YOUR VOICE: It has the power to shatter glass, stop traffic, or even save a life. Your voice also HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

Voting: The Power of Your Voice

Democracy gives your voice the power to speak up and be heard. As a citizen of a democracy, you can change laws, choose leaders and challenge the world to listen and act on the issues you are passionate about.

If you’re a middle or high school student in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy (PennCORD), Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortés and I challenge you and your friends to create a 30- to 60-second video that shows us how voting gives power to your voice, and why it is important for you and other citizens to exercise that power.

You determine the style and tone of your video; but we are counting on you to be creative, to be vocal, and to be powerful. Video submissions will be accepted from September 1 through October 23. Videos will be voted on by the general public, and the grand prize winner and runner up will be announced the first week of November.

Information on how to submit your video as well as contest rules, guidelines and prizes will be posted to this site on September 1.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Good Luck!
Marjorie O. Rendell
First Lady of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Pakistan and the Rule of Law.pdf On Saturday, November 3, 2007 President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan declared a state of emergency. The declaration suspended the constitution. President Musharraf also postponed parliamentary elections that had been scheduled for January 2008, and replaced the Chief Justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court, who was subsequently placed under house arrest. Protests against President Musharraf’s actions have been led by lawyers. As of Wednesday, November 7, an estimated 700 lawyers had been arrested by government forces. This lesson asks students to consider the role of an independent judiciary, the legal profession, and constitutional protections.

We Can Change the World- This lesson can be used as an introduction to or a culminating activity for studying civil disobedience, creative nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy, significant events in his life, the influences on Gandhi's life, and the people Gandhi has influenced and continues to influence today. Its application here is focused as an introductory lesson in bullying prevention. Courtesy of LEAP-Kids Grades 6-9

Summer jobs: A window into taxes and wages-Every year, millions of high school students like you hit the streets looking for summer employment. When their first check or pay stub comes in, many of them are shocked to discover the large amount of money that is missing. Taxes are, in essence, your contribution of money to keep the government running and its public services – such as roads, parks and schools – available. At the same time, the government keeps a watch over the labor force, raising the minimum wage in 2007 for the first time in almost a decade to make sure you still have a fair amount of money in your paycheck. Courtesy of Annenberg Classroom Grades 9-12

More lesson plans available under the Lesson Plans tab at the top.