The Yakima City Council was decisive and focused. The mayor led the group through a number of controversial issues that led to a few changes in lower town. This was the focus of Mrs. Allerd-Morton's classroom assignment at A.C. Davis High School. Engage the students in local civics to help them gain an understanding of what the City Council does. Then they had to re-enact a meeting in class with different scenarios the night after attending a council meeting.The students even invited the mayor of Yakima to attend and he showed up to watch the live exercise.

How did the students do? "Very well," the mayor said. "They had a good grasp of what the City Council does and for their first meeting they gained knowledge they can carry over into the real world."

Mrs. Allerd-Morton believes it's important to teach in-depth local civics. "Students need to be engaged in their community and what better way to get them there than figuring out what policy is and how they change it and benefit themselves?" she explains.

The student who played the mayor admitted he didn't know who any of the City Council members were before the exercise. But now, he said, he has that knowledge and the ability to get involved in local politics.

All in all it was a good day for Yakima because a great teacher put together an incredible lesson in a willing community with good students.

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