- Ask the children to talk about the things they like and enjoy about their community and their school. Explore with them what happens when a problem arises in school or the community, eg an unpopular decision is taken. Emphasise the importance of communication and discussion.
- Begin investigations about local facilities that exist for young people. Ask the children to plot the facilities on a map, accompanied by fact files created by pairs or small groups, eg club name, address, telephone number, age range covered, aims and purposes, activities offered, skills that can be learnt, how it helps the local community and area, the main advantages and any disadvantages. Invite a representative from the club, or a child who is a member, to give a short presentation about the benefits of participating in that club.
- As a class, discuss the facilities and activities for young people and children in the local community, drawing on the results of the investigations. Do the children feel that certain facilities and opportunities are missing from their local area? Have facilities been damaged, vandalised or removed from their vicinity in the past? How do their facilities compare with those in neighbouring areas or elsewhere in the country? What do children spend their time doing without the facilities they would like? What else could they do? Encourage the children to think of ways of improving local facilities and of drawing attention to their views and opinions. Locally organised schemes run during the summer holidays, eg Community and Police Enterprise projects, may offer a range of activities at local venues for children to join in with, eg outings, arts and crafts, drama and dance, outdoor pursuits. Police officers and volunteers normally maintain these schemes.
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- recognise the importance of communication and discussion in resolving conflict, and that there may be a need to compromise
- discuss, ask questions and express feelings in a variety of ways and with developing confidence
- evaluate information about priorities for the community and their environment
- demonstrate concern for people and communities where human needs are not readily met
- take a constructive interest in their local community and begin to take on a wider sense of social responsibility
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