Call to Action
Work together to craft a class Common Values Statement, which is a statement that is negotiated among supporters of each perspective that is based on values that all the perspectives have in common. For their Common Values Statement, encourage your class to work together to find common ground on the question posed at the start of the lesson: “Should same-sex couples have the right to marry?” The statement should include the values all the perspectives have in common and reasons why these values are important to this issue. The statement should also point out where the class has and has not reached consensus. You can then use the National Constitution Center’s Citizen’s Help Desk to learn how to send the class Common Values Statement to your congressperson.
Every student should be encouraged to craft their personal Point of View on the question posed at the start of the lesson: “Should same-sex couples have the right to marry?” Students can then go to the National Constitution Center’s Citizen’s Help Desk to find out how to send their personal Point of View to their congressperson.
Your class can continue the conversation by taking our interactive Web Poll and see how other students around the country voted on the issues as part of our ongoing conversation at The Exchange.