These cspan Video Library in the classroom. Lets welcome this years fellows. And sunshine cavalluzzi. Both of you, welcome to the teacher fellowship program. How do you engage High School Students in government . It is definitely a challenge, because our political discourse places so much emphasis on stem. They dont always come in with knowledge on why humanities is important. Like anything else, it starts with relevance. Why does this matter to you . We have to contextualize the science and engineering. Thats where resources like the cspan library are incredibly important. E can see in real time how these things are playing out and why they matter. Lesson is beginning something along the lines of this might be the only government class you ever take. You will be a voter forever. I need to give you tools that will help you for the rest of your life in those pursuits. It is helpful to do that if you know not just was happening now, but why it is happening and what has come before. Steve we know twitter and socialedia, the Attention Span of the nation can be small. What are some of your secrets . As a history component, this is a chance for them to learn about their story. Peopletory comes with who came long beore them, who shaped the way the world around them operates. They start to realize this doesnt just start with me, but what i contribute and where im coming from is all part of the bigger story. That way, allowing them to take in other peoples opinions, the perspectives of others through social media, and also through video, gives them a chance to think, this is how i see the world, but why do i see the world this way . How can i expand that i taking in other peoples perspectives . Steve you get students at the high school level, so let me follow up. Do you sensetudents come to high school with a basic understanding of government and documents that shaped america . Sushine i think some of them do. But if you dont know why it is important, you donalways pay attention. They have a sense ey do live in an extraordinary country, but is my responsibility to help them understand why it is so extraordinary, what does it mean to say we are free . I think some kids have a fundamental understanding, and other kids have a narrow one. It is my job to meet them wherever they are and push them. Steve what is your sense . A lot of times, students are picking up what they hear, and have a lot of assumptions. Our job is to help them work through their assumptions, challenge them, push back when necessary, but also create a eighth when they connect knowledge and admit its ok if they dont know something, and that is ok, a good starting place to acknowledge, maybe i have limitations, and that is a forward. Ay to move if you give them opportunities and resources and Critical Thinking skills to take in things like government, but even some of the larger issues at hand in the world around them. Sushine back to the point about twitter, if you try to tell a story when hundred 40 characters, its not a long story. When we talk about the declaration of independence, they all know about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I argue the next sentence is really deep revolution. Its talking about, why does this all matter . Not just a sound eye, not just 140 characters, but what does it all mean and how does it fit . Steve lets talk about the last year. One of the most polarizing elections, and certainly one of the most consequential in american history, where you saw the popular vote going to the democrat and the Electoral College vote going to the republicans. Donald trump became the 45th president. How do you teach that . William four years ago, i pitched to my supervisors, it would be great if we had a class that we uld engage the president ial election completely. A lot of times in history classes, you have a curriculum, you have to get through time frames and keep moving. We take the opportunity to engage the election, but often times it has to fit into some of these other issues. Was given thei opportunity to teach and elected solely based on the election. It gave students a chance to really wanted to learn, students who were eligible to vote for the first time, a chance to really process through how they onnk, and where they stand some of the issues and how they understand the history of this presidency and the media. We had a great opportunity. Its the end of the day, so theres all that energy, and they engaged well. I got a firsthand look at being able to see how a 16 or 17yearold is taking in all of this. Steve and in realtime with no shortage of news. [laughter] william a lot of times, whatever would have been that day, i would have to scrap my plan, because this just came out. It challenged me as a teacher to say, all right, i need to be in tolexible and clued what is going on around me. It was a challenge for sure, but they were excellent. And sunshine cavalluzzi, also a lesson on the Electoral College. Sushine absolutely. My first semester teaching with the fall of 2000. It was an interesting contrast with the emotions were heightened on both sides similarly, but its interesting with the timing. We were taught about the Electoral College, what are the arguments against it . Its a very timely example. When you talk about why government is relevant, this is why. Some of the moment you helped us identify the other teachers can use, all of it available on our cspan video and library. The inauguration of donald trump from january 20 of this year from the west front of the u. S. Capital. Trunp what truly matters is not which party can control the government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of to ome part of a historic tens of millions to become part of a Historic Movement the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want Great Schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. Just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists. Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities. Scattered factories like tombstones across the landscape of our nation. And an Education System flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime, and the gangs, and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. Stopsmerican carnage ght here and stops right now. [applause] january 20, the inauguration of donald trump, kamps incamp bill the classroom. How did this play out . William i offered it in my classroom during realtime. It was at lunch, so students were not in class, that i made sure that students who wanted to come by and watch, could. There was mixed reaction. Some certainly embraced some of the populist language of it. Others felt like there was exaggeration. For the most part, students didnt feel clued in. They were watching and and processing it. For me, it was interesting that a group in my fifth period class, a lead up to the socratic seminar for the rest of the class, at the end of the school year brought this back as a subject of populism. What is the grand narrative of presidency using populist narrative and how that plays out in the inauguration, as well as the other Campaign Rhetoric . As them, it is interesting, much as there were some differences in how they interpreted the day, they certainly were able to see it in a larger historical context, which is what we are looking for. Steve and the context of your courses on government. We have had polarizing times in america. Before world war ii, and isolation movement, watergate, the impeachment of bill clinton. Had to you deal with the current Political Climate in context to what we have seen in the 20th century . Sushine i think explaining to studen that what is different now is the ease of communication, and the fact that news travels so fast and broadly, that it feels like everything is happening everywhere and to you. And also a wide array of news sources, that you can choose to only hear things you agree with already. Thats what makes it different, but these are not new times. America has always been stronger than the challenges we face. For the kids feeling unsettled or left out or frustrated that theres no reason to be pessimistic, there is a reason to be optimistic. They are better at channeling the modern tools available than anyone at any time in history, so they have the capacity to create change, and they should impractical, and it is critical that they talk to other people and expand outside their own confirmation buys narrative to hear other stories, and that they can listen to Something Like the inauguration dispassionately. Maybe listen to it twice, one one otherotion, and me. Its not a new discussion. Most teachers would probably say we have been talking about checking sources and making sure you find reliable information along the way. As funny as it sounds, it is actually helpful for us as teachers that this is now a National Dialogue and the word is thrown around, because now students are more hyperaware. I want to make sure im doing things accurately. Anyway, it has given legitimacy to something that i think we have been saying all along, which is you have to make sure that what you say is supported by the rightfax. You cant just go in and make something in on something up on a paper. In some ways, it is nice there is a National Conversation about this, and it has allowed us to say, look how this is playing out around you. We are not just making it up. Steve i kw as part of your july fellowship, you got the chance to go to the white house and hear from jim acosta and others in the White House Briefing room. This is during president trumps first news conference. Arent you concerned that you are undermining peoples faith in the first amendment, freedom of the press when you call stories you dont like fake news . Why not just say its a story i dont like . Heres the thing. I understand that you are saying. Youre right, except i know when i should get good and when i should get that. Sometimes i will say, wow, thats good to be a great story, and i will get killed. I know it is good. I know what is bad. When they change it and make it really bad, something that should be positive, sometimes something that should be positive, they will make ok, or even negative. Im there. I know what was said. I know who is saying it. Im there. It is important i want to see on his press. I started off today by saying it is so important to the public to get honest press. The public doesnt believe you people anymore. Maybe i had something to do with that, i dont know. But they dont believe you. If you were straight and really i would hearit is, biggest booster, your biggest fan in the world, including bad stories about me. But as an example, you are cnn, it is story after story afte story that is bad. I won. I won. The other thing, chaos. This is zero chaos. This is a finetuned machine. Half of this job is putting outlined by the president about the president. I said yesterday, this whole russia scam you are building so you dont talk about the real subject which is illegal leaks, but i watched him yesterday working so hard to try and get that story proper. Im saying here is my chief of staff, a really good guy, did a phenomenal job, we won the election, we got some senators, all over the country, hes done a great job. I said to myself, and somebody, take a look at reince priebus, hes working so hard putting out fires that are fake fires. They are fake. They are not true. Steve i was in february from the white house. And teachk at that students, what is your take away . Sushine one of the things that will have a privilege in teaching students is that i did have the opportunity to go to the white house. I can tell students there, and jim acosta popped in to say hi, and it was a copy of, and he was still doing his job. These are not just soundbites. These are real people working really hard to do aob, and there is a difference between what makes headlines and what is actually the story and we need to, as responsible consumers, separate the news. Lets separate the impulse to just label something in a way that is critical or convenient from what actually being told quick or convenient from what is actually being told. Everyone in the middle is really trying their best on telling the story, and it might disagree, but they are working hard. I remember how jon stewart used to call his show fake news and me, is how it means to on the comedy channel. We will talk about how that can be applied to news on cnn or any other broadcast television. Of socialou brought media earlier, this is one of the limitations. It takes very complex issues and brings it down to 140 characters. You cant really cover the complexity of this. These are human beings working hours and hours to make sure they are communicating something they feel strongly about what they feel like they have factual support. Whether that is people in the administration or in the media, i think we forget that humanity side a forget there is complexity to their stories and their worldviews. We fall into these traps of just lacking weight all the time black and white all the time. Sushine in my class, we always discuss what is our responsibility as consumers contributing to this, that we expect news in realtime . We expect the journalist to, as this is happening, to tweet or put up a new story virtually as it is happening, and virtually never make mistakes. Are we holding them to unfair standards . Ever make a mistake, dont ever contradict yourself, dont ever change your mind as you get more information are we holding these people to a standard they cant reach . And 10 contributing to that, are we complicit, and can we be more responsible as consumers . Ste lets talk about the polarization in this country, and a moment that took place on the senate floor, with senator Elizabeth Warren of massachusetts, and this exchange with the Senate Republican leader Mitch Mcconnell on the nomination of Jeff Sessions to be the u. S. Attorney general. Senator warren in 2013, senator votednts sessions against reauthorizing the aolence against women act, bill that expanded protections and Services Provided to victims of Sexual Assault and domestic violence. There is a piece from the bedford minuteman that really tells the story of how Sexual Violence impacts massachusetts. This is what it said. Daughters,others, sters, fathers, sons, and brothers, mr. President. The senator has impugned the motives and content conduct of our colleague. Senator warren said senator sessions has used the often power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens. I called the senator to order under the provision to rule. Senator warren mr. President . Surprised that the words of cormedix got king are not suitable for debate in the united correct test scott king are not suitable for debate in the u. S. Senate. I asked to continue my remarks. Is their objections . Senator mcconnell i object. Objection is heard. The nator will take her seat. Warren i appeal the ruling of the chair. I request a quorum. Senator warren was given a lengthy speech. She had it. Appeared she had to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted. Steve really an incredible moment where politics and process and social media came into play. Sushine absolutely. One of the things bill and i did this summer was to create content to include the cspan teacher website, and this was one of the moments i chose for 19. 2,sons on senate rule which is something i can assure you that in 17 years, my students have never been interested in, until now. Now we have an awareness i have never seen as a teacher in the intricacies of the process among the public as a whole, and it trickles down into the classroom. Remember how i talked about the senate rules and you all kind of mentally snoozed because you didnt think it was important lets put it in this . Context. You saw nevertheless she persisted. What does that mean . What are the underlying questions . Steve and of course, senator Mitch Mcconnell is a master of the senate rules. William yes, and certainly whe there is a dynamic when you got gears o large the figures in their party, and there is a rubber tail on using the rules as well as the media around it, you will have an inevitable story. Thats what i like sometimes , eveneven the hashtag though it is simple, it is a good place to start a dialogue. Students that i never thought would watch an event on capitol hill were coming in the next day and asking to talk about it. I want to know it happened, can you help me understand . They even acknowledge they dont know much, can we dial through this . Highly appreciate that. Steve we always remember where. E were on september 11, 2001 your students were either not born or they were in intent. How do you teach post9 11 politics a Security Issues in this generation . Sushine its very difficult. Time. Teaching in this i had students that did experience this with me. I used video. I go to the archives. I goo news clips and show it. Then we talk and say, imagine what it would feel like to watch this live and not now. I have personal stories from my students that day that i share to help contextualize it. It is difficult, because they , meeting someone at the gate, do we love each other enough to meet someone at the gate or remember or weight at curbside . So this is definitely a security,about International Threats in the divide of before and after. Steve part of that came with the president s first overseas trip to saudi arabia. President trump every time a terrorist falsely invokes the name of god, it should be an insult to every person of faith. Terrorists do not worship god. They worship death. If we do not act against this organized terror, then we know what will happen and what will the end result. The devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence, and the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered. If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing, then not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by god. This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people, all in the name of religion. Kamps, you can hear the president outlined his agda in a post9 11 world, trying to turn a page from barack obama. How do you incorporate that into the classroom . William certainly, we talk a lot about the world post9 11, because so many of the different them that, been history related to americas appropriate role in the world i think are medically shifted post9 11. In that regard, we talk about what was the Obama Doctrine . What was the bush doctrine . An emerging trump doctrine, what does that look like . How can we be America First in his perspective, but at the same time he takes a hardline stance on the issue of terrorism . How does he intend on balancing those . And let me explore, what were some of the events they lived through as men that shaped their perspective . Someone living through vietnam will have a different impact on how they want to do policy in combing terrorm. Steve and this generation is living through what is happening in north korea. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson in new york at the u. N. Earlier this year. With each successive detonation and missile test, north korea pushes northeast asia and the world closer to instability and broader conflict. The threat of a north Korean Nuclear attack on soul or tokyo or tokyo isn seoul real. It is likely a matter of time before they can strike the u. S. Mainland. They repeatedly claim they plan to do such a strike. Given that rhetoric, the u. S. Cannot idly stand by, nor can other members of this council are within striking distance of north korean missiles. Having for years displayed a pattern of this behavior that defies multiple Security Council resolutions, and even roads global progress on nuclear theres noation, reason to think north korea will chge this behavior under the current multilateral sanctions framework. For too longthe International Community has been reactive and addressing north korea. Those days must come to an end. Failing to act now on the most pressing security issue in the world may bring catastrophic consequences. We have said this before and it bears repeating. The policy of strategic patience is over. Additional patients will only mean acceptance of a nuclear north korea. Steve sunshine, as you look at that, how do you incorporate that to your government students with the issue of terrorism, national security, and threats of north korea . Sushine all of which are so deeply coveted it and require an intense commitment to knowledge to delve into. If i go back to your first question about how do we teach , i think we start there. This is why we need to know what was done before so we can understand how to respond to these situations when they present themselves now. We also talk about, what are our responsibilities as voters . We need that not just have a position, but an informed one. These are people who have access to information we want to have for 30 years wont have for 30 years. We need to judge them remembering they know more than we know. Exploring that if we ask act, where else do we have to act . What other commitments does that require . That is our instinct as humans, when we see proble, to help. As a voter, what does that mean . , for thepiece students, their default is to assume all response has to be military. Thats what they see. Thats whats in movies, and video games, the news. What are the economic get them to think through that approach. Are there parallels to vietnam in terms of how we have shaped their foreignpolicy . Could use here part of that starting with the fact that politics for more than a generation now certainly again, there ishis question of do we want to be aggressive . Want to what the world that youre not know that we are not backing down. There is no pearl harbor moment, no 9 11 moment. For americans, there is almost we will react, but he is asking for some level of proaction. That is a harder thing historically for americans to show that they are willing to be. As a president at the start of a new administration tries to do Something Different from their predecessor. Is it different with this president . It feels different. Does it feel different because it is different or does it feel different because we see it . Kids are directly communicating with us on twitter. Do you think that is a good or bad thing . Withey have gone up always antibullying and do not name call. To them, they would not talk like that. I think they do like being able to hear this unfiltered perspective. Lessons that i wrote last week, is twitter the new fireside chat . Want toble to say i directly talk to the American People in their homes, about the crisis going on. These of the new waters we are swimming in. It does not matter if you like it or not. If this is the reality, what will the next president do . This is the new normal, what is the next step . Reaction to Vice President as heence respondg outlines the agenda. The president has taken Decisive Action to make this country great again. President trump told you that he every american who has lost a job, every family who has lost a loved one, every american who has lost their rights and freedom. That is exactly what he has done. Our president has been busy. President has signed more bills into law, rolling back federal regulations and red tape than any president in american history. [applause] he is unleashing American Energy and unburdening american businesses. He is putting americans back to work and is working fighting every day to put America First. President donald trump pulled the United States out of the paris climate accord. [applause] amazing to think the and a nail the International Deal would have cost 6 million jobs in the next 25 years and put incredible burdens on the American People while allowing countries like china and india to get off scott free. In his decision, he put American Workers first he put americas future first. I promise that President Donald Trump will always put America First. [applause] Vice President mike pence and we are here with our High School Teachers. One teaches government and the other teaches history. The fundamental question, what is the role of the federal government . You can use what you heard from the part Vice President about what the government should do. That frames almost everything we talk about. Everything we talk about in the terms of policy and your position on it comes back to you. What should the role of any government the in particular to the federal government . Do we agree with this and why are why not . It affords an opportunity to differentiate politics and policy. It is one thing to say you will do something. It is one thing to leak that you might be proposing a bill. For everyone to get up in arms and crazy about it, it is another thing to have a bill go through. And what getsle done . ,here should we be freaking out if someone thinks that is not a good idea . Did you two know each other before you joined the program . No, not at all. We work really well together. We have collaborated on a couple lessons. Definitely a wheelhouse of coming up with creative extension activities for teachers. We laid out the lesson, we have some of the questions. This is how we can take it further. She is a master of that. Incisivethe king of questions. What is a good question . In regards to what you are talking about the role of government. Among them to ask the question, where has that role of government changed over the course of the 20th century . Have americans are based on the things they live through, how is the answer that question . Letting them understand that someone in these sets of circumstances might have a different opinion on government the my circumstances and 2017. Are in new jersey and you are in california. Have you compared details on students . The have chided about it. The answer to that question is the same as the answer to the, is there differences between us and the Founding Fathers . Our kids have different experiences that shape their behaviors. They are very similar. This generation is extraordinary. Time such a gift to spend in california, new jersey, and anywhere else in the country. You have been teaching for 17 years. How about you . 15. I think part of it is social media. The access to new has been much has been more a ga it is more accessible to them that way. They are interested. Were like, i have opinions and ideas. I want to do something with this. Where can i go . What can i do to be engaged . We have raised awareness and the events of the last year. So what do we do with that . How to we take that energy stored up and put it towards something that is productive . Do deal with the political rhetoric versus little reality political reality . Absolutely. Kids are getting news differently. Most are getting it through their phone. They decide whether to click or not click. Me and before you reach pause before you click. Ause before you retweet and paz before you click. Pause before you click. Our website for teachers at cspan. Org classrooms. The russia investigation, as you pointed out, as all my colleagues have reflected, is one of the most serious, hostile very corermining the of our democracy and elections. It is not a discrete event. It will likely be prepared for 2018 and beyond. The president of the United States fired you because, in your own words, some relation to this investigation. Then he shows up in the oval and classified u. S. Crazy and a net job. You disproved that this morning. Your conclusion would be that the president is downplaying the seriousness of this threat. Steps totook specific stop a federal investigation of the Russian Investigation of russian influence. From what you said this morning, it does not seem to particularly interest him about the hostile threats from the russians area russians. I do not know if i can agree to that amount of detail. It is my judgment that i was fired because of the russia investigation. I was fired in some way to tonge the endeavor was change how the Russian Investigation was being conducted. That is a very big deal, not just because it involves me. The nature of this work requires that it not be the subject of consideration. On top of that, you have the russia investigation itself as vital. If any americans were part of helping the russians do that to us, that is a very big deal. I am confident that if that is the case, director mueller will find that evidence. How you translate that moment in our history, and earlier this , and turn that into my lesson plan . How i taught last year changed this year. We were just walk wrapping up the watergate discussion. There were a lot of social media firingying is that comey similar to the incident . This is a word. You are hearing this. This is something that we need to make sure that you are clarifying. Playingthat event outcome the firing of the fbi director. How similar is it . How different is it . Is this going to have the same direction . The Media Outlets were engaging in that question. You had people on both political sides saying it is a totally different situation. Others were saying it is exactly like that. What were your students telling you . One of the things they were really hung up on is how director comey found out. He was giving a speech on the other side of the country and then he thought it was a joke at worst. Their first reaction was very much about that. I thought that was interesting and a reflection on who they are, as students. It meant itself so beautifully to a discussion we have had all year long. What is the difference between can and should . Can the president do this . Of course he could. But should he . The difference between politics and policy is what is allowed and what is it acted leads to wonderful questions. In this case, my government class was at the beginning of the day. It was ideal for us because you draw the lesson plan and today we are queuing up cspan. The republicans blocked in nomination of president obama on the Supreme Court. This year, the nomination of neil gorsuch, who now sits on the Supreme Court. It was fascinating to look at again. We talk about Senate Confirmation hearings. That is not something as appealing to students. Senate confirmation hearings made it highly relevant to their lives. Those unprecedented to watch and raise questions. It was a gift toward government teacher for this is why we have to care about the rules and your ship. Leadership. One of those moments from the senate floor. When president clinton nominated stephen breyer, i voted to confirm it. Loadedesident clinton ginsburg, i voted for ginsburg, i confirmed. I thought it was the right thing to do after you won the election. He was the president area the president gets to appoint the Supreme Court justice. And president obama nominated kagan, i made sure that they got an up or down vote, not a filibuster. No filibuster. No filibuster. We thought it was the right thing to do. It is not because we harbored allusions that we usually agree with these nominees of democratic president s. Certainly not. We even protested when majority leader file closure on the kagan nomination. It was not necessary. Currentsions, the attorney general, was the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee at the time. The was not necessary. It was not necessary. Want thet even pretense of the possibility of a filibuster on the table. It is quite a different story from what we are seeing today. Democraticre our colleagues have taken us. A partisan minority will prevent the Senate Bipartisan majority. Subject thislly qualified nominee to a filibuster . America will be watching. History will be watching. The future of the senate will hang on their choice. Floor, billsenate camps. Neil gorsuch did finally get confirmed. He did not mention what happened last year. He did not get into the whole situation with a nomination being held off for what was almost a year in terms of trying to prevent obama from filling that seat left by scalia. I probably did not overstate enough, trying to understand what they were living through was a historic event, to see the link of time that seat remained think it taken to. That is a good moment to let the students understand that this was something that is a process in our history. It really stalled out in the name of partisanship. It makes it oppressive. Democrats controlling the senate, hypothetical, you wonder if there would be political payback. Cannot imagine that there will not be. What mitchue that mcconnell did was payback. Political i thought it was interesting. You are gambling on a republican winning the presidency, which at that time, was not as for seen. There will note be retaliation. This has been going on so long with judges. Do have a broader question you have a broader question . Hardthink it is a statement to generalize with teutons. For some, they are all in. They are political junkies and follow events and stories. For some, we have students who start worrying about what they will eat that day. It is a most like they do not have the privilege. There are absolutely direct connections. Topics of immigration, that hits home for many of my students react dickens. Students. Ime they are thinking that their parents, their parentsjobs. Regard, there is often not disconnect, that we try our best to make that connection for them. It is hard when mice realities come into play. Fes realities come into play. Why are these the realities you are facing . Should you take out a student loan . Should you get a parttime job to help your family pay expenses . When you dont feel like you understand, you do not realize how important, not only the decisions that are made, but your voice is in influencing. This is why you need to care. I do not think a lot of students understand why they should. That is my greatest responsibility to teach him that they need then that they them that they need to act. It affects americans one way or another. Here is the senator from vermont. I note that no republican wants to see anybody die, nobody does. That is the reality we are dealing with. If cannot ignore it area somebody has cancer, if somebody has Heart Disease and you take away their insurance, i do not need someone from Harvard University to tell me or you what you know to be the case. This is the United States of america and we can do better than that. Mr. President , i would ask unanimous consent. Mr. President , this issue is not just about health care. Debate a profound, moral , defining who we are as a people today and who we want to be as a people in the future. Mr. President , a great nation is by how manyon millionaires and billionaires we have and by how many tax breaks we can give the billionaires. A great nation is judged by how they treat the weakest and the most vulnerable amongst us. Those people do not have fundraising, they do not contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars into the political process. A great nation is judged by how we treat the children, the elderly, the sick, the poor, the people who have disabilities. That is what a great nation is. This legislation is not worthy of a great nation. On the senate floor. One voice out of many. Consumedopic has washington and the country, health care in america. The day the house voted on the bill, i was home watching the news. One of my students know me saying there brother is diabetic their brother is diabetic. This issue is so real and relevant. We have to talk about what do you do . What are your responsibilities . Do not get a nickel. Cynical. An amorphousest is idea that cannot walk into a town hall meeting. You have to be informed. This one is more compelling, but it is a platform for you need to have an opinion and take action. You need to let your voice be heard. What is your didnt population in california . Student population in california . We had a significant amount of students with parents have college education. , it is a fairly mixed group. My daughter will be in middle school. She is coming to mice will. My school. We have 1500 students. Center of the nation, in a sense. There are students who speak multiple languages, different backgrounds, to come into the school. They talk about the United States demographics. You are but the country is going to be looking like in a few years. In that sense, seeing the trends. Diversity. Just that includes Economic Diversity as well. Engage . O you that is a real challenge. I appreciate that our school has that push. Push we have students were coming from a lot of different walks of life. Understand that we may not be able to teach the same way we taught 10 years ago. The world is changing and needs are changing. It can definitely be a challenge. I am not nearly the expert level, where i should be. Challenge is important if you want to do this well. Tom mccarthy held a five hour plus meeting in your area. Lets watch and get your reaction. My friends and i came here because we feel the need. We are not children. We are concerned with ourselves and everyone else around us. Youre the future. We are going to vote. I would like to go back to a question my friend nast asked you. Yes or no . You get to ask the questions and i get to answer them. Answer them. Let me say one more thing. Someone correct me if i am wrong. I believe the statistic is one in five women will be the victim before their freshman year in college. I cannot try them that. The fact that might be a preexisting condition, you call that not discriminating against women, what do you say about that . How can you say that and the lot answer to me whether rape is a preexisting condition or not . Answer it. I will. My friends and i plan to continue getting involved. You will answer to us. You are our representative. You are voting against you. I will answer the question if you let me. I have given you multiple pauses. It is possible there is someone who has been subject to rape in this room. That byot reduce calling it a preexisting condition. My bill does not do that. Is not ae saying rape preexisting condition. Chargecannot deny, because of being raped. A five hour plus town hall meeting that you wanted to attend. He is my congressman. I was hoping to get there that night but i had family obligations area obligations. I think that student is similar to a lot that i know, who have attended rallies. They will come in and either have anger or frustration. They have questions and are looking for an outlet. They haveem realized a voice, an opportunity to get involved. I have a great group that i taught this year. They were wonderful. I have students that i know will go on, one of them wants to be a civil rights attorney because of this discussion that came out this year. They have the drive and desire. They just need the resources and materials and the right direction to be engaged. What was your path to becoming a High School Teacher . Theor me, i went to university of san diego. Hought it wanted to teach i wanted to teach. It never left me. My teachers challenged me, they nurtured me. They made me realize i was capable of more than what i knew. Forward,to pay it which is what my teachers would have wanted me to do. Our students have amazing stories. The kids that the town hall, the kids creating change are incredible. Ae fact that we get to be footnote in their stories is such an extraordinary gift. I would not do anything else with my life. I had a guidance counselor in high school. I never had a particularly close relationship with her. Shell if only i would make a great teacher. I never really gave it much attention. I appreciated that there were teachers in my life who were able to see something in me that i had the gift for this. Not everybody can react with High Schoolers and bring out the best in them. Somebody saw that in me. I am simply trying to do that with my students, speak the. Hings that are important to me not just about their place in history but who they are as individuals. You have something. You have what it takes. You have the ability to be successful at something. Is nobody else doing it. That is a great privilege we have as teachers to be able to be on top of that and push them in that direction. What have you learned this summer . How do you plan to incorporate what we do here in the classroom . I have learned everyday. We have used cspan resources before in my classroom. One of the things i have loved is every time it would be a fun thing to do a lesson on that. There is a cspan for that. That has been extraordinary. I learned a lot watching the way people interact here on the that has been a teaching moment for me. Also using stuff i have created. Forward to teacher conferences and interacting with more educators. Selfishly, i think a lot of the lessons are created were things where i knew i would use it. I am being encouraged to develop lessons. Ilot of them are something want to incorporate. I appreciate having a chance to sit and take in the material cspan has to offer. The other thing that i am hoping to pick up in them the fall is another elective. I will let the students have the opportunity to get involved in their community. There is a lot of different ways you can be involved and engaged, that does not always have to be running for congress. There are people who are finding ways to make a difference to be an engaged citizen. There are options. Both of you, thank you very much for being with us. You can check out all of our information at cspan. Org classrooms