This Activity ties back to the Lesson about civic engagement and how Wild Horse Annie (Velma Johnston) navigated the channels of government to stop the cruel and deadly treatment of our nation’s wild horses and burros.  She accomplished this through the help of students across the USA who joined her ‘pencil brigade’ i.e., writing letters to government officials to pass laws for positive, productive change!  PACTS4Change students will carry on her legacy by not only participating in a pencil brigade, but also a ‘digital brigade’.  Students can use the information on the Saving OUR Nation’s Wild Horses and Burros page (under the Animal advocacy tab) to EMPOWER their voices to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves!
 
Contents in order of use: 
1. Activity 12 Pre-assessment
2. Activity 12 TAKE ACTION Digital Brigade
3. Sample Letters (3rd-5th)
4. Activity 12 Post-assessment
5. Rating 
 
Subject domains: 
Writing (Text Types and Purposes): Write opinion pieces on topics or text, supporting a point of view with reasons; introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons; provide reasons that support the opinion; use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opionion and reasons; and provide a concluding statement or section.  
History Social Science Framework: Act as an informed, actively engaged citizen (Third).  
 
Skills: 
This Activity ties back to the Lesson aboiut civic engagement and how Wild Horse Annie (Velma Johnston) navigated the channels of government to stop the cruel and deadly treatment (roundups) of OUR nation's wild horses and burros.  
This Activity provides an opportunity for students to continue Velma Johnston's legacy through a 'digital brigade', i.e., very similar to what she did 50+ yearls ago with school children across the USA, i.e., a 'pencil brigade' (i.e., students wrote to their representative for positive, productive change, and ultimately a law (Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act) was passed which protected wild horses and burros.  
Overtime, unfortunately, this law (Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act) has been turned on its head in favor of special interest groups, such as livestock ranchers, who pay large sums of money to political figures in office to influence (change) laws and decisions in their favor.  
As a result, the law has so many loop holes in it now, that the wild horses and burros are no longer protected and suffer in countless ways: brutal and deadly roundups; trucked to state prisons where they languish in filthy conditions (some die from neglect and disease); others are housed in long-term government warehouses for the rest of their lives; and others are trucked (shipped) across state lines to Mexico and Canada where they are slaughtered for horse-meat and sold to Asian and European countries.  
This chain of events is a multi-billion dollar industry and the USA goverenment (Department of Interior (BLM), Deparment of Agriculture, and Department of Commerce) have their greedy, money hungry hands all over this issue.  
The only way this is finally going to stop is if enough people get educated and start contacting their representative to make it stop!  
If enough people participate in a 'digital brigage' using every social media platform out there, this issue will get enough attention and traction to finally get some positive, productive change for OUR Nation's Wild Horses and Burros, but only if we TAKE ACTION TODAY!!!   
This includes everyone: Parents, Administrators, Children, Teachers, and Scientists now, PACTS4Change!!! https://www.pacts4change.com/copy-of-animal-advocacy 
Because together, we are STRONGER!