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Citizenship at key stage 3    (Year 9)

Unit 19: Assessing progress and recognising achievement at the end of key stage 3
Section 3: * Debating social and moral issues

QCA

Objectives
Children should learn:
  • to organise and take part in a debate about a social or moral issue of concern to them

Activities

Outcomes
Children:
  • Pupils review their agreed ground rules for discussion. In groups or as a whole class, they brainstorm local, national or global issues that concern them. They use democratic decision-making processes to choose one as a debate topic.
  • Pupils and teachers discuss and agree the criteria to be used for assessing planning, organising, collaborative working and debating skills.
  • Pupils identify and allocate roles and responsibilities for researching the issue and establishing opposing viewpoints. They invite people from the rest of the school, from the local community, the council and other local or national organisations to attend and participate in the debate. A video could be made of the debate and this could be used to support review and assessment.
  • Pupils reflect on the debating process and identify whether it has confirmed or changed their own beliefs and opinions, and if so, why and how.
  • know the importance of ground rules in discussion
  • use democratic decision-making processes
  • present information and viewpoints (not necessarily their own) related to a social or moral issue
  • communicate confidently with a variety of community members
  • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the issue debated
  • reflect on the process in order to make meaningful observations about the importance and value of public debate

Points to note
  • Assessment criteria must be agreed by all those involved before the activity takes place.
  • The rules of brainstorming should be observed. The session should continue for a short time, around five minutes; all contributions must be accepted and recorded, and there should be no discussion of issues until the brainstorm is over.
  • This section could build on the previous one by inviting pupils to identify two perspectives of the issue to debate further. Teachers or pupils could also frame moral and social issues into 'dilemmas', in order to enhance pupil access, understanding and engagement, eg Should we be allowed to warm up the world? Should images of women be used to sell products?
  • Link with thinking skills: evaluation.

* Other ways of assessing progress and recognising achievement at the end of key stage 3.
In addition to previous sections, pupils and staff could also choose from these.

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
1. Presenting individual and group achievements
2. * Demonstrating enquiry and communication skills
3. * Debating social and moral issues
4. * Organising a conference for other pupils, staff and members of the community