Hopper Hill Day 2018

As a part of their Constitutional Issue Research Project, GDS 8th graders once again conducted several interviews on Capitol Hill for the annual GDS Hill Day. This unique learning experience allows students to take research to another level by connecting with on-the-ground sources and asking students to consider an issue from both viewpoints. Several organizations and offices hosted students, allowing GDS to take full advantage of its proximity to Capitol Hill. Students ventured on an exploratory journey of different perspectives on the following topics:

• Abortion
• Affirmative Action
• Capital Punishment
• Free Speech
• Gun Control
• Immigration

Before heading out to Capitol Hill, students became expert interviewers after participating in an interview and journalism workshop on January 25, presented by GDS parents in the field Kathleen Day, Dina Elboghdady, and Margaret Pressler. In the workshop, they crafted interview questions related to their topics that expanded on their existing research; they also formulated questions aimed at getting their sources to reveal their specific viewpoints.

Then students took their learning on the road by stopping in the offices of congressional representatives, lobbyists, and issue-related representatives, including current GDS parents as well as a GDS alum Representative Jamie Raskin ’79. A special thank you to GDS current parents and parents of alumni: Stuart Ishimaru, Roz Jones, Kimberly Parker, and Dan Mach for allowing our students to interview and learn more about their work. This enriching experience gave students first-hand sources on the topic of their research as they unearthed the complexities behind the issues that are reflected on the news in our society today. Ultimately, research projects like these help students become informed, global citizens.