Documentation:Lesson Plan 4

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Democracy and Citizenship Acts? Start Local

Course: Socials 9-11 /// Duration: 80 Minutes ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

(Social Studies 11 IRP)

"The aim of social studies is to develop thoughtful, responsible, active citizens who are able to acquire the requisite information to consider multiple perspectives and to make reasoned judgments. The Social Studies 11 curriculum provides students with opportunities to reflect critically upon events and issues in order to examine the present, make connections with the past, and consider the future."

• Demonstrate understanding of the political spectrum.

• Explain how Canadians can effect change at the federal and provincial levels.

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Instructional Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will…

• Analyze the act of democracy and citizenship in daily practices

• Demonstrate understanding of the political elements in communities

• Describe how democracy works

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Introduction

What do I know about...:

• Ask students to write down anything they know about student council or what do they think they know about student council.

e.g. How it works? What are the different executive positions in the council? How do the student councils interact or function with the rest of the school?

• If there is no student council in the school, ask students to imagine what they think a school council can do to make the school different and what is the role of a student council in the school.

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Body of Lesson

Activities: Student Council Simulation

1) Ask students to name student council positions and let each pick and position and draw from a pool or cards with random number of votes on them. The student who draws the card with higher votes can play his or her ideal student council position.

2) The rest of the students who are not assigned with a student council role will play the role of the student body.

3) For the student body crowd, in groups of 4, each group will come up with a proposal with suggestion that aims to improve the school and with a rational of why this suggestion is more important and more urgent.

4) At the same time, student council group will come up with a proposal with their own suggestion of a school event. However, before it was presented to teh student body, a final, majority agreed decision must be made with a clear rational to win student body's votes.

5) Student body groups will present their ideas to the student council and other student body groups. After all ideas are proposed, student council will also propose their school event idea.

6) Teacher then will given out a budget limitation conditions to only allow one proposal to be put in practice this year. Use questions to provoke each group to think about the proposals.

7) Allow time for student to critically review each others' proposal. Reasoning and criticizing are necessary.

8) Allow debate time for each to finalize their ideas or criticize others proposals.

9) Student body groups and student councils then will come to the final decision to vote for one of the proposals.

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Closure

1. Give time for students to discuss how they come to the final decision. How did each group work together to come up with their proposal? Have their opinion changed during the whole process? How did the student body interact with teh student councils?

2. Discuss how are these processes related to out society, communities, or even governments?

3. As an extension, ask student to write an exit slip to reflect on "What is democracy?"

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Multiple Ability Tasks

1) Visual cues will be available at all times for non-verbal learners.

2) Notes will be provided to students with difficulty focusing in class or taking notes.

3) When necessary, buddy system can be used to pair up students.

4) Instruction and objectives will be emphasized and hand-outs can be made available.

<Mr.Lee>