Create Your Own Public Policy: Addressing Societal Issues Through Policy

This project is on public policy research. It is intended to be a semester-long project, but it can be adjusted to be shorter. Public policy has, and continues to shape the development of our society into its present form. This project will challenge your students to create their own public policy, or modify current policy at the national, state, county or local level of government. The policy will address a problem within society students will identify through research. Students are challenged with thinking about What pisses them off in society? as a starting point, and is a great discussion board topic to commence the project. The primary learning objective for this project is for students to acquire a detailed understanding of what tasks are associated with creating public policy, think critically and analyze the process of gathering support for implementation, and apply their knowledge as a means of finding solutions to address current issues within society.

I use this project as a college preparation research project. The students have full autonomy over the topic that they choose and must conduct thorough research to develop a detailed policy addressing the societal problem. Each student constructs and produces three working drafts with a culminating presentation and memo to a player. The memo to a player acts as a letter of support for the policy to push for its implementation. Additionally, students work in small groups and conduct two rounds of peer reviews to collaboratively work through the revision processes. At the end of the semester, students present their policies to the class, and if exceptionally constructed, are further revised and sent to the actual player for consideration to push for a meaningful impact on society. The project engages students in the process of policy development, lobbying, and implementation. 

Check this project out! My government students love the project. The project has also given my students a taste of college-level work, which many have been appreciative toward preparing them for "the big show". The project can be found on my TpT store page.