Notice: The Family Play Space will be closed on Saturday, October 12. The Autry will be open on Monday, Oct. 14, Indigenous Peoples' Day!

A black-and-white photo shows a group of people seated in a formal setting, likely a conference room or council chamber. They are arranged in two rows behind microphones on desks. The room has a modern design with clean lines and minimal decor.

Elected Officials: Mervyn M. Dymally & Today

Resource Type
Lesson
Grade Level:
3–5
Discipline:
Social Studies
Topic:
Activism, Communities, Government/Civics, Black Americans

Whole Class Lesson 

During this Elected Officials: Mervyn M. Dymally & Today lesson, students will learn about public educator, politician, and California State University, Los Angeles alumnus Mervyn M. Dymally (1926-2012). Students will explore the many jobs that Mervyn M. Dymally had as an elected official by completing drawing, matching, object analysis, reading, and writing activities. Students will also learn about a present-day elected official; think about some of the issues, needs, and/or problems that affect their own community; and write a letter to the elected official about their community’s issues, needs, and/or problems. 

Standards 

CA HSS:3.4.1; 3.4.2; 3.4.4; 3.4.5; 3.4.6; 4.4.9; 4.5.3; 4.5.4; 5.7.4

Lesson Resources 

Lesson - Elected Officials: Mervyn M. Dymally & Today - English
Lesson - Elected Officials: Mervyn M. Dymally & Today - Spanish 
Student Response Sheet - Elected Officials: Mervyn M. Dymally & Today - English 
Student Response Sheet - Elected Officials: Mervyn M. Dymally & Today - Spanish 

Teaching Tips for Different Learning Environments 

Whole Class Learning for Grade 3: 

  • Find an elected official’s biography using the links in the Educator Resources. 
  • Give copies of the lesson to your students and/or project the lesson on a screen. 
  • Complete the INTRODUCTION and PARTS 1-4 together with the whole class. 
  • Give copies of the biography to your students and/or project the biography on a screen. 
  • Complete PARTS 5-8 together with the whole class. 
  • Send the students’ letters to the elected official using the contact information found in the links in the Educator Resources. 

Whole Class Learning for Grade 4: 

  • Find an elected official’s biography using the links in the Educator Resources. 
  • Give copies of the lesson to your students and/or project the lesson on a screen.
  • Complete the INTRODUCTION and PARTS 1-4 together with the whole class. 
  • Divide the students into pairs or groups. 
  • Give copies of the biography to the pairs/groups. 
  • Ask the pairs/groups to read the biography and complete PART 5. 
  • Have a whole class discussion about the pairs/groups’ answers to PART 5. 
  • Complete PARTS 6-7 together with the whole class. 
  • Ask the pairs/groups to complete PART 8. 
  • Have the pairs/groups share their letters from PART 8 with the whole class. 
  • Send the pairs/groups’ letters to the elected official using the contact information found in the links in the Educator Resources. 

Whole Class Learning for Grade 5: 

  • Give copies of the lesson to your students and/or project the lesson on a screen. 
  • Complete the INTRODUCTION and PARTS 1-4 together with the whole class. 
  • Divide the students into pairs or groups. 
  • Model for the pairs/groups how to research elected officials, select an elected official to learn about, and find their biography using the links in the Educator Resources. 
  • Have pairs/groups research elected officials, select an elected official to learn about, and find their biography using the links in the Educator Resources. 
  • Ask the pairs/groups to read the biography and complete PART 5. 
  • Have a whole class discussion about the pairs/groups’ answers to PART 5. Complete PARTS 6-7 together with the whole class. 
  • Ask the pairs/groups to complete PART 8. 
  • Have the pairs/groups share their letters from PART 8 with the whole class. 
  • Send the pairs/groups’ letters to the elected officials using the contact information found in the links in the Educator Resources. 

Associated Resources 

Curriculum: Mervyn M. Dymally Project 
Exhibition: Mervyn M. Dymally: The Bridge-Builder of Los Angeles 
Lesson: Who was Mervyn M. Dymally? 
Video: Autry Artists Salon on Autry Classroom Curators - Mervyn M. Dymally Archives Project

Educational Programs at the Autry are sponsored by:

Dean and Laura Beresford · Molly and Neal Brockmeyer · Vince and Colleen Caballero · Capital Group · David F. Eisenberg · The Georgina-Fredrick Children's Foundation · Christy McAvoy · Marleen and Bruce Rognlien · Robert E. Ronus · Brenda and Gary Ruttenberg · The Steinmetz Foundation · Virginia F. Stevenson · Thelma Pearl Howard Foundation

Land Acknowledgment

The Autry Museum of the American West acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles basin and So. Channel Islands). We recognize that the Autry Museum and its campuses are located on the traditional lands of Gabrielino/Tongva peoples and we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.

The Autry Museum in Griffith Park

4700 Western Heritage Way

Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
Located northeast of downtown, across from the Los Angeles Zoo.
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