TAKE THE POWER BACK

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TAKE THE POWER BACK!

• A SUCCESSFUL CIVICS FORMAT FOR ALL STUDENTS
  THEIR TEACHERS

J A Y A D A M S THORNHILL SECONDARY
SCHOOL OHASSTA 2006
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TEACHING CIVICSVARIOUS CHALLENGES

• Too much work for ½ semester.
• Bad for kids bad for teachers.

• Political Apathy

• Treated as a throw away course

Doomed from the start

• Shifting focus

The effective citizen approach
The historical approach
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PRIORITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL CIVICS MODEL

• A reasonable workload
• For all students

• Realistic outcomes for all students
• Passing is not good enough

• Teacher-friendly format
• Challenges of marking
• Reality of inexperience

• Flexible Assignments
• Easily modified or replaced

• Get kids interested in politics
• Key is understanding

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C H V 2 0 1CURRICULUM STRANDS
INFORMED CITIZEN
ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP
PURPOSEFUL CITIZENSHIP
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C H V 2 0 1CURRICULUM STRANDS
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C H V 2 0 1CURRICULUM STRANDS
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C H V 2 0 1CURRICULUM STRANDS
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C H V 2 0 1CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS
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COURSE CONCEPTSU N I T O N E

• Values ideology analysis of existing
  ideologies creation of your own, creation of a
  groups.
• Hegemony different forms of government.
• Origins basis of democracy rights freedoms,
  rights responsibilities, majority rule v.
  minority rights, the social contract.
• Civil, political social rights whats the
  difference?
• Types of society an intro to capitalism,
  communism and socialism

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COURSE CONCEPTSU N I T T W O

• Canadian federalism its basic structure
• Charter of Rights Freedoms key components and
  case studies
• UN
• Levels of Government Their Responsibilities
• Structures of Government Federal, Provincial,
  Municipal
• How the electoral process works ridings, rep by
  pop, candidates, voting, MPs and beyond.
• Political Parties Why the need, ideologies and
  platforms
• Political Spectrum
• After the election Majority v. Minority
  Governments, Official party status
• How a bill becomes a law.

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CORE TASKS
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CORE TASKSU N I T O N E

• Ideology paper A study of our values ideology
• Many Options

Welcome My Son Welcome to the
Machine Analyzing a song for its political
messages
The Brady Bunch or the Castro Clan A political
analysis of your life
Journey to Utopia Avoid a Fruitopia Design
your own utopia using aspects of different
governments and societal systems. (recommended
for gifted sections only)
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CORE TASKSU N I T O N E
1. Ideology paper A study of our values
ideology
Knowledge Values, ideology and importance of
them on our individual lives and
institutions. Skills Analyze institutions
discern their values, argument construction as it
relates to proving an institution stands for a
particular value, research inquiry, writing
with purpose clarity.
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CORE TASKSU N I T O N E
2. (OPTIONAL) REACTION PAPERS forming an
educated opinion on current
political issues

• All students submit a number corresponding to
  their name to be held confidential.
• A list is generated for recording marks on these
  papers with only their numbers to identify them
  no names.
• Students submit papers by a certain date to
  office. They are marked
  and
  recorded on the list.
• Papers of interest are read (1st 10 mins. of
  each class) and discussed.
• Marks are eventually transferred to Markbook
  records.

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CORE TASKSU N I T O N E
2. (OPTIONAL) REACTION PAPERS forming an
educated opinion on current
political issues
Knowledge Local and global political issues.
Skills Research and inquiry, written
articulation of in-depth political opinion
argument construction, writing with purpose and
clarity, listening skills, rebuttal.
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CORE TASKS U N I T T W O

• Structural Integrity Visually displaying the
  structures of government, their
  differences and a related
  controversy

Format Extensions Bristol board display
Webpage Power Point Cube
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CORE TASKSU N I T T W O

• Structural Integrity Visually displaying the
  structures of government, their
  differences and a related
  controversy

Knowledge Structures of federal, provincial
municipal governments and the issues of
controversy within. Skills Presenting
information in a visual format that is clear and
easily understood by others not familiar with
material, identifying a controversy within
subject of structures and articulating both sides
of the issue in writing.
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CORE TASKSU N I T T W O
An alternative. . .

• KIDS BOOK Depicting the structures of
  government, their differences and a
  related controversy in a booklet
  format for grade 3 students

Recommended for gifted students. Time
constraints are an issue.
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CORE TASKSU N I T T W O

• On the Fringe A presentation based on the
  ideology of political groups and
  their role in democracy

• Students form their own groups, are assigned a
  party that is officially recognized by
  either Elections Canada or Elections Ontario and
  must create a presentation based on that party
  while fulfilling the demands of role play.

• As members of that party, asked to speak to a
  grade 10 civics classroom about their ideology
  and platform.

• Following this presentation, students in the
  audience are required to ask questions that
  criticize the parties policies. The party
  members must answer those questions based on the
  ideology and platform they have presented.
  Students are encouraged to be as creative as
  possible with this task.

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CORE TASKSU N I T T W O
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CORE TASKSU N I T T W O

• On the Fringe A presentation based on the
  ideology of political groups and
  their role in democracy

Extensions Replace fringe parties with
mainstream parties or NGOs.
Knowledge Partisan politics, political ideology
values of a particular party, political
platforms, political spectrum, and political
issues focused on by the party of choice.
Skills Political analysis, devising a
presentation format suitable for given context,
presentation skills.
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CORE TASKSCOURSE SUMMATIVE2 Weeks 2 Tasks
Week 1 From the Fringe to the Forefront

• Students are placed in groups that will become
  a new political party.

• Together, they must design an original
  political party including numerous elements
  such as a name, logo, ideology, platform and more.

• They must each choose a riding which they will
  represent for the purposes of the simulation,
  and conduct web-based research on its challenges,
  successes, demographics, etc.

• Each will submit a written report outlining all
  of the above.

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JUSTICE LEAGUE PARTY
PICTURES OF STUDENTS REMOVED FOR INTERNET USE.

• Students are encouraged to create interesting,
  even rather eccentric parties as long as they
  are able to meet the demands of the assignment
  build a serious ideology, a platform with
  reasoning behind each political stance, etc.
• For example, the Justice League Party
  explained in their ideology and platform that
  their goal would be to eradicate crime from our
  urban centres. As you can imagine, the party is
  rather eccentric but their policies are
  supported by intellectual reasoning.
• A note about the upcoming parliamentary
  simulation two options are given for dress
  traditional western business attire, or the
  entire party can dress in role, according to
  their ideology. As you can imagine, the members
  of the JLP each came dressed as a superhero.

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RT. HON. MARINA VAINDER, PARTAY PARTY
PICTURES OF STUDENTS REMOVED FOR INTERNET USE.

• Other examples of student formed parties have
  included the Feminist Party (concentrating on
  improving the status of women in society), the
  Intellectual Prosperity Party (where members of a
  MENSA will form an oligarchy to rule), the Pity
  Party (concentrating on the lower income brackets
  and struggling social groups in society) and the
  Partay Party (which wanted to eliminate most of
  the laws governing activities such as drug use,
  prostitution etc., essentially creating a chain
  of red light districts throughout the nation.

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CORE TASKSCOURSE SUMMATIVE
Week 1 From the Fringe to the Forefront OF
NOTE TO TEACHERS

• As students work in caucus meetings, certain
  goals outside of the assignment sheet must be
  completed.

• Each party must hold a leadership convention.

• Leader of the government party (PM) must choose a
  cabinet, and the LO must choose a shadow cabinet.
  

• At this point, the rest of the course is done
  in role play.

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CORE TASKSCOURSE SUMMATIVE
Week 2 Whos In the House??

• All parties will begin preparing for the two
  day parliamentary simulation spread over 3
  periods.

• Students will be given a short list of current
  issues on which the sim can be based.

• Once chosen, the government will draft the
  bill. All MPs begin general research on the
  topic for negative and positive ramifications,
  and begin preparing their speech.

• Parties are to ensure there is minimal overlap
  between the members prepared speeches. Cabinet
  Shadow Cabinet members to argue accordingly.

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CORE TASKSCOURSE SUMMATIVE
Week 2 Whos In the House??

• After prepared speeches are delivered on Day
  One, students have a day in caucus meetings to
  prepare for question period the following day.

• Question period is done on the final day by a
  show of hands minimum 2 meaningful contributions.

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CORE TASKSCOURSE SUMMATIVE
Week 2 Whos In the House??
OF NOTE TO TEACHERS

• The most effective simulation is one that is
  relaxed and fun.

• Assigned seating nametags a must.

• Room for others to help!

• Endless possibilities for parliamentary
  scenarios.

• A challenge all students can rise to.

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THE FINAL OUTCOME

• Students began by learning about different forms
  of government and ideology.
• Students then explored numerous political issues
  and the ideology of a party in depth.
• Finally, students learned about parliamentary
  procedure and created their own party, including
  ideology and platform.

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WHAT YOU NEED!

• Flexibility for all types of learners.

• Computer lab dates booked.

• Simulation dates blocked off as No School
  Trips

• Learning spaces for caucus meetings simulation

• Head support

• Admin support

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SUPPORT!

• COURSE SPECIFIC SUPPORT
• LINKS!! REALLY GOOD ONES!!!

J A Y A D A M S THORNHILL SECONDARY SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY 647.209.8153 JAY.ADAMS_at_ROGER
S.COM