Depending on the urgency of a social problem and policy timeline, you may not have the opportunity to attend a meeting with local, state, or federal representatives to vocalize your advocacy goals as they relate to the specific policies and agendas. As an advocacy professional, you have other means of communication that can influence decision makers and legislators. Some social workers communicate by writing letters and emails to their legislators on a regular basis—others might write to broader audiences by submitting a letter to the editor of a periodical or news site. Through direct and personalized correspondence, the social worker can develop a professional relationship with the legislator. The more letters a legislator receives, the more likely they are to become an ally and to be influenced to support and vote for your social change projects. For this Assignment, you will craft a message to the political leader(s) responsible for the policy or policy alternative you identified earlier in the course. As part of your Assignment, you will also send your message—either via physical mail or email—to your representative(s) and reflect on the experience.  To Prepare Read Chapter 11 of the Jansson text. Review the Social Justice Briefs resource from NASW found in the Learning Resources this week. Select one Social Justice Brief that resonates with you based on your advocacy goals or recent investigation into a social problem. Locate the information for your local or state representative(s) responsible for the policy and/or policy alternative you selected earlier in the course. Review the advocacy resources from the Council on Social Work Education and the American Psychological Association from the Learning Resources this week. Review the letter and email examples from the Sample Letters and Emails section of the Learning Resources this week. Determine whether you will write a letter or an email to your representative(s). (Consider the tips from your resources this week to make your decision.) Craft your message and send it to your local or state representative(s). By Day 7 Complete the two-part Assignment. Part 1:  Submit a 1- to 2-page message to your political representative(s). Address the following in your message: Use the appropriate structure for the delivery format (letter or email). Introduce yourself and your intent or request. Describe the social problem and impacts of the policy in question. Use facts, stories, or other details to appeal to the representative(s) and connect the policy work to their district or state. Provide a call to action—inspire your representative(s) to rise to this occasion. Part 2: Submit a 1- to 2-page reflection of your process for writing a message to your political representative(s). Address the following in your short reflection: Describe the experience of sending the message—either via letter or email—to your representative(s). How did it feel to formally advocate on behalf of a policy to alleviate a social problem you have thoroughly reviewed? Did you write a letter or an email? Explain your reasoning. Describe how you constructed the letter. Use the Council on Social Work Education and American Psychological Association resources from the Learning Resources this week to support your choices. Identify the title of the Social Justice Brief that you selected to help inform your message. Explain why you chose the Social Justice Brief. Explain how you used your advocacy skills in your communication. What are your next steps as an advocate?

Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) For all Assessments, the following general requirements hold: (1) Assignments should be 2-3 double-spaced pages, with reasonable (12 pt.) font and reasonable (1 inch) margins. (2) Citations to the material are required; in-text citations are preferred (MLA style). (3) Assignments should be turned into eCampus (for the collection of artifacts for scoring) _____________________________________________________________________________ Assignment Three: SLO #3: News Media: How (and why) to spot "fake" news. 70% of students will successfully research and evaluate the news media in an effort to identify reputable journalism containing more accurate political content. [SLO #3 fulfills the following Program Level Outcomes: Communication, Critical Thinking, Social and Personal Responsibility, as well as the following Course Level Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.] Activity for Assessment: Read the following: http://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/how-to-spot-fake-news/ and Watch the following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYc-hd1QSwA Take this quiz: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/politics/cognitive-biases/?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.9b2747fd076b ( right click and choose "open link on incognito window") If you had to help someone spot “fake news,” what would you tell them? Choose a news article from a reputable media outlet and compare it to an online story that you know is fake.Using the checklist provided on the fact check web site, compare the two. Although fake news is not new, it seems harder to distinguish and more accepted now. Why? How will this acceptance of fake news impact our democracy?How has the idea of "fake news" impacted our ability to be really informed on the important topics of the day? What steps can we take to become informed with legitimate information?Is "fake news" really all that recent, or do we hear more about it as a result of the recent election cycle and events that have followed?What are your thoughts on the quiz you took? This assignment must follow MLA guidelines, be typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, and be a minimum of 1000 words with a works cited page. The works cited are not included in the minimum word count. Any articles/links/videos given in the assignment prompt MUST be cited in your paper and works cited. You may also use other sources, but these are the minimum required. Without all of them, your paper is a 0. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Program-Level Objectives met with this assignment:(PLO: 1,2,5,6) 1: Communication Skills-to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication 2: Critical Thinking Skills-to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information 5: Personal Responsibility-to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making 6: Social Responsibility-to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities Course-Level Objectives met with this assignment:(CLO: 5,6,7,8) 5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system. 6. Analyze the election process. 7. Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens 8. Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics