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