D.C. Statehood Viewpoints: A Classroom Simulation
Photo by Caleb Fisher on Unsplash
By Amy Trenkle, 8th Grade U.S. History Teacher, Washington, D.C.
Every year in my U.S. history class, I introduce the arguments for and against statehood for Washington, D.C. Last year, I purposefully set out to teach my students the complexities of the perspectives surrounding D.C. Statehood. To do so, I created a lesson that provides students an opportunity to take on a role as an individual within the argument. The lesson follows the model mixer lessons I’ve used from the Zinn Education Project website.
Prior to this lesson, my students spent a class period learning about the history of the creation of D.C. Students do this through various secondary readings. I have students popcorn-read a Xeroxed copy of the text and annotate as they read. Students are annotating for new facts, connections to their lives today, and a question they have and/or need further clarification on. At the end of the reading, students complete a simple 3-2-1:
3 new facts you learned about Washington D.C.’s history today
2 DIRECT connections you made between what you read today and your life
1 question you still have about D.C.’s history (you may not say that you don’t have any)
This lays the historical foundation for the creation of the District of Columbia.
The next day, students begin with an historical map of D.C., comparing and contrasting it to modern day D.C. Students are asked to share at least one difference and one similarity. They are also tasked with asking a question they have — based on the previous day’s reading, the map, or their current understanding/knowledge. After briefly sharing out during the warm up, students read the objectives for the day:
We will look at the issue of D.C. Statehood by hearing different perspectives on the issue.
Students will work independently and collaboratively to come to conclusions about the issue of D.C. Statehood for themselves.
Students have already completed a unit on the Foundations of Government. They already know how Congress works and that D.C. does not have voting representation in Congress because we are not a state. I remind them of their prior knowledge and then share that the issue of statehood for Washingtonians offers three options:
Statehood = D.C. permanently becomes a state with two senators in the Senate at least one representative in the House of Representatives
A voting rights amendment = D.C. would have full voting rights within Congress, but would not become a state, could be repealed by another amendment
Remain a federal city
I do not answer any questions at this point.
Students are asked to take out the handout they picked up at the door (my classroom routine). I ask them to silently and independently take one minute to answer the first questions:
What do you believe about the issue of D.C. Statehood? Why?
I want them to take a minute before starting to share what their personal belief is and to justify it. I do not ask them to share out at this time, but rather to record it on their paper.
While they are writing, I walk by each desk and give them a slip of paper that has a name on it and a viewpoint about D.C. Statehood (see handouts below). I try to mix up the viewpoints and make sure that all sides are equally distributed and shared in the class. After they have finished their thoughts, they are instructed to write the name/role/perspective of their assigned person on their worksheet and then read their new role. I give them about a minute to do so. Then I instruct students to write a two to three sentence introduction about the person they were assigned that will be shared with their classmates. The short introduction must:
be written in first person
be clear, to the point, and persuasive about the perspective on D.C. Statehood
introduce the person, their position/job if it is known, and the individual’s feelings about D.C. Statehood
I explain that students will have approximately 10-15 minutes to circulate throughout the room in a meet-and-greet style, aiming to talk to at least five people. (This can also be done with breakout rooms via online platforms such as Zoom.) Students are reminded to use their worksheets to capture some of the viewpoints of others in the room. As they mingle, they are asked to:
Identify the name of the person/or how they are identified
For Perspective, write what they want — statehood, voting rights, remain a federal city, etc.
For Reason, share why they have that perspective (evidence)
Students are generally eager to hear from each other. Their roles include a variety of individuals, politically and geographically. While students are circulating, I also circulate and make sure that students are having meaningful and appropriate conversations. I often bring a student over to a shy or reticent student to aid the start of the conversation.
After the allotted time has elapsed for the mixer (and the time goes quickly in this class period!), I ask for a few students to share something they heard that surprised them. This is great because it allows yet another opportunity for the class to hear additional perspectives and/or to ask clarifying questions if something was not clear to them about a particular perspective. Continuing to keep the lesson moving, I ask students to reflect on the lesson by answering three questions:
Did your beliefs change or become stronger as a result of what you heard today? (Review what you wrote in #1 on this paper.) Explain.
What is a new perspective you learned today in talking to people? Explain what was new to you.
Who is another person who shared your want (statehood, rights, status quo) but for a different reason? What was their reason?
Who was one person that you felt you would want to convince to your assigned perspective? Make a plea to them as to why they should follow YOUR rationale (from the point of your assigned perspective, not your personal opinion).
Their exit ticket is then to write a 25 word summary to persuade someone to join their (the student’s) PERSONAL belief about D.C. Statehood. In this way, it brings the lesson and the worksheet full circle from where we started. Students may feel the same as when they started, or different, but hopefully they have (more) evidence to support their claim(s).
I find this lesson is powerful for the students because of the diverse perspectives presented. Students are eager to better understand the discussion viewpoints. While I usually don’t have time in the lesson, I do think it would be worthwhile to ask students if their opinion of Statehood shifted as a result of this activity.
Amy Trenkle shared this lesson with teachers in the DCAESJ Middle and High School People’s History Curriculum Working Group for feedback.
She welcomes additional feedback from teachers. Let us know if you use and/or adapt the lesson. We will send you a book in appreciation for your reflections.
Related Resource
Democracy Deferred: Race, Politics, and D.C.'s Two-Century Struggle for Full Voting Rights
This March 2021 report by Derek Musgrove and Chris Asch provides a summary and analysis of the circumstances that led the citizens who lived in the area designated as the seat of government to lose their right to vote in 1801, why Congress has only partially addressed this state of affairs in the intervening 220 years, and how the modern struggle for self-determination among Washington, D.C., residents has evolved into the present push for statehood.