Curriculum Online - A Guide to Action Projects and their Assessment

INTRODUCTION

The central purposes and concerns of Civic, Social and Political Education may be summarised by the following Key Statements:

Civic, Social and Political Education:

is a course in citizenship based on Human Rights and Social Responsibilities

Aims to develop:
active citizens who have a sense of belonging to the local, national, European and global community a capacity to gain access to information and structures an ability to fully participate in democratic society

is concerned about issues at personal, local, national and global levels
promotes the development of knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes/values, as outlined in the syllabus, through active learning methods.

The development of "Active Citizens" is one of the central purposes of Civic, Social and Political Education, and Action Projects are an important learning tool designed to help teachers focus on that purpose. These Guidelines are designed to assist teachers in selecting and undertaking appropriate Action Projects with their students.

The Guidelines are divided into two sections:

Section One This section explores what is meant by an Action Project and presents examples of Action Projects undertaken by students. It also lists Action Projects relating to the seven concepts that would be considered appropriate.

Section Two This section explains how students can submit their Action Projects assessment as part of the Junior Certificate examination. Guidelines preparing these submissions are included.

"'It & difficult to imagine students becoming active participatory citizens if their learningabout citizenship has been passive"

SECTION ONE

This Section:

describes what is meant by an active citizen
explains what is meant by an Action Project
highlights a number of important issues relating to Action Projects

suggests a number of broad areas for Action Projects that can be undertaken around school, local, national and intemational issues

presents outlines of Action Projects which have been undertaken around school, local, national and international issues
lists possible Action Projects relating to the seven key concepts of the course

details two approaches (Inviting a Guest Speaker and Issue Tracking) which have been found useful in undertaking Action Projects

"If students are to become active participatory citizens thenthey must be active participants in their own learning. "

What is an Action Project?

A n action project is one where the students are actively involved in developing an issue or topic which has arisen in class beyond the usual limits of textbooks and course materials.

For example, students might undertake a survey of attitudes amongst students in their class or school to a particular issue, or they might research, organise and invite a guest speaker to talk to the class on a particular topic and thereby develop the skills of how to gain access to information and structures, or run a referendum/election developing the skills of participating in the democratic process. More detailed examples are given on Pages 15 to 25.

It is crucial that teachers are prepared to facilitate the provision of real opportunities for involvement and participation, seeing this not only as a logical outcome of the learning process, but as a significant means of reinforcing new knowledge, skills and attitudes.

"The aim of civic education is therefore not just any kind oJparticipation by any kind o f citizen; it is the participation ofinformedand responsible citizens, skilled in the arts ofdeliberation and effective action."Charles Quigley, CIVITAS Project, USA

Development of Skills When undertaking action projects students should have the opportunity to develop and practice skills within the categories outlined below.

Identification/Awareness Skills These are skills which enable students to acquire information: - Letter writing, telephone calls, sending faxes - Using computers, sending e-mail - Surveying, asking questions, interviewing

Analysis/Evaluation Skills Students should be able to analyse, interpret and evaluate any input they receive: - Collating, sorting - Analysis of data, images, discussion - Evaluating information, inputs from guest speakers

Communication Skills Students should practice and develop skills of communication: reflection group participation, discussion, debating designing, planning, presenting, publishing, reporting role play, acting, mime listening

Action Skills Students should develop social and political skills: Social: hosting, liasing, negotiating

Political: voting, decision making, debating, leadership

Other: fundraising, budgeting

SCHOOL-BASEDACTION PROJECTS A school-based Action Project could be undertaken in one of the following areas:
HUMAN RIGHTS: Bullying survey (Sample outline presented on page 16) Inviting a Guest Speaker (See Pages 30-34)
THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT : Litter survey Recycle campaign Refurbishment (Sample outline presented on page 17) Unplanned (Sample outline presented on page 18)
THE SCHOOL AS A COMMUNITY : Portrait of the school community

SCHOOL-BASED ACTION PROJECT 1: BULLYING SURVEY

Howdid the action arise? Having worked through a module on Human Rights and Responsibilities the students identified bullying as an infringement of students' rights in school. They decided that they would like to investigate the extent of the problem within their own school.

How was the class structured to deal with the topic? The teacher saw this as a real opportunity for developing, with the students, the skills of designing an effective questionnaire. Hence a lot of time was spent on this process.

A brainstorm followed to put together headings and questions for each section of the questionnaire. Unnecessary questions were discarded. The sample was decided upon. Coding frames/tally sheets were prepared.

How was the action carried out? A sample number of students from each Year group within the school were interviewed to ascertain the extent of bullying and related matters.

How was the action presented/concluded? All the questionnaires were gathered up and the results were transferred to Tally sheets and analysed and then graphs were produced to represent the totals. Guidelines were then drawn up for students to follow if they found themselves being bullied. These guidelines were then posted in all classrooms within the school. This action also resulted in the setting up of a Cairde group (Buddy system) to help to make the transition from primary school to post-primary school easier. They organise activities for the 1st Year students they are responsible for. They are also encouraged to watch out for students who may be bullied.

CSPE Class, Castleknock Community College, Castleknock, Dublin 15.

Resources Used: Students survey, Computer Room

Concepts Emphasised: Rights and Responsibilities, Human Dignity, Democracy, Interdependence, Law

SCHOOL -BASED ACTION PROJECT 2: THE SCHOOL LUNCH ROOM

How did tire action arise? Having worked through a number of Case Studies in the Exemplar materials the class wanted to undertake their own action project. The teacher asked them to prepare and present their ideas for action projects. After the presentations the class voted on which particular action project they would take up. They selected the Lunch Room. This was a room which the students felt was badly in need of repair.

How was the class structured to deal with the topic? The class was divided into groups and each chose one particular task to undertake: questionnaire on the need for a lunch room, photographs and presentation on the existing state of the lunch room, refurbishment plan, costings, and fund raising ideas (The teacher had already cleared the idea with the School Management).

How was the action carried out? As a full group the class discussed the problem, the issues and how and to whom their findings would be presented. The class broke up again into groups: for display, speeches and invitations.

How was the action presented/concluded? The students met with the Principal, Vice-Principal, Representatives of Parents and the Maintenance Staff.

The students received the full support of the Board of Management. The students were, however, not allowed to undertake the refurbishment work for insurance reasons. This disappointed the students. As a compromise the students were allowed to paint a mural on the wall which listed their names and stated that this was part of an Action Project undertaken as part of the CSPE course.

CSPE Class, Presentation Secondary School, Wexford.

Resources Used:Board of Management, Camera, Survey of students

Concepts Emphasised:Democracy, Rights and Responsibilities, Stewardship, Interdependence and Law

SCHOOL-BASED ACTION PROJECT 3: TOWN LIBRARY BOOK AMNESTY

How did the action arise? While working with Rights and Responsibilities in Unit 1 the teacher asked the class to do further research on an aspect of the topic. One obvious place to try was the town library. The reaction to going there was quite negative. On enquiry, the teacher discovered that students had very overdue books on loan and so felt too embarrassed about going to the library. In the context that while we have a right to borrow a book, we have a responsibility to return it and a responsibility to other library patrons, the class proposed organising a town library book amnesty throughout the school. The teacher undertook to consult with the librarian about the feasibility of the action.

How was the class structuredand how was the action carried out? The librarian was very enthusiastic. The class was divided into groups, each with a particular task: to design a publicity poster for distribution to each class; to prepare a speech which could be used on the school intercom and while distributing the posters to each room; to organise a receiving depot for the books. Issues which arose included: highlighting not only the campaign but also CSPE, getting prior permission from a teacher to visit her/his class; the protocol for speechmaking to a class; using the intercom; rota for supervising the depot (which operated at break times over a few days); storage of books; student visit to the librarian to organise the formal handing over ceremony.

How was the action presented~concluded? Lots of books were collected! The whole class visited the librarian for the handing over ceremony.

Benefits Rights and Responsibilities highlighted in a practical way; students confidence/self-esteem boosted; CSPE at school and town levels; the librarian was delighted as one o f the b o o k s was quite valuable! Students felt more comfortable about using the library; the library used the idea in other branches in the county!

CSPE Class, Presentation Secondary School, Wexford.

Resources Used:Concepts Emphasised: Town librarian, Students, Intercom, Posters, Classroom Rights and Responsibilities, Interdependence and Law

COMMUNITY - BASED ACTION PROJECTS A community-based action project could be undertaken in one of the following areas:
LOCAL COMMUNITY : Portraits of key people Images from the community Local Organisations
LOCAL ISSUES: Litter (Sample outline presented on page 22) A Local Development (Sample outline presented on page 21) Access and the Physical Environment (Sample outline presented on page 20) Development Proposals from Students
LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Role of Councillor in Local Development Issue Guest Speaker on Role and Functions of Local Government

COMMUNITY-BASED ACTION PROJECT 1: WHEELCHAIR ACCESS IN DALKEY

How did the action arise? A class discussion in CSPE led the students to investigate the issue of wheelchair access in their local community: Dalkey village and Dalkey DART station.

How was the class structured to deal with the topic? Two separate classes were involved in this Action Project. One class took responsibility for surveying wheelchair access in Dalkey village while another class surveyed Dalkey DART station.

How was the action carried out? Internal class groups were created to survey and gather information. The information gathered was then fed back to the entire class and a full picture of the access issue emerged. Students drew out a copy of each shop and the DART station and highlighted where access was difficult.

How was the action presented~concluded? The individual students then amalgamated their findings to create an overall picture of wheelchair access in Dalkey village and in Dalkey DART station. This enabled the students to empathise with wheelchair users and the difficulties they encounter on a daily basis: pot holes, uneven surfaces, lack of access to platforms, banks, ATM machines, toilets, etc.

Letters were written to local newspapers outlining their findings. Letters were also written to Iamrod l~ireann highlighting the difficulties that Dalkey DART station poses for wheelchair users.

CSPE Class, Loreto Abbey, Dalkey, Co. Dublin.

Resources Used: Local Dart Station, Local Businesses, Survey, Local Newspapers, lamr6d l~ireann

Concepts Emphasised: Rights and Responsibilities, Interdependence, Human Dignity, Development and Democracy

COMMUNITY-BASED ACTION PROJECT 2: THE MUTTON ISLAND SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT, GALWAY BAY

How did the action arise? Several students suggested this as a subject which they would be interested in looking at since it was a major news item in the local area and many of their families were involved in campaigns for and against the proposed sewage treatment plant.

How was the class structured to deal with the topic? The class was divided into groups of 5/6 students. Each group was assigned a section of the project to work on: The Mutton Island Affair to date; the Yes and No side of the story for this particular site; The Financial cost of the Mutton island site; the Wildlife inhabiting Mutton Island at present and Alternative sites for the sewage treatment plant.

How was the action carried out? To ensure that the students had an overall view of the issues involved each group presented their findings to the whole class using different styles of presentation, e.g. wall displays, oral presentations, and photographs.

How was the Action presented/concluded? Guests from the local community were invited to the school to view the students' displays on "The Mutton Island Affair" and to listen to presentations from the various groups.

CSPE Class, Colfiste Einde, Salthi!l, Galway.

Resources Used: Local Interest Groups, Local Newspapers, Computers, Guest Speakers

Concepts Emphasised: Rights and Responsibilities, Stewardship, Interdependence, Development and Democracy

COMMUNITY-BASED ACTION PROJECT 3: LOCAL LITTER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEY IN BUNCRANA

How did the action arise? The students in first year CSPE classes asked their teacher if they could take action on the litter problem in their town and to assist Buncrana Urban District Council in its fight against litter. This was in response to the 1996 Department of the Environment "Action against Litter Cross Curricular Project".

How was the class structured to deal with the topic? All first year classes were involved in this action project and taught by the one teacher. Each class was divided into groups of 5/6 students. 2 groups surveyed the public on their attitudes to litter using a prepared questionnaire. The other 2 groups collected litter and took photographs of environmental unfriendly sights. This included plotting the distribution of litter, litter bins, lifting litter and examining the types of litter present.

How was the action carriedout? Each class assembled, dispersed and carried out their allotted task. The teacher monitored the fieldwork in progress and reinforced the key considerations of safety and courtesy along with informing the principal of the project in action. Co-operation from the public was excellent. Completing fieldwork notes was given for a homework exercise.

How was the action presented~concluded? Individual groups presented their findings to the whole class including verbal anecdotes, statistical presentations and photographs. A project presentation was made available to the school authorities and viewed by the rest of the students at the school. An overall report was drawn up and presented to the local Urban Council including recommendations for further action. The Urban Council agreed to sponsor a poster campaign on the litter theme for students in the school. The winners and the findings of the litter and environmental survey/report were reported by the local newspaper.

CSPE Class, Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana, Co. Donegal.

Resources Used Action against Litter Video and Action against Litter Booklet, clipboards, folders, pens, gloves, bin bags, suitable footwear and camera

Concepts Emphasised Stewardship, Rights and Responsibilities and to a lesser extent Democracy

NATIONAL/GLOBAL ACTION PROJECTS A national/global action project could be undertaken in one of the following areas:
ELECTIONS : Referend a (Sample outline presented on page 24) Local election General election Presidential election European election
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES: Environmental Issues (Sample outline presented on page 25) Social Issues
CONFLICT SITUATIONS: Northern Ireland Central Europe Developing Countries
HUMAN RIGHTS: Refugees Political Prisoners

NATIONAL/GLOBAL ACTION PROJECT 1: RUNNING A REFERENDUM

How did the action arise? The teacher, in consultation with the class, decided to take the opportunity of the Divorce referendum to bring the students through the process of organising and voting in a referendum.

How was the class structured to deal with the topic? The class ran the Referendum for the whole school on the same day as the National Referendum on Divorce. The week before the referendum the students formed groups: ballot box manufacture, ballot papers production, the production of a register or electors for each year group, ballot stamps making, officials at polling centres, setting up of polling centres. The teacher also had the class for another subject and used time en bloc and re-paid the time at a later stage.

How was the action carried out? The actual voting was carried out in the main hall of the school during the lunch break. There were five polling [[ centres, one per year group. Groups of students responsible for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th year constituencies then totalled the ballots to get the overall result. The result of the referendum was withheld until after the national results were issued.

How was the action presented~concluded? Each group of students was responsible for counting and publishing the results of the referendum for their constituency. The final part of the action was to compare the school referendum results with the results locally and nationally.

CSPE Class, St. Clare's Comprehensive School, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim.

Resources: Referendum Leaflets, School Hall, Students, Practical Departments, Newspapers

Concepts Emphasised: Democracy, Rights and Responsibilities, Interdependence and Law

NATIONAL/GLOBAL ACTION PROJECT 2: FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING

How did the action arise? The students were used to reporting each week on any topical/ interesting event of a national or international nature. At this particular time there was widespread reporting in the media on the proposed French Nuclear Testing in the South Pacific.

How was the class structured to deal with the topic and how was the actioncarried out? Groups were set up to research a number of issues: What is nuclear fission? Nuclear power as an alternative energy source. To gather information from ENFO, from Greenpeace, information on the French case for nuclear testing, and on the Irish government's response and the reaction of other nations.

How was the action concluded/presented? The various groups presented their findings to the class as a whole. Having explored the information the class decided to write a letter of protest to the French Ambassador in Dublin and also to collect a petition of names from other classes in the school.

As a follow-up a video about Chemobyl was shown to the class. This has a profound effect. The students wanted to take further action. They decided on bringing a child from Belarus, which had been affected by Chemobyl, over to Ireland for a holiday by means of a 'Civvies' Day - no uniforms and for the privilege to pay £1. A display and posters were prepared for the fund raising day. The Principal was approached to see if someone could talk about the disaster over the intercom each day leading up to the Civvies Day.

How was the action presented~concluded? The Civvies Day was reviewed, the money was counted and a letter was prepared and sent to the Children of Chernobyl Fund.

CSPE Class, Loreto College, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.

Resources Used:Newspapers, Science Department, Interest Groups, Embassy, Video, Irish Government, Posters, Intercom

Concepts Emphasised:Interdependence, Rights and Responsibilities, Stewardship and Development

CONCEPT - RELATED ACTION PROJECT IDEAS

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Charters of Rights (students, teachers, school, parents)
Examination of School Rules
Survey on Bullying in school
Sticks and Stones Theatre Company performance and workshops on bullying
Induction programme for in-coming 1 st Year students
Set up a "Buddy" system
Rights Competition (poetry, prose, posters, slogans, etc.)
Guest Speaker from an appropriate Organisation [Amnesty International (Human Rights), Pavee Point (Travellers), ISPCC (Children), Trade Unions (Workers), Irish Wheelchair Association (People with disability), St. Vincent de Paul (Poor), Alone (Elderly), Focus Point (Homeless), Simon Community (Homeless), Trocfiire (Development Issues), ISPCA (Animals), ENFO and Greenpeace(Environment), etc.
Unplanned Topical issue (Romanian Orphanages, conflict in Zaire, Street children of Bucharest, etc.)
Survey of school/local facilities for people with disability (e.g. wheelchair access)
Track rights issues in the media (E. Timor, Rwanda, Northern Ireland, etc.)
Local Rights issues (refuse disposal, housing, water charges, amenities, historical buildings, etc.)
School Magazine on Rights (Children's Rights, Animal Rights, Environmental Rights, etc.)
Produce a Sketch/Drama on Human Rights to create an awareness
Set up a Human Rights Group
Investigate Blood Sports
Local animal issues (horses, stag hunt, foxes, badgers, etc.)
Rights of Endangered Species (Panda, Whale, etc.)
Local Environment Survey School/Local
Community litter campaign
Get involved in Tidy Towns
Establish a school recycling programme
National Tree Week
Track environmental issue in media (eg. Nuclear testing, testing of cosmetics)
Survey products used at home to explore interdependence
Speaker from the National Organisation for the Unemployed
Speaker from local Youth Council
Speaker from IBEC, local Chamber of Commerce, local area based Partnerships
Investigate work of Transition Year Mini Company
Speaker from local Health Centre/Community Information Centre to explain entitlements
Investigate Children in the workplace here and worldwide

STEWARDSHIP

Establish a recycling project (paper, bottles, cans, clothes, etc.)
Investigate local pollution, perhaps in conjunction with Science/Geography Departments
Local Dump/Sewage Disposal issue
Litter Campaign in class/school/local community
Get involved in Tidy Towns Visit to National Ecology Centre Survey of students to prove that we live in a disposable culture Establish an organic garden in the school Before and after garden photographs Make a before and after video of garden Set up a school compost heap Visit to local farm to investigate farming methods Grid area study (Study 1 square kilometre) Improve the local school environment (e.g. the lunchroom) Investigate local polluters (Sellafield, chemical factory, farm effluent, etc.) Use popular music to investigate environment (Earth Song - Michael Jackson) Participate in National Tree Week Investigate this idea of stewardship from other cultures (Native Americans, Aborigines, etc.) Conduct a Traffic survey to highlight need for car pooling, etc. Invite in a guest speaker from An Taisce

LAW

Issue Track the passage of a law through the Houses of the Oireachtas
Investigate how laws and what laws affect young people (part time work, alcohol, stealing, assault, etc.)
Visit a Court House
Invite in a Guest Speaker: Juvenile Liaison Officer (JLO), Community Garda, Solicitor, Barrister, Judge, Representative from Neighbourhood Watch/Community Alert
Role paly a court scene
Investigate the Judicial System (Civil Courts: District, Circuit, High Courts. Criminal Courts: Circuit, Central Criminal, Court of Criminal Appeal and the Supreme Court)
Investigate the rights of Consumers which they get faulty goods
Examine the by-laws which apply in your area
Consider issues and the law (Trespassing, Animals, Drugs, Property, Planning, etc.)

DEVELOPMENT

Investigate the development issues in your school: lunch facilities, sports facilities, etc.
Survey the local development initiatives: LEADER programmes, Area Partnerships, LES enterprise schemes, etc.
Debate local developments: dumps, construction sites, animals, cellular phone pasts, etc.
Examine national development issues: road developments, rezoning, waste disposal
Explore international development issues: Debt/Aid, Environmental issues, Conflict, Fair Trade Find out how your community has benefitted from EU structural and social funds Track development initiative by Irish aid workers in Developing countries Investigate the impact of technology on life in your community

INVITING A GUEST SPEAKER ACTION PROJECT

Guest Speakers are often useful in taking a topic beyond the confines ofthe classroomor the course materials. They may be utilised for any aspectof the Civic, Social and Political Education course. Below is a possibleapproach to using a Guest Speaker where the students are activelyinvolved in all aspects of the preparation through to the actual visit andbeyond.

Why Introduce Visitors?

Ties in with all Units of the course
May arise naturally out of class work
To supplement knowledge on local issue under study
To improve organisational and communication skills of students
To increase self-confidence of students
To foster a sense of group identity within the class
Somebody 'new' brings variety to the classroom
Allows for follow-up on a particular issue

Modular Approach

Step 1: Deciding on a Guest Speaker Step 2: Planning for the Visit Step 3: Group Action Plans Step 4: THE VISIT Step 5: Reviewing the Visit Step 6: Reporting on the Visit

Step 1: Planning the Visit

Objectives." (a) that students decide on an appropriate Visitor to invite (b) that students plan for this visit

Introduction: (a) Why are we inviting a Guest Speaker? (b) Who could we invite to talk to us about ..... ? (Be sure to get Management approval) (c) What do we want to find out from the Visitor?

Step 2: Planning for the Visit

Objectives. (a) to explain the "Committee System" method (b) that students draw up Group Action Plans for organising the visit

Committee System: Explain the "Committee System" to students as an effective way of involving everybody in the class.

The Committee System
The Contact and Briefing Committee The "Welcoming" and "Goodbye" Committee
The Room Committee
The Refreshments Committee
The Finance Committee
The PR Committee
The Questions Committee
The Chairing Committee

* The Chairperson: - introduces the Visitor to the class - chairs the questions - thanks the Visitor - thanks all involved

Group Action Plans: Divide the class into 7 groups of 4 and 1 group of 2 (for the Chairing Committee). Each Committee produces a Group Action Plan using ideas from Planning the Visit. One student in each group to act as leader. If time permits students may start on their own Individual Action Plans.

Summary: Summarise lesson and tell students that tasks can be completed next week. Tell students to keep in contact during the week.

Step 3: Group Action Plans

Objectives: (a) that students finish drawing up Group Action Plans for organising the Visit (b) that students complete Individual Action Plans (c) that each Committee present a short account of their tasks to the class

Group Action Plan: Each Committee finishes Group Action Plan Within Committees students complete their own Individual Action Plans

Role Play: Bring students in "Welcoming Committee" through the process of welcoming and saying Goodbye. Go over Checklist with "Briefing Committee" - remind them to brief the Principal Go over order and suitability of Questions with the "Questions Committee"

Summary: Each Committee presents a brief resume of their role to the class Remind students that during the visit their behaviour will be their own responsibility Tell students to keep in contact over the week with you on any issues arising Deal with any final questions

Step 4: THE VISIT

Step 5: Reviewing the Visit

Objectives: That students review the learning for them in having a visitor

Reviewing: This process is best undertaken through a series of questions, for example:

Briefing the Visitor

* Preparing the Visitor can be as important as preparing the students.

The Contact and Briefing Committee (Students) should forward to the Visitor the following information:

size ofclass
nature of class
relevant class rules
content area under study
questions s/he can expect
preparations by the class

The Teacher may also want to brief the Visitor to expect:

silences
immaturity in some questions
self-consciousness among students

The Visitor should note:

punctuality
no long speeches!
keep speech jargon free and simple

'~ The Contact and Briefing Committee could also keep the SchoolManagement informed about the Visit

The Visit: Did you find it useful to have a guest speaker? Did the speaker seem happy and at ease? If "Yes", how did we do it? If "No", what could we have done differently? Was the speaker as we thought s/he was going to be? Were his/her answers interesting/relevant/understandable? What were the main things we learned from the meeting? Was anything important left out? Do any of you disagree with the points made by the Visitor? Is there anything the class want to follow up from here?

Who writes/rings to say "Thank You"?

Process: How was the Guest Speaker selected? What preparations needed to be made? Did you operate the Committee System? How did the students find working in teams? Were all students actively involved? Did any other issues arise? What changes would you suggest i f the class were to invite a guest speaker again?

Step 6: Reporting on the Visit Each student prepares a report on his/her Action Project.

Guest Speaker Worksheets

Worksheets for a Guest Speaker are located in Unit 4 of the Exemplarmaterials "To the Wider World" Section 4 Pages 7 - 14.

Summary of Teaching Points

Guest Speaker can arise naturally out of class work
Preparation is absolutely vital, but should not inhibit spontaneity
Active planning role by students ensures success
The use of Role Play (for "Welcoming" and saying "Goodbye") is effective
Consider recording the Guest Speaker
Teacher may need to brief Visitor
The School Management must be informed and kept up to date
Reviewing/Evaluating the Visit is essential

EXAMPLES of SOURCES for GUEST SPEAKERS

Amnesty International - Pavee Point - ENFO - Tr6caire Alone - Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children - DSPCA Greenpeace - Combat Poverty - FocusPoint - Political Parties Irish Council for the Status of Women - Rape Crisis Centre Anti-Bullying Centre, Trinity College - St. Vincent de Paul Local Representatives - Tidy Towns - Community Council - Gardai Neighbourhood Watch/Community Alert Schemes Local Organisations/Community Groups EPIC (European Public Information Centre)

ISSUE TRACKING ACTION PROJECT

This is a method by which students can follow andexplorean i~ue or topic in newspapers and/or ontelevision/radio over a period of time (a week totwo weeks).

Why Track Issues?

Suitable for any of the 4 Units
May enable the exploration of a current issue which is ideal for CSPE
May arise from class work
To supplement knowledge of issue being discussed
Adds variety to class practice
Enables Follow -up

Step 1: Preparations

Explanation of'Issue Tracking'
Produce Sample Scrap Book or Issue Tracking Sheet
Class Brainstorm on how this could be organised
Allocation of Duties e.g. gathering of Newspapers, TV News Clips, Radio News clips, etc.

Step 2: Issue Tracking

Students form 5-6 groups. Each group is given a set of Newspapers and records the chosen issue. Or in the week between classes the students gather news stories relating to the issue under discussion.

Step 3: Compile a Scrap Book

Students put together:
Scrap Book
Collage
Wall Chart
Write up on Issue(s) Tracked

Step 4: Follow-Up

Do we report on the Issue Tracking Action Project?
Do we want to look at this issue in more detail?
Do we contact an Organisation?
Do we invite a Guest Speaker?
Do we take on an Action Project relating to the issue tracked?

Issue Tracking Worksheets

The Worksheets for Issue Tracking are located in Unit 4 of the Exemplarmaterials "To the Wider World" Section 4 Pages 3 - 6.

Summary of Teaching Points

Issue Tracking can arise from Class work
Preparation is crucial - Newspapers/TV News Clips
Need for students to be actively involved
Need to be consciousofNewspapers read at home
CSPE articles may not be in prominent positions
Can lead to Guest Speakers or further Action Taking

SECTION TWO

This Section:

outlines the assessment and certification procedure for Civic, Social and Political Education - explains how students can use either the Report on an Action Project or the Course-work Assessment Book to submit their Action Project for assessment
presents the format of the Course-work Assessment Book
presents Guidelines to assist in the completion of a Course-work Assessment Book
presents the format for a Report on an Action Project
presents Guidelines to assist in the completion of a Report on an Action Project

ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION

Pupil performance in Civic, Social and Political Education will be assessed and certificated as part of the Junior Certificate. It will be reported in terms of grades received by pupils at the end of the three year period of the Junior Certificate programme.

Assessment will be carried out in two modes:

1.a written terminal examination at the end of the third year of the course II. submission of either a:

Report on an Action Project

Course-work Assessment Book

The weighting between the modes of assessment presented will be:

40% for the written examination

60% for either the Report on an Action Project or the Course-work Assessment Book.

Assessment of Action Projects

For the purposes of assessment the Action Project itself is not submitted. Instead each student is asked to submit either:

a detailed description of the Action Project they have undertaken by completing a Report on an Action Project

a less detailed description of an Action Project incorporated into a booklet which questions the students on a number of areas related to a module of work they have completed as part of the Civic, Social and Political Education course. Two such booklets are combined to form a Course-work Assessment Book.

COURSE-WORK ASSESSMENT BOOK

IMPORTANT POINT STORE MEMBER

In the Course-work Assessment Book the student will report on TWO course-work modules which s/he has completed
Each of the course-work modules reported must have an Action Project component
The same Action Project cannot be used for both modules
A student can give a detailed description of a particular activity or skill ONCE only in the entire Course-work Assessment Book. The same activity or skill may not be used to answer several sections of the Course-work Assessment Book.

(contains two sections on separate course-work modules)

Course-workModule: a coherent and significant section of theCivic, Social and Political Education course which must includean Action Project. A course-work module may be presented inclass:
As one of the course units; 1. The Individual and Citizenship 2. The Community 3. The State - Ireland 4. Ireland and the World
Through one of the course concepts; Democracy, Rights and Responsibilities Human Dignity, Interdependence, Development, Law, Stewardship
Through a particular t h e m e for example; gender equity, racism, xenophobia, interculturalism, the environment, development, work and unemployment, poverty, homelessness, minorities, conflict situations

Format:Two sections on separate course-work modules each of which must include a brief report on an Action Project

Structure of booklet: Each section will contain the following:

Title Title of course-work module
Introduction Brief introduction to course-work module
Things I have done
An account of a class from the particular coursework module
An account of an action project undertaken for the course-work module
Things I have learnt
New information acquired
Application of new skills
Something I have to say
Views on an issue arising from the course-work module
Suggestions for further action on this issue

GUIDELINES

TITLE:

Page 2 of the Course-work Assessment Book

To be encouraged: a title that clearly indicates to anybody reading it what the course-work module was about. The examiner should be able to confirm the suitability of the title having read the Course-work Assessment book completely.

To be avoided: titles such as; CSPE, Course-work module.

WHAT IT = WAS-ABOUT

To be encouraged: a clear overview which gives the examiner a base upon which to assess the rest of the information presented by the student on this particular Course-work module. This overview should refer to the Action Project.

To be avoided: one word or one sentence which repeats the title of the course-work module and does not explain what the module was about.

Page 3: Things I have done: an account of one class I found particularly interesting from this course work module

Class The purpose of this section of the course-work module is to give the student an opportunity to describe a class which was particularly interesting for them. S/he may choose, for example, to describe a class which used a particular leaming methodology or a class which evoked a lot of debate and discussion.

In this section they may also refer to a class which was part of the Action Project for this course-work module. If they choose to do this they cannotuse the same class or activity to complete question 3, page 4 of thecourse-work book, which relates specifically to the Action Project itself.

MAIN TOPIC To be encouraged: a topic title which gives a clear indication to the examiner what the particular class was about. The examiner should be able to confirm the relevance of this topic title having read the course-work book completely. In some cases a word or couple of words will suffice. The student may expand upon this if s/he feels it is necessary, using the space provided.

To be avoided: a vague, unclear and irrelevant topic title. Titles such as "My CSPE class".

SHORT DESCRIPTION

To be encouraged: a clear description of what actually took place, as part of the civic, social and/or political learning process in this particular class.

To be avoided: events which do not describe a learning process directly related to the Civic, Social and Political Education course.

ONE IMPORTANT THING LEARNT

To be encouraged: a specific piece of information which the student has learned during this class which relates directly to some aspect of Civic, Social and Political Education. OR A learning experience which contributed to the civic, social or political development of the student. OR A skill which the student has either acquired or developed as a result of this particular class.

To be avoided: an explanation of something which has no relevance to the topic title already provided or no relevance to the aims and objectives of Civic, Social and Political Education.

MADE THIS INTERESTING

To be encouraged: a critical analysis of why the class as a whole was interesting.

To be avoided: a repeat of the answer given for a short description of what took place and/or one important thing learnt.

Page 4: Things I have done: an account of my Action Project for this course-work module

Action Projects Both course-work modules recounted in the Course-work Assessment Book must include an Action Project component.

The same Action Project cannot be used for both of the modules included in the Course-work Assessment book.

TITLE To be encouraged: titles that clearly indicate to anybody reading it what the Action Project was about.

To be avoided: titles such as; My Action Project, Civic, Social and Political Education Action Project.

REASONS FOR ACTION PROJECT

To be encouraged: clear explanation of the reasons why this particular action project was chosen. These reasons should be set in the context of the course-work module.

To be avoided: phrases such as; "because the teacher told us", "because the teacher gave it to us".

ONE ACTIVITY To be encouraged: a description of an activity in which the student was personally involved. Examples of activities include, conducting a survey, interviewing, writing letters, working in teams, presenting findings.

TWO THINGS LEARNT

To be avoided: descriptions of more than one activity. Activities related to the module and not specifically to the Action Project.

To be encouraged: the student can refer to information learnt, a learning experience or skills developed or improved, in relation to the Action Project only.

To be avoided: an explanation of two things that the student learnt while doing the module that were not specific to the Action Project.

Page 5: Things I have learnt from this course-work module

Information and skills

This page of the course work assessment book has two distinct sections. The first relates directly to new information which the student has acquired as part of her/his work on this particular module. The second relates to skills which the student has developed or improved and how one of these skills was applied. This should be made clear to the student and cross-over between these two sections should be avoided.

On this page a student may refer to information or skills which they may already have mentioned in the preceding pages of this course-work module. It is expected, however, that the student will expand/develop and add to these. For the final question, on the application of a particular skill, a skill alreadywritten about on another page of either of the course-work modules willnot be accepted.

NEW INFORMATION To be encouraged: a clear description of several new pieces of information which the student has learnt on the subject of this course-work module. A coursework module is a study of a significant section of the course. The student, therefore, should be capable of describing more than one new piece of information which s/he has learnt.

To be avoided: only one piece of information presented. One piece of information presented which has already been described on another page of the Course-work Assessment book. New information which has no relevance to the

SKILLS To be encouraged: a clear statement of a number of skills developed. Skills may be taken from the following categories: identification/awareness; analysis/evaluation; communication; action (see syllabus document page 13).

To be avoided: confusion between skills and content. skill mentioned.

Only one

APPLICATION OF SKILL

To be encouraged: clear evidence of how the particular skill was used and the context in which it was used. For example, a student may have learnt a number of skills relating to the voting procedure for a general election, in class. S/he can explain how s/he applied one of these skills, for example, in a mock election run in the school, provided s/he has not already described this particular skill elsewhere in the Course-work Book.

To be avoided: mention of more than one skill. A repeat of a skill already used to answer a question on another page of this course-work module or on any page of the second course-work module.

Page 6: Something I have to say

This page allows the student to take one particular issue related to the coursework module they have studied and to express their views and opinions on it. They then describe what they can do about this issue themselves and/or what others can do about it.

ISSUE To be encouraged: clear identification of an issue which is relevant to the particular course-work module.

To be avoided: unclear identification of the issue. between an issue and an activity.

Confusion

VIEWS ON ISSUE

To be encouraged: clear expression of the students particular views on this issue. The student should be encouraged to develop and expand these views. It is important that these views reflect the human rights/social responsibility dimensions of the Civic, Social and Political Education course.

To be avoided: description of activities. Views which are contrary to the human rights/social responsibility dimension of this course.

WHAT CAN BE DONE

To be encouraged: Action ideas that have some realistic possibility of being achieved either by the student themselves or by others.

To be avoided: unrealistic action ideas

CIVIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL EDUCATION REPORT ON AN ACTION PROJECTREPORT ON AN ACTION PROJECT

TYPE: An Individual Report on a Group Action Project

An Individual Report on an Individual Action Project

FORMAT: Written Report 7 pages maximum

Audio Report 4 minutes maximum

Video Report 4 minutes maximum

SUBJECT: Any subject related to the CONCEPTS or the UNIT DESCRIPTIONS of the CSPE Course

REPORT O N A N ACTION PROJECT

The Report should include: -

Title A clear, unambiguous and relevant title (3)

Introduction An introduction to the report which should clearly explain the reasons why this particular action project was chosen (7)

ActivitiesUndertaken

This section should list and briefly describe different activities undertaken during the course of the Action Project. In this section each student should also provide a more detailed account of any particular task which he/ she initiated or undertook and identify and describe how particular skills were applied in undertaking this task. (40)

Summary ofAction Project

This section should outline what the pupil has foundout about the subject of the Action Project. This should be presented in the form of a summary. (20)

Conclusion A conclusion where the student reflects his/her own thinking on the Action Project undertaken and outlines the reasons why he/she has arrived at this conclusion within the context of the Action Project. (20)

GUIDELINES

REPORT ON AN ACTION PROJECT

TITLE To be encouraged: titles that clearly indicate to anybody reading, listening or viewing it what theAction Project was about. The examiner should be able to confirm the suitability of the title having read, listened to or viewed the Report completely.

To be avoided: titles such as; My Action Project Report; Action Project Report; Civic, Social and Political Education Report etc.

INTRODUCTION To be encouraged: an introduction where the student sets the Action Project in context. A clear statement of its relevance to Civic, Social and Political Education should be included. S/he should also indicate to which of the course concepts the Action Project relates. How the Action Project was chosen should also be stated. Some Action Projects, for example, may arise because a particular issue has become suddenly topical either locally, nationally or intemationally, if this occurs then the student should indicate this.

To be avoided: phrases such as; "because the teacher told us", "because the teacher gave it to us"

ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN

To be encouraged: each student should list the different activities undertaken during the course of the Action Project For example, conducting a survey, interviewing, writing letters, visiting organisations or places, collecting information, inviting, preparing for and interviewing guest speakers, working in teams, presenting findings etc. In the case of a group action project the student need not necessarily have been involved in each of these activities. Each of the activities undertaken should be briefly described, two to three sentences on each will suffice. The student should then identify one particular activity that s/he was directly and personally involved in and/or initiated. This should be described in detail.

In the course of the description of this activity the student should also indicate how particular skills were developed and used. Examples: if the student wrote a letter s/he should describe to whom it was addressed and why, how it was formatted and the type of information requested; if the student was involved in conducting an interview or survey then s/he should describe how the questions were formulated and how and where interviews were conducted and recorded.

To be avoided: too much detail in the listed activities.

SUMMARY OF ACTION PROJECT

To be encouraged: a clear synopsis of what the student has found out from doing this Action Project. This can take the form of a description and/or graphic presentation. The summary is important because it provides the examiner with a base upon which to view the student's conclusions

To be avoided: the student should not confuse the summary of information with the conclusion nor should they

CONCLUSION

repeat an account of the activities undertaken.

To be encouraged: interpretation of findings and expression of views on the topic of the Action Project. It is important that these views reflect the human rights/social responsibility dimension of this course. The student should also refer to the learning process and the skills which s/he acquired.

To be avoided: statements which give no explanation as to why the . . . . . . . student has drawn this particular conclusion. Statements which are contrary to the human rights/ social responsibility dimension of this course. The student should avoid repeating the summary of information as a conclusion.