prescribed by a doctor to treat certain illnesses. For example, marijuana has been used to treat glaucoma, nausea caused by stomach disorders or chemotherapy, chronic pain, and seizure disorders. Medical marijuana is legal in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Medical marijuana laws vary widely from state to state. Possessing marijuana is a federal crime even if the marijuana is for medical use. In the case of Gonzales v. Raich (2005), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld enforcement of U.S. drug laws in states that have legalized medical marijuana.

Does Decriminalizing Marijuana Increase Drug Use?

This question is hard to answer with certainty. Some studies seem to show that drug policy—whether strict or lenient—has little effect on the percent of people who use drugs. But a study from Alaska in the 1970s through 1990s, when the law changed several times, suggests that stricter drug laws do cut down on drug use.


3F: Activity: Analyzing Arguments for and against Decriminalizing Marijuana

Objective

In this activity, students take on the roles of staff to a member of the Illinois Senate. They read interviews with a supporter and an opponent of decriminalizing marijuana. In small groups, they decide on the three strongest arguments on each side of the issue.

Procedures

1. Draw students’ attention to the class lists of pro and con arguments and tell them they are going to be adding to the lists and evaluating the arguments today.

2. Distribute Handout 3G and go over the directions with students. They will be acting as staff for a member of the Illinois Senate, who has asked the staff to identify the three strongest arguments on each side of the physician-assisted suicide bill. The staff has done research and interviewed advocates on both sides of the issue. In groups of four or five, students should read the interviews (Reading 3H) and then discuss the arguments on both sides of the focus question. They can refer to their notes from the previous activity.

3. When groups have completed their work, ask each to report on the arguments they identified as being the strongest. Tally the “votes” on the class lists of arguments.

4. Tell students that they will put the work they have done today in practice in the next activity, when they are “promoted” to members of the Illinois Senate.


3G: Handout: State Senate Staff Assignment

Directions: You are on the staff of Illinois State Senator Carolyn Johnson. Senator Johnson has not decided to vote on decriminalization of marijuana. She has asked the staff to come up with a list of the three strongest arguments for decriminalizing marijuana and the three strongest arguments against. She has also said the staff can weigh in on how they think she should vote.

The staff has done a lot of research on the issue. You have read background information, attended public hearings, and conducted interviews.

Once you have read through the interview notes, you and the other staff members must come up the three strongest arguments on each side of the issue. Record the arguments your group agrees on below. Then discuss how you think Senator Johnson should vote.

Strongest Arguments for Decriminalization Strongest Arguments against Decriminalization

Staff Recommendation:


3H: Reading: Interviews with Advocates

Interview with M. McCall, Committee for Drug Law Reform

Staff: Mr. McCall, why do you support decriminalization of marijuana?

McCall: The most important reason for my position is the idea of proportionality. That is, the punishment should fit the crime. In the case of Weems v. United States, the Supreme Court has upheld the idea that proportionality is part of our Eighth Amendment protections. The Eighth Amendment says that “excessive fines” shall not be imposed. It also bans “cruel and unusual punishment.” The fines and jail sentences levied against people who have been in possession of a small amount of marijuana are definitely excessive. Plus, a criminal conviction for something so minor can ruin a person’s life. Possessing and using marijuana hurts no one.

Staff: Doesn’t marijuana use hurt the user? And isn’t it a gateway drug, leading to use of more serious drugs.

McCall: I don’t believe it does. Tobacco, alcohol, and fast food are certainly more harmful. According to the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, “Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. According to the prestigious European medical journal, The Lancet, ‘The smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health . . . It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat . . . than alcohol or tobacco’.” . In very rare cases, marijuana may have some bad effects on the user, but in general it does not.

As to the “gateway” argument, research suggests the opposite may be true. When you can buy marijuana legally, you’re not out on the street buying drugs from a dealer who can also offer you meth, cocaine, or other dangerous drugs. A study compared drug use in Amsterdam, where marijuana is legal, and in San Francisco, where marijuana remains illegal (except for medicinal use). The marijuana users in San Francisco were much more likely to use cocaine, meth, and opiates than the marijuana users in Amsterdam. And by the way, teen use of marijuana in the Netherlands, where it is legal, is lower than in the United States.

Staff: Does decriminalization lead to more use of marijuana?

McCall: The studies I’ve seen say no. Studies in states that have decriminalized marijuana show little increase compared to the rest of the country. That’s probably because most people who don’t smoke marijuana don’t want to. Only a few stay away from marijuana because they fear breaking the drug laws.

Staff: What other reasons are there to support decriminalization?


McCall: The so-called “War on Drugs” is immensely costly. In 2005, a panel of esteemed economists wrote to President Bush, Congress, governors, and state legislators. The panel included several Nobel prize winners. They advocated legalizing marijuana and estimated it would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal law enforcement costs. Given the tight budgets governments face today, those savings could help keep more important programs—including drug education and rehab—going. In addition, allowing farmers to grow cannabis legally would provide jobs in depressed rural areas.

Another problem related to the “War on Drugs” is the overburdened court system. Decriminalizing marijuana could ease some of the pressure on the courts.

Also, we know that drug trafficking is the underlying cause of a lot of violent crime in our country and in Mexico. Decriminalizing marijuana could decrease drug trafficking and violence. Those are goals everyone can get behind.

Staff: Do you see this has a question of individual freedom?

McCall: Yes, I do. I personally do not smoke marijuana. But I do believe that criminalizing possession of a substance like marijuana is a violation of individual rights.

And there is another rights issue. Marijuana laws allow police officers to use marijuana possession as a “wedge” to arrest people they want to get off the streets. This strategy is most often used against minorities. Thus, the enforcement of marijuana laws violates equal protection.

Interview with B. Lang, Project SAM

Staff: Ms. Lang, why do you oppose decriminalizing marijuana?

Lang: Our organization believes that drugs are a plague on our society. Many of our problems today result from drugs and the drug trade. Any policy that encourages drug use is not good for Illinois.

Staff: Supporters say marijuana is not harmful and that tobacco and alcohol are worse. Why do you think marijuana is harmful?

Lang: First of all, marijuana is a gateway to use of other, more harmful drugs. Once you’ve tried marijuana, it’s only a small step toward trying cocaine or meth. A report by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse stated that marijuana users are 85 times more likely than non-users to try cocaine. Also, I would dispute the argument that marijuana itself is not harmful. People who use marijuana are more likely to drop out of school, miss work or perform badly, and have relationship and health problems. For teenagers, whose brains are still developing, there can be long-term effects on the structure and function of their brains. These effects last even when the people quit smoking marijuana as adults. Like smoking


tobacco, smoking marijuana can also have effects on the heart and lungs. Smoking marijuana can lead to addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Decriminalizing marijuana will suggest to young people and others that these health risks are not important.

Staff: What do you say to the people who say that decriminalizing marijuana would reduce other crimes?

Lang: I don’t believe that argument is valid, and neither does the Drug Enforcement Administration. There would still be a black market for marijuana to serve those under the age of 18. In addition, other drugs would still be illegal. Thus, illegal drug trafficking and the violence that goes with it would still remain.

We also argue that decriminalization will not create farming jobs. Production is not being legalized. If it were, pot-growing would come out in the open and a small number of “factory farms” would be able to meet the demand at a fairly low price. Small, illegal marijuana growers might actually lose their jobs with decriminalization—not that we care about that.

Staff: Don’t you think that the penalties for possessing marijuana are out of proportion to the crime itself? Doesn’t this violate basic notions about fairness?

Lang: People who use marijuana know that it’s illegal, and they can easily find out what the penalties are. So I don’t think that is unfair—they knowingly take the risk when they use marijuana. On the other hand, strong penalties can give the justice system leverage. At-risk youth may agree to enter rehab if threatened with time in juvenile jail.

Staff: What other reasons are there to oppose decriminalization?

Lang: We believe decriminalization will lead to more use of marijuana. It’s only logical that people who are afraid of being arrested will use marijuana when that fear is gone. In Alaska, marijuana was legal between 1975 and 1990. Use of marijuana increased when it was decriminalized. When it was criminalized again, use fell.

Also, even if this bill passes, possession of marijuana will still be illegal under federal law. Illinoisans would still be subject to federal prosecution. And all aspects of selling drugs would still be illegal, so where will people get their “legal” marijuana? It just doesn’t make sense. Change needs to come at the federal level, if it comes at all.


3I: Activity: Making the Case: A State Senate Debate

Objective

Students take on the roles of members of the Illinois Senate, deciding how they will vote on the bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana for people over the age of 18. Each student prepares and presents a 90-second speech explaining their planned vote. If persuaded by another Senator that they are wrong, however, students can change their minds before the final vote taken at the end of the debate.

Procedures

1. Tell students that in this lesson they are changing roles, becoming members of the Illinois State Senate preparing to vote on decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana for people over the age of 18.

2. Distribute Handout 3J, and go over the directions. Students are to prepare 90-second speeches that present their position and give the most important reason(s) for their vote. Allow time for students to prepare their speeches. Note: You may wish to assign students a role as an actual state senator (a list with links to brief descriptions of the currently serving Senators is available at www.ilga.gov/senate/). If you do assign roles, you may want to have a brief discussion about how a senator’s political party might affect his/her vote. As was highlighted in one of the cards in the Each One Teach One activity, liberals are more likely to favor legalization than conservatives. However, party membership does not dictate one’s position on the issue. Some Republicans do favor decriminalization, while some Democrats oppose it. If you assign roles, an interesting follow-up would be for students to contact their assigned Senators to share their views and find out what the Senators think about decriminalization.

3. When students have written their speeches, have them present on the “floor” of the Senate. Inform students that they can changes their minds before the final Senate vote, so they should listen carefully to see if any of their colleagues can sway them. If you have assigned roles, alternate between Democrats and Republicans. Hold strictly to the 90-second limit on speeches.

4. Hold a floor vote and record the results. Declare the bill passed or failed.

5. Debrief the activity by discussing which arguments emerged as the most convincing on both sides of the issue.


3J: Handout: Instructions for a State Senate Debate

You are a member of the Illinois State Senate. Tomorrow, the Senate will be voting on a bill that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for those over the age of 18. You must decide how you will vote and prepare a 90-second speech explaining your vote.

You will not have time to explain all the reasons for your position. Focus on the most important reason—one that you think could convince others to vote with you. If you have time, you may want to refute an opposition argument.

Keep the following guidelines in mind as you write your speech:

Start by clearly stating your position. Example: I rise to oppose decriminalizing marijuana possession.

State the most important reason for your position. Provide evidence, a quotation, or a story that brings your reasoning to life. Example: I oppose this measure because I believe marijuana is a harmful drug. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana causes a variety of problems, some similar to the health problems caused by smoking tobacco, and can be addictive.

If time allows, refute the opposition’s position. Demonstrate that you can counter their best argument. But be brief and fair. Example: The supporters say that marijuana is not harmful, but I have seen young marijuana users in my district who are not succeeding in school or in their careers. Their parents are terribly concerned that these problems are not temporary. Research shows the effects on the brains of young people who use marijuana can persist into adulthood—even if they stop smoking pot.

Close by asking your audience to vote with you. Appeal to the interests and concerns of those you think can be swayed. Example: I ask you to join me in saving young minds by voting against this bill.


Decriminalizing Marijuana: Selected Resources

Sources

“Amendment 64: Use and Regulation of Marijuana,” Colorado Blue Book (Denver, CO: Colorado Legislative Council, 2012), www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CGA-LegislativeCouncil/CLC/1200536134742.

Blumenauer, Earl, and Jared Polis, The Path Forward: Rethinking Federal Marijuana Policy (Washington, DC: Offices of Reps. Blumenauer and Polis, 2013), http://blumenauer.house.gov/images/stories/2013/The_Path_Forward.pdf.

Caulkins, Jonathan et al., “A Voter’s Guide to Legalizing Marijuana,” The American Interest (November/December 2012), http://the-american-interest.com/article.cfm?piece=1316.

Downs, David, “Going Dutch: Teen Marijuana Use in the US vs. Netherlands,” East Bay Express (September 22, 2011), www.eastbayexpress.com/LegalizationNation/archives/2011/09/22/going-dutch-teen-marijuana-use-in-the-us-vs-netherlands-the-full-interview-with-cal-professor-robert-maccoun.

Drug Facts: Marijuana (Washington, DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, December 2012), www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/marijuana.

Effective Arguments for Advocates of Taxing and Regulating Marijuana, Marijuana Policy Project (September 2008), www.mpp.org/assets/pdfs/download-materials/TandRARGUMENTS092008.pdf.

Mack, Kristen, “Chicago OKs Pot Tickets,” Chicago Tribune (June 28, 2012), http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-28/news/ct-met-chicago-city-council-0628-20120628_1_pot-possession-possession-of-small-amounts-pot-tickets.

“Majority of Americans Ready to Legalize Marijuana,” Angus Reid Public Opinion (August 9, 2011), www.angus-reid.com/polls/43975/majority-of-americans-ready-to-legalize-marijuana/.

Morgan, John, and Lynn Zimmer, “Marijuana’s Gateway Myth,” Stop the Drug War.org (1995), www.drcnet.org/pubs/guide/06-95/gateway.html.

Newport, Frank, “Record-High 50% of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana Use,” Gallup Organization (October 27, 2011), www.gallup.com/poll/150149/Record-High-Americans-Favor-Legalizing-Marijuana.aspx.

“An Open Letter to the President, Congress, Governors, and State Legislatures,” Marijuana Policy Project (2005), www.prohibitioncosts.org/endorsers/.

Speaking Out against Drug Legalization (Washington, DC: Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice, 2010), www.justice.gov/dea/pr/multimedia-library/publications/speaking_out.pdf.


Topics in Brief: Marijuana, (Washington, DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, December 2011), www.drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/marijuana.

Court Cases

Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005)

Weems v. United States, 217 U.S. 349 (1910)


National Institute on Drug Abuse, www.drugabuse.gov

National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, http://norml.org


Unit 4: Taking a Stand: Position Statements on the Focus Issues

Policy Questions

Should Congress pass a law to extend the right to vote to persons 16 years of age and older?

Should Illinois permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide?

Should Should Illinois enact a law that would decriminalize possession of marijuana for people age 18 and older in possession of 15 grams or less?

Steps for Writing Your Position Statement 1. Choose a position for, against, or as an alternative to at least one policy question above. You

will need to submit a position statement on-line.

2. Write a persuasive statement arguing the benefits associated with your position on this policy question.

3. In your statement, be sure to call on the most convincing arguments and specific evidence and examples from:

the curriculum

discussion and other classroom activities

the Summit survey results (Unit 6)

your service project experience (Unit 5)

people in your community

any other sources available to you

4. Include in your statement the most convincing arguments from the opposing side. List what you think are the best arguments your policy rivals would make. Acknowledge these points, and do your best to refute the importance of these arguments.

5. Post and upload your position statement on the web at: www.crfc.org/student-programs/2013-illinois-youth-summit.

Specifications for Your Position Statement Length. Your statement should be between 600 and 1500 characters.

Attribution. Each statement will be posted with your first name only on the Summit website. Remember: Anyone on the internet will be able to read your position statement.

Deadline. All position statements must be uploaded at www.crfc.org/student-programs/2013-illinois-youth-summit by April 5, 2013.

Assessment. See Handout 4A, “Position Statement Assessment Guide.”

Select position statements will be included in the program booklet distributed to policymakers and to students from other schools at the Summit.


Sharing Your Views Share your position statements with your legislators in Springfield, your U.S. Representative in Congress, and/or with U.S. Senators Durbin and Kirk.

Illinois Government Governor Quinn

http://www2.illinois.gov/Gov/Pages/default.aspx

Attorney General Madigan

www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/

General Assembly

www.ilga.gov/default.asp

For Information on Your State Representative

www.ilga.gov/house/

For Information on Your State Senator

www.ilga.gov/senate/

United States Government Office of U.S. Senator Durbin

http://durbin.senate.gov/

Office of U.S. Senator Kirk

http://kirk.senate.gov/

Offices of Illinois U.S. Representatives

www.house.gov/your representative’s last name

U.S. Department of Justice

www.justice.gov

Supreme Court of the United States

www.supremecourt.gov/

USAgov

www.usa.gov/


4A: Handout: Position Statement Assessment Guide

Position Statement

Does Not Meet Expectations

Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations

Articulation of position statement

Position statement is missing or not clearly defined

Presents a position statement

Clear position statement supported through a well-organized essay

Understanding of how position is related to larger issues in society

Does not mention goal of the policy statement

Mentions goal of the policy statement

Mentions both the goal of the policy statement and implications for social context

Addresses contradictions or other viewpoints in evidence

Does not discuss contradictions in position statement

Acknowledges positions that contradict position statement

Addresses and responds to positions and evidence that contradict position statement

Thoroughness

Uses only one source to formulate position statement

Provides limited or no support data

Inadequately covers most areas of the topic

Uses two sources to formulate position statement

Provides appropriate data

May include pertinent information

Adequately covers most areas of the topic

Uses more than two sources to formulate position statement

Provides relevant and specific data

Adds considerable pertinent information including personal experience when appropriate

Even coverage of all areas of the topic

Analyzes and summarizes various points of views


Unit 5: Conducting a Service Learning Project

Overview Service learning is a process in which students learn and develop important skills by participating in a service experience that meets the actual needs of others.

One important way to do a service for another is to provide him or her with valuable knowledge and information. The topics that you have chosen for the Illinois Youth Summit are ones that affect the lives of many young Americans, and, through your study of these issues, you are gaining essential knowledge. People in your community need knowledge and understanding of these issues.

The tools in this unit will help you to select, plan, and implement a service project in which you educate members of your community on one, two, or all three of this year’s issues.

Objectives Introduce service learning

Provide suggestions for service learning project activities

Provide tools for planning and implementing a service learning project

Materials 5A: Handout: Selecting a Service Learning Project

5B: Tool: Action Planning for Service Learning Project

5C: Tool: Service Learning Project Planning Form

5D: Evaluation: Service Learning Project Reflection Log

5E: Sharing Your Service Project


5A: Handout: Selecting a Service Learning Project

The issues for the 2013 Illinois Youth Summit are important and affect the lives of many young people. For your service project, select one or more of the issues and teach others about them.

Many effective strategies are available. When choosing which method to use, consider the age group you are working with, the amount of time you have, the number of people you will be presenting to, your own talents and skills, the type of information you are teaching, and what exactly you want to accomplish.

Listed below are some suggested ideas for teaching others about any of the Summit issues. You may use one of these, a combination of more than one, or develop a strategy of your own.

Suggested Service Projects Develop and conduct a school climate survey on one or more of the focus issues.

Develop a presentation for other high school students or younger students at a school in your community to educate them about a focus issue. Involve younger students in role-playing activities from this Guide or interactive games in which you help them learn and understand the issue.

Create a blog devoted to a focus issue. A good resource is the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s “How to Blog Safely (about Work or Anything Else)” [www.eff.org/wp/blog-safely]. Publish articles and link to relevant resources. Allow students in your school to submit related facts, poems, stories, and advice.

Invite professors, experts in the field and policymakers for a roundtable discussion on a focus issue. Invite students from other classes to participate as well.

Create a newsletter or pamphlet devoted to the issue you have selected. Distribute it in your school and community. Share it with others through workshops at other schools.

Organize an after-school debate on an issue. Invite experts in the field with opposing views to take part. Allow students and others who attend to ask questions of the experts.

Create a live or videotaped presentation where students research and portray current or historical figures discussing a focus issue, à la “You Are There” [www.tv.com/you-are-there/show/5397/summary.html] or “Meeting of Minds” [www.steveallenonline.com/television_pioneer/meeting_of_minds.htm]

Create and role-play a scene that illustrates and teaches others about a focus issue. Perform the scene for other students at your school.

Develop a radio or public access television presentation or discussion on a focus issue.

Videotape any of the projects suggested above and use the video as a teaching tool in your school or other schools.


5B: Tool: Action Planning for a Service Learning Project

Keep a planning notebook to help your group stay organized. Use the following questions and the Tool 5C: Service Learning Project Planning Form to guide your planning and implementation.

Date project must be completed by: __________________________________________

1. What issue(s) will you be teaching/informing others about?

2. Who is your audience? Consider the age and size of your audience.

3. How much time will you have to complete the project?

4. At the completion of this project, what do you want your audience to know and understand about the issue(s)?

5. What method will you use to teach your audience about the issue(s)? (See Handout 5A for suggested project methods.)

6. What will you need to do to complete the project successfully? Consider people you will need to contact, and any skills, transportation, materials, and money you will need. Where and how will you get these?

7. What obstacles are you likely to face in implanting your project? How do you plan to overcome them?

8. Using the planning form, put the activities in order of completion, determine what resources you need for each, assign a person to be in charge of each activity, and assign a date by which each activity is to be completed.

9. How will you evaluate the success of the project?


5C: Tool: Service Learning Project Planning Form

Task Date to Be Completed

Resources Needed

How to Get Them

Who Will Work on This Task?


5D: Evaluation: Service Learning Project Reflection Log

Project focus issue(s)

Date project was completed

Now that you have completed your service learning project, take some time to reflect on your experience.

1. Describe the project you completed:

2. Specifically, what went well?

3. Specifically, what did not go well?

4. What did your audience gain from this experience? How do you know?

5. What would you do differently next time?

6. How did your group work together in the project?

7. What did you learn about yourself from this experience?


5E: Sharing Your Service Project

Once you’ve completed your service project, it’s time to share it!

All schools will post information about their service projects on the 2013 Illinois Youth Summit website [www.crfc.org/student-programs/2013-illinois-youth-summit]

Specifications for Your Service Project Description

Content. Describe what happened in your service project. Make sure you answer the following questions:

What did you do?

With whom did you work? How many people were involved?

What did your audience gain from this experience? How do you know?

When and where did the project occur?

What did you learn from your service experience?

Length. The description of your project should be between 600 and 1500 characters.

Image. All service project descriptions must include at least one image. Your image can be a photo from the project, or a graph, poster, handout, or drawing.

Links to Other Information online. You may include web-based resources as part of your service project description. These resources can include YouTube.com posts, podcasts, music, etc.

Attribution. Service project descriptions will be posted with your school name on the Summit website. Please do not include any student names in your service project description or materials. Remember: Anyone on the internet will be able to see your service project description.

Deadline. All service project descriptions must be uploaded by April 5, 2013.

Recognition. Every school that submits a service project will be recognized at the culminating Summit on April 26.


Unit 6: Preparing for the Culminating Summit

Required Activities for Each Class Participating in the Summit Conduct the Illinois Youth Summit Survey.

Study the focus issues for the Summit.

Prepare and upload one position statement on at least one focus issue [see Unit 4, page 58].

Design, conduct, and describe a service learning project [see Unit 5].

Prepare to share ideas and experiences with policymakers.

Reporting Information Deadlines All materials and information should be submitted to CRFC:

April 5: Complete Summit Survey Online [www.crfc.org/student-programs/2013-illinois-youth-summit]

April 5: Upload Completed Service Project Description Online [with photos and/or art to www.crfc.org/student-programs/2013-illinois-youth-summit]

April 5: Upload Position Statements Online [www.crfc.org/student-programs/2013-illinois-youth-summit]

April 12: Submit list of Delegates [with issue preferences] for the Summit on April 26

What to Bring to the Summit 2013 Illinois Youth Summit Resource Guide

Research data, articles, and other information that you believe is relevant to the Summit policies and issues

Documents, results, and/or pictures from your school service learning project

Pen or pencil

Notebook or loose-leaf paper

Prepared questions that you wish to have addressed by policymakers


6A: Activities of Delegates at the Illinois Youth Summit

Assumptions about Discussing Public Policy No single solution can fix all of our problems. We need to think about a range of responses to

problems, not just a “one-size-fits-all” solution.

People hold diverse viewpoints and have the right to express them. It is important to see other people’s perspectives and to listen to what they have to say, even if we don’t agree with their positions.

Knowing how to make your viewpoint known and to hear what others are saying is critical to being an effective citizen.

Rarely does everyone agree on what to do or how to do it. It is important to recognize that on most issues there will be majority and minority viewpoints.

Everyone has the right – and the responsibility – to participate in the solution, including young people.

Activities on the Day of the Summit Will Look Something Like This…

8:00-8:45 Registration: Dirksen Federal Building

SAC members will distribute nametags and materials to delegates from your school.

9:00-9:30 Opening Ceremony

9:30-10:10 Concurrent Discussions: Delegates are divided into groups based on the focus issues. In small groups, students discuss their feelings, thoughts, and positions on the proposed policies. Discussions will take into account survey results, class work, and service projects.

SAC members will act as discussion leaders.

10:10-10:50 Prepare for Meetings with Policymakers: Students will regroup based on the position they wish to present in the panel discussions. In these groups, students discuss and finalize their position statements and select representatives to present their positions to the policymakers.

SAC members will act as discussion leaders.

11:00-1:05 Panel Discussions with Policymakers/Lunch: The Panel Discussions and lunch will be held concurrently. Students remain in focus issue groups during this time.

1:10-2:05 Town Meeting and Final Public Policy Vote: Students will sit with their school delegations, where they will vote on the issues individually and then tally the delegation results.

SAC members get school signs from CRFC staff to hold during the town meeting. At the end of the town meeting, SAC members collect evaluations from their school’s delegates and give them to CRFC staff members.

2:05 Departure


6B: Tool: Weigh The Evidence

At the Summit, delegates will be asked to identify what information you find most useful in thinking about an issue. To prepare for your issue, use this form to identify and catalog at least one piece of evidence from each of the following sources: this curriculum, survey data, experiences with service projects, and policymakers/experts.

Survey Results

Service Projects

Curriculum and Other Sources Policymakers (Experts, Government Officials, Scholars)


6C: Activity for Non-Delegates on the Day of the Summit

Write Your Representatives in Springfield and Washington Now that you have studied the Summit issues, weighed the evidence (Handout 6B), and formed your opinions, select one issue or policy and write a letter to your representative expressing your views. Letters are one of the ways elected officials gauge public opinion. Although your U.S. representative may not personally read your letter, he or she has assistants who read letters and tally opinions. Your letter will be read and answered.

Make sure that you choose the appropriate official to receive the letter. For issues that affect federal policy, write to the U.S. congressperson from your district or to U.S. Senator Durbin and/or U.S. Senator Kirk, who represent the entire state. For policies that affect the state, write to one of your state representatives. Contact information for these policymakers is listed in the “Sharing Your Views” section in Unit Four.

Guidelines for Writing to Your Elected Official Whether you are composing an email or a formal letter, here are some tips for making your communication more effective.

Tell who you are: Give your name, address (home or school), and tell who you are. The people who read your letter want to know why you care and how to reach you.

Focus on one issue: Don’t try to fight crime, air pollution, and unemployment all in one letter.

Keep it short and simple: State your ideas in the first paragraph. Get the idea across in a page or less. People who read a lot of letters don’t have a lot of time.

Be polite: You can disagree, but never threaten or insult in a letter. Let your ideas do the talking.

Include supporting materials: If you have any newspaper articles, letters to the editor, or other written materials supporting your position, include these materials along with your letter.

Tips for Formal Letter Writing Type or write neatly in black ink. Use a standard 12-point type (Times New Roman is good).

Include your address (school or home) in the heading. Envelopes are often thrown away, and you want the person receiving the letter to know where to send a response.

Proofread your letter carefully. Errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling will detract from great ideas.

Fold the letter correctly. Use a business envelope and 8½” by 11” paper. Fold the paper into three equal parts.

Address the envelope carefully. Addresses can be found on your representative’s website (See Unit 4).

Keep a copy for yourself.

Have a friend review (and if necessary revise) the letter before you send it.


6D: Activities: After the Summit

Share the Experience with Students at Your School Delegates who attended the Summit should begin by sharing their impressions of the culminating Summit. Delegates may also take questions about the event from members of the class who did not attend the Summit. When sharing their experiences, delegates should consider the following questions:

Was there a new piece of information, or a clarification about one of the issues that you learned for the first time at the Summit? If so, share what it was and from whom you learned it.

What happened in your discussions with peers from other schools that you found interesting or surprising?

Were there any service projects other schools conducted that you thought were particularly effective or creative?

What surprised you about the discussions with policymakers?

Class Activity

Working in small groups led by a delegate, re-examine a Summit issue that the class studied. As a group:

Briefly list the strongest arguments for and against the policy in question.

Allow each member to vote for or against the policy.

Tally and record the group’s voting results.

Working as a whole class, share your group’s voting results with your classmates. After each group has reported out, tally up the entire class votes. Compute the percentages and compare them with the final results of the town hall meeting at the Summit (your teacher will have this information). Is the viewpoint of your class similar to the viewpoints of the student delegates who attended the Summit? Why or why not?

Finally, consider whether or not your views on the issue changed in any way as you studied and learned more about it. Share your thoughts and reasons with the class.

Post-Summit Enrichment Opportunities CRFC encourages students from Summit classes to participate in post-Summit enrichment opportunities on the Summit issues. These activities include presentations to non-participating schools and to community organizations.

If you would like more information about opportunities and ideas for your class, contact CRFC.

Participating Schools

Downers Grove North High School, Downers Grove

East Leyden High School, Franklin Park

Evanston Township High School, Evanston

Gage Park High School, Chicago

Glenbard East High School, Lombard

Hancock College Preparatory High School, Chicago

Hirsch Metropolitan High School, Chicago

King College Preparatory High School, Chicago

Lakes Community High School, Lake Villa

Maine West High School, Des Plaines

Mather High School, Chicago

Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire

Waubonsie Valley High School, Aurora

West Leyden High School, Northlake

York High School, Elmhurst

CRFC Board of Directors

Steven M. Elrod, Chair Sonya D. Naar, Vice Chair

Donald L. Mrozek, Vice Chair Dennis F. Regan, Treasurer

Victor P. Filippini, Jr., Secretary

Ronald J. Allen

Steven L. Bashwiner

William J. Bauer

Myles D. Berman

Paul P. Biebel

Ruben Castillo

Renee Citera

Deborah B. Cole

Patrick M. Collins

Jeffrey D. Colman*

Thomas A. Demetrio

Alex Dimitrief

Gary S. Feinerman

Thomas R. Fitzgerald

Karen H. Flax

Michael D. Freeborn

Shanin T. Fuller

Benjamin Ghess

Diane Green-Kelly

Diana E. Hess

Margaret A. Hickey

John J. Jemilo*

Bernard M. Judge

Andrew A. Kassof

James A. Klenk

John J. Lewis

Robert T. Markowski

Patricia L. McCarthy

David E. Mendelsohn

David A. Moes

Paula J. Morency

Gordon B. Nash, Jr.

Julian A. Oettinger

Carolyn Pereira*‡

Craig A. Roeder

Gloria Santona

Stephen A. Schiller*

R. Ryan Stoll

Thomas P. Sullivan*

Earl A. Talbot*

Jeffrey R. Tone

Hugh J. Totten

Andrew W. Vail

Georgia L. Vlamis

Dan K. Webb

James S. Whitehead

Diane P. Wood

David N. Yellen

*Life Director

‡Founder

About the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago The Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) strengthens American democracy by providing

elementary and secondary students with hands-on learning about the Constitution to prepare them for

informed civic engagement. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, CRFC develops and delivers interactive programming,

classroom-tested professional development, and problem-based curricula that addresses rights, law, and policy.

CRFC was founded in 1974 as part of the Constitutional Rights Foundation in Los Angeles and in 1990

became an independent 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Strengthening Democracy One Classroom at a Time

407 South Dearborn Street, Suite 1700 Chicago, Illinois 60605-1119 312-663-9057 ٠ fax 312-663-4321 [email protected] ٠ www.crfc.org

2013 Illinois Youth Summit Curriculum

Documents

Transcript of 2013 Illinois Youth Summit Curriculum