|
|
|
Citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 1-6)
Unit 01: Taking part - developing skills of communication and participation
Section 10: Years 5 and 6 - Working together - making decisions
|
|
Objectives |
| Children should learn: |
- to collaborate with others in a group to solve a problem or make a decision
- about some of the processes involved in working effectively in a group and reaching group decisions
- to develop some of the skills involved in group work or meetings, such as negotiating, problem-solving, chairing, debating
- to take up and sustain different roles in group discussion, eg chair, spokesperson
- about democracy, and about how decisions can be made in school
- to reflect on their participation and communication
|
Activities |
|
Outcomes |
|
Children: |
- In randomly mixed groups, the children work on a 'real' issue connected with the school, eg the whole school may have worked on raising funds to purchase equipment for wet lunchtimes and playtimes. The children develop criteria for judging the appropriateness of the idea, eg the criteria for equipment for wet playtime include the cost, packaging, storage, durability, sustainability and interest level. Using a range of sources, eg catalogues, the internet, they research different options and set a notional budget, and then prioritise how the money should be spent. The children consult on their ideas with the class or others in the school community (or both) and record their findings. Each group presents its ideas to the class or school council to take forward. The next task could be to draw up guidelines for use of the equipment, to ensure that it lasts and is well used.
- Throughout all these tasks, group processes can be explored and discussed, eg groups elect their own chair, scribe and spokesperson.
- After each of the tasks the children need to reflect on how the task went and how they used their skills of communication and participation. This could be done through a questionnaire that explores how well the children felt they listened, how well they felt they were listened to, the range of ways they reached their decisions and the ways people put their point across that helped others to change their minds.
|
|
- participate actively in a group discussion and problem-solving activity
- express their own views, and sometimes adapt them after having listened to the views of others
- represent the views of others when sharing information
- recognise that there may be conflicting views and that a compromise may be needed
- understand how democratic decisions are taken and recognise the importance of participation and communication skills in this
- reflect on how their communication and participation skills have developed
|
|
Points to note |
- Before this activity takes place, the children could have been involved in fundraising activities to raise the money for the equipment.
- The children can take part in making decisions in other situations, eg deciding on the content of the next assembly, the next class reading book, the next game to be played in PE.
- Different approaches to mixing groups and to reporting back can be used, eg groups could do a 'jigsaw' activity (see the Teacher's guide for further information).
- Link with English: En1 S&L 3e in the key stage 2 programme of study.
- There are many opportunities for children to become involved in local decision-making and policy-making in the wider community. Some of these are explored in unit 6 'Developing our school grounds', unit 8 'How do rules and laws affect me?' and unit 10 'Local democracy for young citizens'.
- Link with geography: 1d, 2d in the key stage 2 programme of study.
- Link with history: 15 in the key stage 2 programme of study, Ancient Greece, where the children have opportunities to learn about democracy.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
