 |
||
|
|
 Citizenship skills empower students and allow them to feel as though they have influence and power in their world. This part of the lesson offers five citizenship skills for students to practice. Assign the activities that you feel are most appropriate for your students, or if you have the time and desire, do them all. Your students will enjoy the hands-on activities and the knowledge that they are walking in Dr. King's footsteps and helping to make the world a better place. Citizenship Skill #1: Boycotting Many people use products, such as Crest toothpaste, Ivory soap, or Bounty paper towels, without even realizing that the company that makes those products conducts tests on animals. All these products - and more - are produced by Procter & Gamble, one of the largest companies that still conducts tests on animals. In order for students to practice the skill of boycotting, they will need to learn which products are manufactured by companies that test on animals. To help them do this, we have created an activity sheet that you can print and copy for your students. Used in conjunction with the "Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide," which is available for free from TeachKind, the activity sheet will help students learn which products are cruelty-free and which are not. This information will give them the power to boycott companies that test on animals if they choose to do so. Younger students may not make the purchasing decisions in their households, but they can still do the assignment by telling their parents about the results and sharing the "Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide" with them. Citizenship Skill #2: Contacting Companies Encouraging students to communicate with companies about their policies not only makes students feel empowered, but it also makes boycotting more effective. Ask your students to write polite letters to Procter & Gamble, asking the company to stop testing its products on animals. If students plan to use their consumer clout to boycott the company until it stops testing on animals, they should include that in the letter:
Citizenship Skill #3: Lobbying Ask students to write polite letters to their federal representatives to request the support of laws that ban testing on animals. Teach students about the proper way to communicate with lawmakers by sharing the following tips:
Citizenship Skill #4: Demonstrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also used protests to make his voice heard. Of course, he always followed the code of nonviolence-performing his actions in the spirit of openness, honesty, and love. Although you may not be able to organize a full-blown march on Washington, you can do an in-class "protest" by making a protest call to a company that conducts animal tests. We suggest calling Procter & Gamble at 1-800-543-1745. Students may be intimidated at first, so be sure to walk them through the process. Before you know it, they will have gained the confidence to respectfully challenge injustice wherever they see it and will be helping to create a more humane world. For younger students, model a protest call. Call Procter & Gamble-or any company that tests on animals-and explain your concerns and what actions you would like the company to take. It works best if you call on a speakerphone so that the whole class can hear. For older students, you-or someone nominated by the class-may want to be the spokesperson for their collective message. Before making the call, have a discussion about what you want to convey. What major points could be made to make a strong case for animals? What do you want to ask the company to do? Before the call, stress the need for the message to follow Dr. King's nonviolent and respectful example. The spokesperson should make it clear that he or she is calling on behalf of the students in your classroom. Students can even participate in the call through questions and answers. For example, the spokesperson could ask students, "How many of you have used Procter & Gamble products before?" and students could respond by saying, "Aye." The spokesperson could continue by asking, "How many of you are going to boycott Procter & Gamble until it stops testing its products on animals?" and students could respond again. Discussion Question: What aspects of the conversation were effective in terms of our objectives? Help students be realistic in their expectations. One call will not change a company's policies, but campaigns that include many calls, boycotts, letters, and protests have encouraged scores of companies to switch to humane alternatives and are a vital part of successful social justice efforts. Discussion Question: Was the information given by the company's representative misleading? Why? Encourage your students to think critically about the information that was provided. The representative who took your call probably gave you information that made the company sound as responsible and caring toward animals as possible. Read www.pginfo.net/wletter.html to learn how the animal advocacy group PETA responds to some of Procter & Gamble's claims. After the discussion, give other students the opportunity to make polite protest calls. Citizenship Skill #5: Educating Others Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that there is power in numbers, so he focused many of his efforts on educational activities, such as writing books, giving talks, and doing interviews with the media. Educating others and mobilizing them to act is also important in the fight against animal testing. Have your students educate others about animal testing by asking them to make posters to hang in your classroom or in school hallways. The posters should be eye-catching and informative and should encourage people to take action-such as buying cruelty-free products, writing letters, or calling a company. |
|
