Letter Writing, Politics and Monarchs

Representative Aric Nesbitt teaching

Last Friday we had a surprise visitor in our classroom, Representative Aric Nesbitt.  Earlier that week, we wrote letters to him encouraging him to vote in favor of making the monarch the official state insect for Michigan.  He stopped by to thank us and teach us how a bill becomes a law in our state.  It was exciting.  My students were thrilled that he would take the time to visit and that they could talk to him in person and remind him why they believe the monarch would be the perfect state insect for Michigan.  We will be touring the capitol after spring break, so it was also good timing for a lesson in government.  In addition, some students solicited autographs for a petition in support of this worthy cause.  We will be excited to see how the vote for this bill turns out.  A special thank you to Ilse Gebbard, the leader of this movement and a great supporter for monarchs in our state and beyond!  And a big thank you to Aric Nesbitt, who took the time to listen to us and to teach us!  In a time when politics seems to be divisive and even downright unkind, it's nice to meet someone who seems to genuinely care for students and maybe now even an amazing insect!
    

Some of my class posing with Aric