Lesson 7: Analyzing Our Tactics OVERVIEWformergenerationcitizen.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/8/4/4884795/lesso… · Lesson 7: Analyzing Our Tactics OVERVIEW Students will review different

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Lesson 7: Analyzing Our Tactics

OVERVIEW Students will review different types of advocacy tactics and analyze which

actions might be most effective to influence the key decision-maker and

influencers they identified in the previous steps. These tactics will form the

basic content of the work that will be done by the project teams in Unit 3.

TO SHORTEN THIS LESSON:

Skip the article reading

activity. Ask students to

personally define one

tactic that they think they

understand. Talk through

each tactic by sharing

these answers whole-

group, correcting

misunderstandings and

explaining the details of

any tactic not defined.

Assign tactics to targets

yourself. Share these

decisions with students

and move into work

planning.

Combine with Lesson 8 if

needed.

OBJECTIVES By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Describe a variety of advocacy tactics.

Analyze their target audience to select tactics for their action plan.

MATERIALS Student handbooks:

o Tactics Overview, Articles, & Graphic Organizers (page 19).

o Class Targets, Asks, Outcomes, & Group Members Graphic

Organizer (Page 18).

o Overall Class Action Plan Graphic Organizer (page 23).

o Sample Class Action Plan Graphic Organizer (page 24).

Printed tactic example articles (1 article total per student)

Looks Like/Sounds Like chart

Advocacy Hourglass visual

Blank flipchart paper and markers.

PREPARATION BEFORE CLASS Familiarize yourself with the Tactics Toolkit. Discuss with your teacher

which tactics will be most applicable for the class and pull-out the

appropriate tactics handouts students will need.

Divide students into appropriate groups for reviewing the articles. The

article difficulty corresponds with the article number (4 is the hardest).

Prepare a poster or slide of the GC tactics.

Write the Do Now prompt on the board.

Draw the Overall Class Action Plan Graphic Organizer (page 23) on

flipchart paper to complete with the class.

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INTRODUCTION (3 - 5 minutes) Do-Now: At Civics Day, judges will ask us why we selected our targets.

Pick the target you are most interested in working on and explain why

they are important to helping us achieve our class goal.

Lesson overview and framing: Refer to the advocacy hourglass.

o Have one student describe where you are in the hourglass in

what you did last week (decided on targets).

o Explain that there are various tactics that we can use to get our

message across to our targets (the decision-maker and

influencers). We will spend the rest of the semester working in

teams on actually using these tactics to make our impact. It is

important that we choose the tactics that will be most effective.

During the beginning of this period, we’ll learn what each of

these tactics are and why and when they’re used. Then we’ll

discuss tactic(s) we’ll use to reach each target.

ADD TO GLOSSARY:

Tactics

Definition: the specific

strategies or actions one

takes to achieve a goal.

Sample Sentence: Attending a

meeting was one of the tactics

we used to convince our local

representative to introduce a

bill.

EXAMINING TACTICS (8 – 10 minutes) Explain to students that tactics are the actions we take to convey our

messages to decision-makers and influencers. There are a lot of

possible actions that you and your class can take. Others might come

from your own personal experience or from things that you have heard

or seen other groups accomplish.

Explain that before assigning these tactics, we need to review what each

tactic is and how it has been or could be used. Have students turn to

the Tactics Overview, Articles, & Graphic Organizers (page 19) in the

student handbook.

Explain that this is the list of tactics suggested by Generation Citizen.

Notice the tactics are divided into those that are good first tactics and

those that are good follow-up tactics.

Explain that you are now going to split into small groups to practice

identifying tactics. Each group will have an article. Together, they will

read through the article. After they have finished reading, they will:

o Put the number of their article next to the tactics in the Tactics

section that the groups in their article used.

o Put the number of their article next to the steps in the Steps to

Achieving Tactics section that the groups in the articles used or

may have used.

o Answer the questions at the bottom of the worksheet (What’s

the group’s goal? Who is their main decision-maker or

influence? Who are their other targets?)

Model an example using the Tactic Example Article 0. Ask a student to

read it aloud and for listeners to check off tactics they hear as it is read.

Ask the students:

o What is the group’s goal? (To make the food system more

sustainable and just by getting college administrators to sign the

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Real Food Campus Commitment and commit to spending 20%

of their food budget on real food by 2020)

o Who are the decision-makers? (College presidents and dining

directors)

o What influencers are mentioned? (Local farmers, student body)

o What tactics are directly stated? (Hosting a Panel, Writing an

Editorial, Circulating a Petition)

o What tactics are described but you can’t find the title for? (Using

a Letter-Writing or Email Campaign)

o What tactics are implied but it doesn’t actually say directly?

(Holding a Meeting with Decision-Makers)

Ask a student to restate the directions for their small group assignment,

and then dismiss them to work in their groups.

Give the students 5 minutes to review their article and fill out the

worksheet.

o Article #1 Tactics: Testifying at a Meeting, Sending Emails to a

Decision-Maker, Holding a Coalition Meeting, Circulating a

Petition, Raising Awareness.

o Article #2 Tactics: Sending an Email to a Decision-Maker,

Making Calls to a Decision-Maker, Writing Letters, Holding a

Coalition Meeting, Hosting an Assembly.

o Article #3: Tactics Learning from an Expert, Conducting a Survey,

Testifying at a Meeting.

o Article #4 Tactics: Conducting a Survey, Raising Awareness,

Sending Emails to a Decision-Maker, Holding a Meeting with a

Decision-Maker, Writing an Editorial.

Have groups share their responses with the entire class.

Review the tactics one-by-one. If a tactic was used in an article, ask that

group why they think it might have been selected.

o Use the first page of the Tactics, Overview, & Graphic Organizers

(page 19) for guidance. Clarify any misunderstandings about its

audience or purpose. Students should write descriptive notes for

themselves on their chart, as needed.

o If any tactics were not referenced in the articles, call on a

student to make an educated guess about what the tactic

means and how it is used. Correct their response as needed.

Make the point that every campaign for change involves multiple tactics

or sometimes the same tactics directed towards multiple targets.

PICKING OUR TACTICS (20 – 25 minutes) Have students turn to the Sample Overall Class Action Plan Graphic

Organizer (page 23) and review:

o Refer to the top of the pyramid. Highlight that this class’ goal

was to have the School District Transportation Office endorse a

bill that would fund reduce bus passes for students to get to

school.

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o Explain that this class had four targets groups: the School

District Transportation Office, the General Assembly (the state

legislative branch), the Transit Authority who run the state-wide

bus system, and the general public. Explain that each group

had their own set of tactics to achieve their specific outcome

which, together, ensured the class achieved the overall goal.

o Start on the left hand side base of the pyramid. Explain that this

group’s target was the actual decision maker: the School District

Transportation Office.

o Because the group was focusing on the decision-maker, their

outcome was similar to the overall class goal. They wanted them

to verbally commit to endorsing the bill.

o Refer to the base of the pyramid. Explain that in order to for the

decision-maker group to achieve their goal and outcome, they

needed to start with their first tactic of meeting with the School

District Transportation Office Committee President.

o After they completed that tactic, they moved onto their follow-up

tactics of writing letters to the entire School District

Transportation Office. They thought it was important to have the

President and all the members on their side.

o By completing these steps and tactics, they eventually achieved

their outcome, which led to the successful completion of their

class goal.

o Repeat for as many columns as you have time.

Explain that now students are going to do the same thing for their

project!

o Ask students to turn to their blank Overall Class Action Plan

Graphic Organizer (page 23).

o In small groups, the will have 15 minutes to complete one

column of the pyramid for a specific target group.

o Explain that once you split into groups, they will first copy their

class goal to from the Class Targets, Asks, Outcomes & Group

Members Graphic Organizer chart (page 18) to the top of the

Overall Class Action Plan Graphic Organizer pyramid (page 23).

o Next they will transfer their assigned target to the bottom of one

of columns of the pyramid and the corresponding outcome to

the top of that same column.

o Finally, they should use a blank page in their handbook to

brainstorm the tactics needed to convince their target to do their

outcome. They will order tactics later so it is very important that

they don’t write them in the pyramid now.

Split the students into the same groups they worked in for the article

review. Assign them a column in the pyramid (the first column is the

decision-maker). Remind them to brainstorm their tactics on a blank

notes page and not in the pyramid.

As students work on their pyramid, have them consider:

o What are the ways this target hears about issues?

o Based on what we know about the target, what kind of action

TIP: Only go through the left

two sections of the pyramid to

save time!

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might be most persuasive? (public, direct, group, individual)

o Which tactics would convince the target to do what we want?

o What tactic is the one that we need to do first? Why? How will

this help us do the next tactic?

Give the students a two minute warning. Explain that they are each

going to report out to the group.

As groups present, ask the students if they agree or disagree with the

tactics that the target group identified. Guide groups to make tactics

more applicable.

Once the class agrees, copy each of the tactics at the bottom of the

pyramid, underneath the appropriate target in the Overall Class Action

Plan Graphic Organizer (page 23). Have students do the same. You will

order the targets next lesson.

Explain that this the start of your master plan that will help you organize

and evaluate your progress over the course of the semester.

Sample probing questions to

drive student conversation on

tactics:

What tactics are connected

and might need to be done

together? (ex: calls and

emails to work with a

coalition)

Which targets might have

overlapping tactics? How

can we collaborate in our

teams to take advantage of

that?

ADAPTATION FOR RIGOR:

Have students draft the

ordering of their tactics in the

pyramid.

CONCLUSION & EXIT TICKETS (3 - 5 minutes) Remind students of the next date you will see them and explain that

during the next lesson, you will continue to work structure your overall

action plan and to create even more specific small group action plans.

Call on a student to read the exit ticket prompt out: o Next week, we’ll break into groups based on targets and tactics.

These will be the groups you’ll work in for the rest of the

semester. Which tactics are you most interested in working on

and why?

Have students complete exit ticket and submit it to you.

NOTE TO DEMOCRACY COACH Use the student responses on their exit tickets to break them into

specific target groups to work in for their action project. Talk to your

teacher to take class dynamics and student ability into account. Create

a contingency plan if students strongly disagree with their group.

Using the tactics the students brainstormed, consider sequencing for

each of the tactics and suggest dates for completion. Consider three

steps that need to be completed for each tactic. Draft your own versions

of the Overall Class Action Plan and Small Group Action Plans for each

target group.

Decide on how much of the Overall Class Action Plan that you want to

share with students and how much you want them to fill out. This

should be based on their ability and the amount of time you have.

OPTIONAL ASSESSMENT and PORTFOLIO ELEMENTS

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Exit Ticket: Next week, we’ll break into groups based on targets and

tactics. These will be the groups you’ll work in for the rest of the

semester. Which tactics are you most interested in working on and

why?

COMMON CORE STANDARDS SL.9-10.1

SL.9-10.4

RH.9-10.4

COMMON CORE STANDARDS SL.8.1

SL.8.4

RH.6-8.4

REFERENCES http://youthactivismproject.org/success-stories/

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fyouthactivismproject.org%2Fsuccess-stories%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHRA0oYRI0XXg3gSAQyAMJ2NjO7QA

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STUDENT HANDBOOK PAGES Lesson 7

Tactics Overview, Articles, & Graphic Organizers

Some tactics are more intuitive than others. This guide briefly outlines major differences.

FIR

ST T

AC

TIC

Canvassing with a Petition: Collecting signatures on a statement supporting your

action project

Testifying at a Hearing: Delivering a statement at an official meeting, usually

regarding proposed legislation

Holding a Meeting: Meeting in-person with a decision-maker

Meeting with a Coalition: Attending or organizing an in-person meeting with

coalition partners

Writing a Letter: Handwriting a letter to a decision-maker, including organizing

others to write letters to the decision-maker

Making Phone Calls: Making a call to a decision-maker

Raising Awareness: Using social media, creating a short film or documentary,

collecting testimonies to share, or launching a poster campaign to advertise an

event or educate an audience

FO

LLO

W-U

P T

AC

TIC

Participating in an Outside Event: Attending a coalition partner’s organized rally or

protest

Holding a Press Conference: Assemble media outlet reporters in public place and

prepare speakers to present on the focus issue.

Hosting a Workshop/Assembly/Panel: Planning and organizing an event

Using a Letter-Writing or Email Campaign: Mobilizing others to reach out to many

other people with information (advertising an event or educating about an issue or

system or policy)

Organizing Phone-Banking: Similar to above tactic, but calling via phone

Writing an Editorial: Writing and publishing an op-ed or letter to the editor

Delivering Petition: Summarizing petition results and delivering to target

Student Handbook page 19

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Tactic Example Article 0 (to be reviewed as a group)

Real Food Challenge is an organization that is working to change our current food system

into one that is sustainable and just. College students run campaigns to get their school

president and dining directors to sign the Real Food Campus Commitment to commit to

spending 20% of their food budget on real food by 2020. College chapters work towards

this goal by circulating petitions to students and alumni, hosting panels, collecting

statements of support from local farmers, writing pieces for their school newspaper, and

many other tactics. These efforts add up to convincing their president and dining director to

sign the RF Campus Commitment.

Tactic Example Article #1

A Generation Citizen class in Boston wanted to take action on teen pregnancy. The students’

goal was to change current district policies to be able to allow high school nurses to provide

contraception to students. The students met with their school’s principal to get her support

for the policy, and then posted flyers around the school letting other students and teachers

know about their goal. They also circulated a petition to gain support among fellow students.

At the same time, they lobbied the Sex Education subcommittee on the Boston Public

Schools School Committee to introduce their initiative. As a result, they were invited to

testify to the Wellness Council of the School Committee to present their idea.


An eighth grade GC class at Highlander Charter School selected vandalism as their

community issue, with a focus on graffiti in the neighborhood around their school. After

researching the issue, the students learned about the Providence Office of Neighborhood

Services, a city agency that was supposed to handle issues such as vandalism. The class

made the Office of Neighborhood Services the decision-maker of their project.

The class wrote emails to the Office of Neighborhood Services, asking about graffiti and who

they should talk to about getting it cleaned. Cindy, a representative in the office, told the

students that community members could report incidents of vandalism using a phone app or

through an email system, but no one from their community was using the service. On a

phone call, the students asked Cindy to come meet them after-school to talk about the

service and scheduled her visit. They then invited their DCs, several teachers, their Principal

and GC staff to attend their coalition meeting, and held a discussion with Cindy about the

services that the city offered to address vandalism.

After their coalition meeting, the class wrote letters and invitations to their parents, peers,

community members and other influencers to attend an assembly regarding graffiti. At the

assembly, the students and Cindy presented about the reporting system for graffiti, and how

to send in requests for cleanup crews to come and paint over the graffiti. Through this

process, this class achieved their goal, and set up a path for community members to

continue addressing the issue in the future.

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Elementary school students in Colorado launched a campaign for new sidewalks, focusing

on changing the City Council budget. They met with the city planner, surveyed business and

property owners to use their responses in support of the project, recorded traffic patterns,

and researched the cost of sidewalk construction by interviewing contractor companies.

They then presented the result of these statistics, surveys, and petitions to the City Council

to achieve their final collective goal. The kids’ demands were heeded.


A 10th/11th grade class at New York’s EBC High School for Public Service class chose

“Quality and Variety of School Lunches” as their focus issue. The initial consensus among

the students was that the food served at EBC was horrible. Using research on other school

lunch programs and advice from a Health Counselor at the school, the students identified

the root cause of this issue as a lack of funding. They set their goal as convincing the

Department of Education to provide more diverse food options in school lunches.

The students saw their peers as a great group of influencers and surveyed more than 160

students of all grade levels and compiled the results as quickly as possible so the remaining

groups could use the statistics within their individual tactics. The survey group also created

a 1-page “summary sheet” that illustrated the results of the survey, posting the sheet

around the school to rally other students behind the class’s cause.

The second group targeted the media, writing a letter to the editor of their city paper, to

convey the problem the class was addressing and what could be done to solve it. The letter

included statistics from the survey group to dispel the notion that it was simply a bunch of

kids just complaining about their school food, as well as personal testimonials from the

writers and comments on the surveys to illustrate the awful quality of the food was.

The last group emailed Mr. Goldstein, who works for the city’s Department of Education and

is in charge of the NYC School Lunch program, and invited him to come to EBC and eat the

food alongside them. Mr. Goldstein visited EBC along with other officials from the

department. They met with the school’s principal, the teacher, and the entire class, and ate

the lunch together. They agreed the quality was unacceptable and resolved to take care of

EBC’s issues from the district level. They proposed a system for students to contribute to the

selection for their school’s lunches. They left their business cards with the students and

charged them with contacting them the next year if the food had not improved.

During the course of the project, students mentioned seeing a noticeable improvement in

the school lunches. They believed this was due to the fact that they sent a letter to the

cafeteria manager, José, explicitly mentioning their concerns. The letter, along with the

survey result sheets and letter to the editor, must have gotten the attention of the cafeteria

staff, which began improving the quality and variety of the food even before Mr. Goldstein’s

visit.

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TACTICS

STEPS TO ACHIEVING TACTICS Can include, but are not limited to:

Reserving space for an event Calling people to tell them about an event

Drafting a petition Calling volunteers to help at an event

Drafting a letter or email Drafting an editorial

Making Calls Social Media

Sending Emails Calling potential coalition members

ARTICLE #___

What is the group’s goal?

Who is their main decision-maker or influencer?

Who are their other targets?

First Tactic Follow-Up Tactic

Canvassing with

a Petition

Testifying at a

Hearing

Participating in an

Outside Event

Hosting or

Attending a Rally

Holding a Press

Conference

Holding a

Meeting

Meeting with a

Coalition

Hosting an

Assembly/

Workshop/Panel

Using a Letter-

Writing or Email

Campaign

Writing a Letter Making phone

calls

Organizing Phone-

Banking Writing an Editorial

Raising

Awareness Delivering Petition

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Overall Class Action Plan Graphic Organizer


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Sample Overall Class Action Plan Graphic Organizer


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Sample Small Group Outcome, Target, & Tactics Graphic

Organizer


Documents

Lesson 7: Analyzing Our Tactics OVERVIEWformergenerationcitizen.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/8/4/4884795/lesso… · Lesson 7: Analyzing Our Tactics OVERVIEW Students will review different