Washington Co. fifth graders get social studies lessons in "how to argue your point without being mean" while serving as pages in 2017 General Assembly
Springfield Sun, April 5, 2017
Fifth graders participate in Legislative Page Program
By Mickenzie Wells
Fifth grade students from Washington County Elementary School had the opportunity to take the “trip of a lifetime!”
Each student that participated wrote an essay on why they wanted to become legislative pages, and the purpose of government. Out of the many applicants, four students were chosen and had the opportunity to be a part of the Kentucky government.
By being legislative pages for Kim King during the House of Representatives session this February, at the capital in Frankfort, these four students got the firsthand experience of how bills were passed, and as one student said “how to properly argue your point without being mean.”
Ms. Wells’ social studies class has started to learn about the importance and the purpose of government. These four students were able to present what they have learned to the entire fifth grade in the form of PowerPoint presentations, and they will also get the opportunity to help Ms. Wells teach their peers a little about how our government works. In these presentations the students discussed certain laws that were being passed, to what they learned about the importance of government.
The students were asked what the most memorable moment was, and what did they learn from this experience.
Hailey Medley: Most memorable - watching the representatives from all around Kentucky argue. What I learned - they debate on everything, they do not just say “yes” or “no” they have to support their evidence.
Samuel Burns: Most memorable - working for the representative Kim King, and Mr. Metcalf. What I learned - It takes a long time, they take these bills very seriously because the laws are very important.
Hope Blanton: Most Memorable - How to get there and how huge the capital was. What I learned - It is hard to pass laws, and you have to be very patient.
Sydney Marye: Most Memorable - Getting to help Mr. Metcalf and Kim King and seeing how they passed laws. What I learned - Passing laws are not easy and they have different ideas of how the laws should be and how they should be passed.
Posted: Wednesday, April 5, 2017