Final Blog and Reflections

Kali: Since starting this current event blog I have learned so much about Planned Parenthood and the issues of cutting funding to them and other family planning organizations. When most people think of Planned Parenthood, their minds immediately go to abortions however, the foundation does so much more than that. Most of the services provided go to low income women for regular women’s health care and most people are unaware that funding does not cover abortions. Though the United States is facing an enormous amount of debt, withdrawing the $300 million from Planned Parenthood will do little to alleviate the debt and do more to hurt those who rely on their services. For this reason I am against Title X which would withdraw funding from Planned Parenthood and other similar organizations. Though this particular issue may be a little bit too advanced for an elementary school, I think it could relate to women’s rights. At the same time that they are trying to withdraw funding, there is also a bill trying to give employers the right to control women’s access to birth control. Officials at the state and federal level as well as employers should not be able to control these aspects of women’s health. I think that these ideas can relate to women’s struggle for equality throughout history without getting into the details of the Planned Parenthood controversy.

Gina: I have learned a lot since I started blogging at Planned Parenthood. I did not realize how many people relied on the services provided. Like many others I thought Planned Parenthood was limited to a few services and I thought mainly they provided abortions for women. I myself am against abortions and would not personally support this group if it was mainly for that purpose. I have learned the great things this group does with normal women's health check ups and cancer screening. They provide the physical and emotional support that many people would not get other wise. I think it is important to inform people that none of the government funding is going towards any abortion. People need to be informed on this matter before they can choice a side. I do not think this topic could be used in any sort of way for elementary students. I think they could grasp the concept of rights and beliefs and how they may have different opinions about a law more suitable for their age group. 

Though we were originally planning on creating a binder of contacts, our group has decided instead to do a service learning project. At the beginning of the semester we were all very unsure of what the issue surrounding Planned Parenthood was but we have all become very interested in the issue. We have contacted Planned Parenthood and will be volunteering our time to help out the foundation. Though we will be volunteering our time to the foundation, Planned Parenthood offers many options for everyone to get involved such as signing letters, signing up for emails, or donating small contributions. By us spreading the word about the real issues surrounding Planned Parenthood we will feel good that we are informing others about the issue and hopefully they will join us to spread the word on how this foundation needs to be funded for women to receive such basic health care.

Since the issues surrounding Planned Parenthood are very controversial and slightly mature for an elementary school lesson, we could connect this to another bill. Bill arise all the time that are controversial yet more appropriate for a younger age, so students could choose something that they felt strongly for or against.This connects to the picture above that states "Every human has the right to choose whats right for them". Laws are passed and bills are proposed all the time that either promote rights or deny them and students could look at something that they felt was important. This could be connected to a unit on government, while students are learning about bills and laws they could look more closely at current controversial bills.   Students could write letters or sign petitions showing their support for or against a given bill. Students could choose the topic, allowing them freedom and ensuring they would be interested in the subject. Students could also have freedom to choose the action that they take and work with a group to create an effective project. Integrating a service learning project that revolves around bills and laws while teaching students about bills and law will give them good insights into the bill process and how citizens can fight against or promote bills.