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Fourth grade students talk to legislators via DDN at DSU

 Dakota State University student teacher, Alissa Krause of Lake Benton, MN helped her fourth grade class communicate with South Dakota legislators. Krause is a student teacher under Marletta Eich of Lincoln Elementary School in Madison.

Eich started getting interested in government while she taught in Chester. Her students helped change the seat belt law. She realized how much elementary students could understand about legislation and the making of laws.

Since that first year, Eich’s unit has grown. Students are sworn in as legislators by the Madison Governor (Principal Dan Walsh), hold committee meetings on bills, watch committee meetings on the web, and follow bills. The students watch specific bills and go into the Internet to see where the bill is on any given day.

On Friday, February 8, there were two fourth grade classes from Lincoln Elementary in the Dakota Digital Network room to see and visit with their state legislators in Pierre. Kathy Satter's fourth grade class has also become part of this group. Dale Slaughter of Madison, among many other legislators, was on hand in Pierre answering the student’s questions.

Each student has adopted a legislator and follows their voting records. Students write e-mails on the WebCT to give their opinions about bills. Legislators write back to these young students plus call them at home and at school. Many legislators have accepted the invitation to come and visit the fourth graders and their school.

            “These students receive an amazing hands-on experience,” said DSU associate professor of Education, Vicki Sterling. “I have periodically been in the classroom to see the students’ excitement and the stacks of mail that these fourth graders have received.