Section 4. Action Projects

Action Projects

CSPE is a course in active citizenship, based on human rights and social responsibilities.

'The central concept of this course is that of Citizenship - the realisation of the civic, social and political dimensions of the life of the individual person through active participation in society'.
CSPE Syllabus, p.10.

If students are to become active participatory citizens then they must be active participants in their own learning. By being involved in Action Projects students are given opportunities to engage in actions and develop skills that will contribute to their becoming active participatory citizens in later life.

What is an Action Project?

'An 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 the textbooks or course material'. (p.10 Guidelines for Schools, 1996).

Research on its own, where a student simply and solely regurgitates facts and figures from sources such as encyclopaedias, newspapers, leaflets, pamphlets and CD-Roms, does not constitute an Action Project. However, it can be a small part of an Action Project (this will be explained in more detail later in this chapter).

Action Project Checklist

• The Action Project should be based on one of the 7 concepts.
• The Action Project should be consistent with the human rights and social responsibility perspective of CSPE.
• The Action Project should have an Action component (research on its own is not acceptable).
• The Action Project should enable the student to engage/communicate with other people or comunities about the subject of her/his action.
• The Action Project should enable the student to practice the skills associated with CSPE.
• The Action Project should enable the student to develop his/her knowledge and understanding of the subject of the action.
• The Action Project should inclde a reflection and evaluation dimension

A word of caution

Action Projects based on topics such as smoking, drinking, drugs, illnessnes and other social, personal and health issues and those on historical, environmental and sporting topics are acceptable only if they contain issues which are addressed in relation to the criteria outlined above. For example, pages consisting of lists of different types of drugs and their side effects do not meet the required criteria for an Action Project. If an Action Project related to drugs examines what a community can do to combat drugs misuse and/or how a community can bring pressure to bear to get the authorities to enact legislation and/or how a community can support the role of the Garda Síochana in the prevention of drug-related crime, it would then be considered appropriate, provided it meets the criteria outlined above.

How do Action Projects arise?

Action Projects can develop from a number of different situations:

• We want to know more about...
• We could do something about...
• A topical issue of interest to the students
• A local issue of interest to the students
• A school issue
• A designated day/campaign
• Something else!

An Action Project can be a class Action Project, a group Action Project or an individual Action Project. In order to foster group work and active learning, and for practical reasons of time, teachers are encouraged to suggest class/group Action Projects to their students.

Class/group Action Projects can be subdivided into a number of specific individual or small group tasks.

• Over the duration of the course students should undertake at least two class/group Action Projects, which may take place at any stage over the three years of the junior cycle.
• As the emphasis is placed on the learning gained through the process of engaging in an Action Project it is not necessary for the Action Project to have a successful outcome.

Through their involvement in Action Projects, students have the opportunity to develop and practice the skills which are invaluable to them as active citizens. For more on the development of skills see Section 2.

How to plan, organise and manage Action Projects

As Action Projects are central to CSPE it is important to spend some time planning how the Action Project will take place and who will do what in order to ensure a worthwhile experience for all involved. The following six step model provides a useful framework when undertaking Action Projects.

Six Steps to Action

1. Agree an issue
2. Form teams/committees
3. Plan team tasks
4. Complete the Action
5. Evaluate the Action
6. Report the Action

FIRST STEP

The first step is to agree an issue (that is within the concepts of CSPE and that your class is interested in pursuing further).
The success of an Action Project will be greatly enhanced when it arises from students' prior work or interest in a particular issue. Where students select an issue that is genuinely of interest to them their motivation is increased and their active engagement with the issue is both meaningful and enjoyable.

Designated days

The various days designated internationally to celebrate particular events as outlined below are useful in providing a focus or high point for CSPE students' Action Projects.
They provide ideal opportunities for commencing or
culminating Action Projects.

January 1: World Peace Day

January: Martin Luther King Day (3rd Monday)

March: National Tree Week

March: Fair Trade Fortnight

March 8: International Women's Day

April 22: Earth Day

May 9: Europe Day

September: Energy Awareness Week

October 1: International Day for Older Persons

October 17: Elimination of Poverty Day

October 24: United Nations Day

November: One World Week

November 29: Children's Rights Day

December 3: International Day for people with a disability

December 10: Human Rights Day

SECOND STEP

Decide on what ACTION the students will undertake.
What do the students want to do about the issue identified?

The key is to spend class time brainstorming on the issues raised by step one.
Focus on what the students want to do.
For example:

• raise awareness
• organise a visit
• invite a guest speaker
• survey opinions on an issue
• fundraise

Tip: During each step, consistently refer to the Action Project checklist for a quick reassurance that you/your class are on the right path to action.

THIRD STEP

The action must be planned.
Therefore, list all the jobs that must be undertaken to complete the action.

Tip: Ask the class how they might plann a trip to a football match or other event. They will soon tell you all the planning that is required, e.g. saving money for tickets, getting permission, booking flights, checking venues/time/transport, arranging money for food/hostels, etc.
This activity will highlight how much planning is required for any action!

After spending time on this activity take the CSPE Action chosen above (step two) and plan it in the same way. Brainstorm all ideas.
Prioritise sequences and show how all mini actions will lead to the main Action.

View the diagram below as a guide only. It is a plan of action for a class inviting in a guest speaker.

It is most important that all groups have a clearly defined job. Each member of a group must have a specific task to complete.

Example:
Sheila's job: to get permission from Principal to have a guest speaker into class.
This may involve:

• Sheila prepares information to present to the Principal
  Sheila goes to office, can't find Principal
• She decides to write a letter
• Writes a draft in copybook
• Teacher may correct it
• Writes letter out again
• Puts it in envelope
• Leaves the letter for Principal in Secretary's office.

Tip: Use planning sheets to help you organise the class CSPE Action.

Planning sheet 1: The class

This sheet provides opportunities for a CSPE class to think about the various jobs/tasks that must be undertaken in order to make their Action Project a reality.

Planning sheet 2: The committee/team/group

This sheet provides opportunities for committees/teams/groups within a CSPE class to think about the various jobs/tasks that must be undertaken in order to make their particular task/job a reality.

Planning sheet 3: The Individual

This sheet provides opportunities for each individual within a committee/team/group to think about the various jobs/tasks that must be undertaken in order to make their particular task/job a reality.

Some practical tips

Ensure all students in class:

• are part of a committee
• have an individual task within that committee

Remember to keep a few jobs for students who may be absent on the day jobs are decided yet arrive on day of action.

Keep jobs such as:

• Write article/report of event by interviewing students who were present on the day
• Make a collage of all the facts that students found out about the subject of the Action Project.Have a camera ready!

Act as a timekeeper to ensure all tasks are completed on time.

Planning the various jobs

A task can be big or small depending on how it is viewed.
To aid understanding it is helpful to ensure that individuals/committees record every step of their miniaction whether it is big or small.
Below are some examples of how a 'small' job is actually a bigger job if every step is noted. These may be jobs for individuals or committees.

Writing a letter

• address the letter correctly
• date it
• keep sentences/paragraphs short
• ask clear questions
• be polite
• print your name clearly
• write a draft
• hand write/type address on envelope
• keep a copy of the letter
• if looking for information it is helpful to include a stamped addressed envelope

Making a phone call

• prepare what you want to say
• introduce yourself/explain briefly why you are phoning
• ask who you are speaking to
• be polite
• finish by making clear what is the next step of process.

Carrying out a survey

• be clear about what you are investigating
• to what group are you giving the survey?
• decide what questions will be asked
• give a reason for asking each question
• write out questions on sheet of paper, leaving space to fill in answers
• type/hand write
• photocopy the correct number of sheets
• decide on when/where survey will be carried out
• how will survey be collected?
• how will survey results be presented?
• what follow-up activities will you/your class take to publicise the findings?

Interviewing

• decide on what questions to ask
• arrange time/venue to conduct meeting
• decide on the duration of interview
• record the interview
• write up/transcribe interview
• report back

Writing a leaflet

• decide purpose of leaflet e.g. to raise awareness/give information
• who is the leaflet for?
• how many copies are needed?
• cost of printing?
• paper?
• photocopying?
• prepare first draft
• spell check, etc.
• print out finished product
• distribution of leaflet - to whom/when/where?

Designing posters

• what is key message of the poster?
• style/images?
• do rough sketches
• include an appropriate slogan or caption
• availability of paper, colours, etc.
• permission to put up posters? When? Where?
• put up the finished posters in strategic places

Fundraising

• which organisation are you fund-raising for?
• contact them for advice
• permission from school
• type of event to organise?
• raise awareness of fundraising event
• collect money
• count money
• present money to organisation

Petition

• why is a petition being organised?
• have a set time for running the petition
• design sheets
• have posters and leaflets to hand out to attract attention
• arrange presentation of petition.

It may be useful when organising students into committees/teams/groups to allocate each student within the committee a role to ensure that her/his particular task/job is successfully undertaken. Some of the following may prove useful:

Leader

Keeps team on task
Makes sure everyone participates
Leads the discussion

Recorder

Keeps notes
Keeps record of jobs done
Keeps a 'To Do' List

Timekeeper

Keeps an eye on the time
Gives team a 10 minute warning

Materials person

Brings necessary materials
Organises equipment if any is needed

Observer

Collects information on teamwork
Gives feedback on how the team is doing

Question person

Makes sure that all questions are answered
Keeps a list of important questions yet to be answered

FOURTH STEP

The Action Project takes place

Depending on the nature of the Action Project, it may be completed in one day (e.g. a visit to the Dáil/Stormont/Court House, etc.) or a number of weeks (e.g. survey/petition).

Tip: As all of the individual jobs/committee jobs will be happening at different stages, some students may be finished their task(s) early.
Throughout the whole action process (pre/during/post action) the students should fill in their copybooks with words/pictures to record things such as 'What I did today as part of my action' and 'What I learned today about our action?'.This activity will be of great benefit when report writing (Step six).

FIFTH STEP

Evaluate and reflect upon the Action Project.

After completing the Action, time must be spent evaluating and reflecting upon the Action Project.
The following are questions to guide your class through this step when the action is completed:

1. What did we learn about the issue/the process (for example, teamwork)?
2. What skills did we develop?
3. What are our opinions now after completing the action project?
4. What would we do differently? Why?
5. Was the Action a success? (Note: an Action does not have to be successful to be a valid CSPE Action.) Why?

SIXTH STEP

Report on the Action

Below are the main points on writing the Action Project.
See Section 5 for a more detailed section on report writing.

1. Decide if students are writing up RAP or CWAB. (Note this should really be decided once step one has been undertaken)
2. Teach the skill of report writing. If students keep a planning sheet and a log/diary about what they have learned in their copybooks, they will be well prepared to write up their reports.
3. Write draft reports. Some classes may find it helpful to photocopy the RAP or CWAB booklet so students can write up a draft copy of the action project
4. Finally, write the report into the performa booklet. (Note: the booklets for the Junior Certificate Examination are usually sent to schools prior to Christmas of the third year).

Note: Each student must write his/her own individual report in his/her own words.

The teacher's role in an Action Project

The role of the teacher in an Action Project is to enable, guide and support the students in doing the Action Project and then to teach students the skill of report writing.

Some Ideas for Action Projects

Concept: Rights & Responsibilities

• Guest speaker
• Participate in a human rights campaign/protest/petition
• Wheelchair access in school
• ISPCC ICPCA
• Human Rights Day - raising awareness
• Amnesty International
• Christian Aid
• Trócaire
• Irish Refugee Council
• Irish Traveller Movement
• Celebrate
  • Martin Luther King Day (3rd Monday in Jan)
  • International Women's Day (8 Mar)
  • Elimination of Racism Day (21 Mar)
  • Universal Children's Day (20 Nov)
  • International Human Rights Day (10 Dec)

Concept: Stewardship

• Celebrate Green Week, Earth Day (22 April), World Environment Day (5 June), Energy Awareness Week (Sept)
• Invite a visitor from the Green Party/VOICE/a Litter Warden/ISPCA
• Participate in a campaign e.g. National Spring Clean (April)
• Recycling
• National Tree Week (March)
• Make a charter of Earth Rights
• Organise a survey on litter in the school/the use of plastic bags
• Plant a tree/a flower bed/a garden

Concept: Human Dignity

• Invite a visitor: From:
  Age Action, ALONE, Combat Poverty Agency, St. Vincent de Paul Society, The Simon Community, ISPCC, Irish Deaf Society, National Council for the Blind, Irish Wheelchair Association
• Fundraise for a human rights organisation
• Organise a visit to a halting site/a shelter for the homeless/a home for older people. (Note: great
  sensitivity and careful preparation needed).

Concept: Law

• Make a charter of prisoners rights & responsibilities
• Organise a survey on what students know about the law
• Perform a drama to explore the workings of a courtroom
• Invite a visitor from the Gardaí/a Solicitor/a Barrister/a Judge/a Prison Officer/Neighbourhood Watch/Community Alert/a Traffic Warden
• Organise a visit to a Court House/a Garda Station/a Prison
• Participate in a campaign

Concept: Democracy

• Organise a mock election/an election to Student Council/an election of class prefect
• Organise a survey on voting/on knowledge of students of Irish politics
• Organise a visit to Leinster House/Áras an Uachtaráin/a Party meeting/a TD's Clinic/Stormont
• Invite a visitor from a Political party/ TD/Minister/Local Councillor
• Celebrate Europe Day, May 9th
• Celebrate UN Day, Oct 24th

Concept: Development

• Organise a petition on a local issue
• Organise a survey on facilities in the community
• Invite a visitor from the Community Council/a Residents' Association/Community Alert/Chamber of Commerce/a local action group/a local organisation/the Local Authority
• Interview a community worker/local politicians/youth workers
• Fundraise for a local or international development organisation
• Volunteer to do some community work
• Hold an exhibition about local community
• Produce a booklet/directory of facilities in the community
• Raise awareness about the work of a development organisation, e.g. Trócaire
• Invite a speaker from an international development organisation to speak about her/his work.

Concept: Interdependence

• Organise a survey on goods we use from around the world
• Raise awareness about an international issue: refugees & asylum seekers/child labour/Fair Trade

Some Examples of Action Projects Undertaken by Students

Mitchelstown students campaign for litter warden

Wexford students refurbish the school lunch room

Windfarms visited in Donegal

Swords students publish booklet on facilities for young people in the area

Wicklow students organise local authority meeting

Shannon students celebrate 50th anniversary of UDHR

In Galway School, Dana M.E.P., talks about all kinds of everything European

Kildare students organise tree planting ceremony

Dundalk students help save Irish bogs

Tubbercurry pupils bring ATM machine to 3,000 people

Kiltimagh students draw up new school rules

Principal unveils Class Charter of Rights and Responsibilities

Action Projects that have been undertaken by Concept

Concept 1: Rights and Responsibilities

Pet rights and the responsibilities of their owners

Issue: The students had a discussion on rights and responsibilities and out of this they decided to investigate the rights of pets and the responsibilities of their owners.

Action: Since nearly all the students in this class had a pet it was easy to get this action project started. The class discussed the kind of rights that an animal might have. They gathered their ideas together through a class discussion and then discarded some ideas and added in more. They looked at pets needs and examined how these were being met. Each student then drew up two lists - one of the pets rights, the other of their responsibilities to the pets. Although the animals differed in size and nature, their
needs were remarkably similar.

Town library book amnesty

Issue: While working on rights and responsibilities in class the teacher discovered that many students in the school had books on loan from the town library which were long overdue for return. The CSPE class decided to do something about the problem.

Action: The class organised a town library book amnesty. They organised into groups, each with a particular task. The poster group designed a publicity poster for distribution to each class. Another group prepared a speech which was broadcast on the school's intercom and distributed the posters to each classroom. Another group organised a receiving depot for the books. Issues that arose included: getting prior permission from a teacher to visit her/his class; the protocol for speechmaking to a class;
using the intercom; the rota for supervising the depot (at lunchtime); storage of books, and the student visit to the librarian to organise the formal handing over ceremony. As a result of the students' efforts a lot of books were collected. The whole class visited the library for the handing-over ceremony.

CONCEPT 2: HUMAN DIGNITY

Fundraising for Romanian orphanages

Issue: A first year class were studying When all the Others by Seamus Heaney in their English class. Out of this they decided to write their own poems. In their CSPE class they came up with the idea of publishing their poems and selling them in the school to raise money to support the work with Romanian orphanages.

Action: The class organised to type up the poems, print the booklet, sell their publication and fundraise for the Romanian orphanages. They used a committee system (See page 61).

Bullying survey

Issue: Having worked through a module on rights and responsibilities the CSPE students identified bullying as an infringement of students' rights in school. They decided to organise a questionnaire on bullying.

Action: A brainstorming session led to a set of questions being agreed. A sample number of students from each year group within the school were interviewed to find out the extent of bullying within the school. All questionnaires were gathered up and the results were transferred to tally sheets and analysed. Graphs were then produced to represent the totals. Guidelines were drawn up for students to follow if they found themselves being bullied. These guidelines were displayed as posters in each classroom in the school. This action resulted in setting up a Cairde Group (buddy system) to help make the transition from primary to post-primary school easier.

CONCEPT 3: DEMOCRACY

Democracy at work

Issue: The CSPE class were studying democracy and, out of this, they decided to organise a series of local authority meetings.

Action: Students held a series of informal meetings to elect a Chairperson and Secretary. The class discussed the roles of each and the issues that might be debated. The class role-played various councillors who were reported in the local newspaper. The class divided into groups. The Questions Group organised questions and counterarguments. The Chairperson called the meeting to order and chaired the debate (30 minutes). The Secretary took notes of the minutes and typed them up at home. As a follow up to this project, the students made a wall display of the minutes of four meetings during the school's Open Day. They also arranged an informal visit to the local council offices.

A visit to Dáil Éireann

Issue: A CSPE class organised a visit to the Dáil to see the seat of power.

Action: The class organised the trip using the committee system. (See page 61). On the day of the trip they got a tour of Leinster House, seeing Seanad Éireann and the Dáil. They then went to the public gallery and watched the proceedings of the Dáil. They met with many of the politicians. One of their local politicians organised a question and answer session in one of the Dáil buildings for the group, giving her own account of how the Dáil works.

CONCEPT 4: LAW

A visit to Mountjoy Prison

Issue: A CSPE class was investigating and studying the concept of law. The students were interested in seeing the final outcome for someone who broke the law and had gone through the justice system.

Action: The class used the committee system when organising their visit to Mountjoy.
The Permission Committee had to ask permission from the Principal and teachers to get time off class to go to Mountjoy.
The Finance Committee contacted the bus company to order a suitable bus for the trip and also to agree a price. They then collected the money from the class.
The Questions Committee had to get questions from every student in the class and from that put together the ten most relevent questions.
The Research Committee had to get information about Mountjoy Prison and what it is used for, and from this they had to put together a fact sheet to be distributed to all going on the trip. The Reporting Committee had to write a report on the trip.
The Display Committee was responsible for taking photographs on the day and displaying these for their own class and for the school.
As Mountjoy is a medium security prison the students met with some of the prisoners and asked them lots of questions as well as seeing the inside of a cell. As a result of their trip to Mountjoy the students were determined not to get on the wrong side of the law.

Policing in Northern and Southern Ireland.

Issue: The CSPE class in a border county were studying the concept of law. As part of their Action Project they decided to invite a member of the Garda Síochana to the scheme as their guest speaker. Following further discussion on the police in Northern Ireland, the students felt that they knew very little about policing in Northern Ireland. They decided to find out about the role of the police in the North
and South.

Action: First the class invited a Garda to their class. They organised this in groups. One group was responsible for sending the letter of invitation, another group made out the list of questions to ask on the day. Other students recorded the interview.
For the second part of the Action Project the class went on a visit to a police station in Enniskillen in Co. Fermanagh. In order to do this they had to hire a bus. The class organised a car wash day in school to pay for this. On the day of the visit the CSPE class travelled to Enniskillen Police Station. The PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) were very well organised for the visit. They escorted the class to the Visitor's Room where they gave an account of the work of the police, including a slide presentation. Information sheets were given to all present. Outside the station the class were shown high speed chase cars, crimestopper vans and police motorbikes.
Before the class left for home they enjoyed refreshments with the police officers.
Many students in the class changed their opinion towards the police officers in the PSNI because they found out that they have to work hard in their jobs just like the Gardaí. A lot of students said that they would now consider becoming a member of the Garda Síochána or a PSNI Officer.

CONCEPT 5: INTERDEPENDENCE

Fair Trade Day

Issue: When examining the concept of interdependence, the class began to discuss where the food we eat and the clothes we wear come from. Arising from this discussion they decided to find out more.

Action: The class broke into working groups and each group decided to research where different commodities come from and how they are produced. One group chose sportswear, another chose tea and coffee, another chose chocolate, and another chose fresh fruit and vegetables. The groups were able to get lots of information by contacting Fair Trade organisations and by using the internet. Then they put a display together and organised a Fair Trade day for the school. They sold Fair Trade products (crafts, jewellery, and food items) and shared information with other students about Fair Trade. The day was very successful, especially as it was organised in December, and students purchased many Christmas presents from the Fair Trade stall.

Euro price of a Big Mac.

Issue: Students learnt about international relations and the price of a Big Mac throughout Europe during an Action Project. The 2nd year students discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the European Union and the meaning and importance of the euro among other issues. Arising from this discussion they planned a euro day for visitors from a partner school.

Action: They divided into groups

• Some got information from EPIC which included charts, etc.
• Some drew up maps of the EU
• Some made posters describing the euro
• Some made name badges for guests
• Some cooked food at home
• Others calculated the cost of various products in euro.
  For example, they compared the price of a Big Mac throughout Europe.

It proved to be a very enjoyable and eventful day.

CONCEPT 6: DEVELOPMENT

Banking on Success

Issue: A 2nd year CSPE class thought up an action to do something for their community. The town where the school is located and its hinterland has a population of about 3,000 people and there was no cash machine within 12 miles of the town.

Action: The class of 20 divided into groups of three/four and took on different tasks.

• Some contacted the local banks/building societies
• Some met bank officials and talked about the conditions necessary for the installation of the ATM cash machine
• Some designed a survey to establish the demand for a cash machine
• Each student drew up a petition in computer class and printed it out
• The students distributed their forms widely. More than 1,400 people including students in the school signed the petition

The ATM machine has been installed.

Campaign for change

Issue: During a class discussion on development, students discussed the basic needs which many people in the world are still denied. From this, the students decided to do something to raise awareness about the rights of people in developing countries to basic needs. They decided to participate in Trócaire's campaign to ask world leaders to keep their promise of halving world poverty by the year 2015.

Action: Students checked out the website www.keepourword.org to find out about the campaign.
Then they organised a Trócaire speaker to come visit the class and talk about the campaign in more detail. After the visit the class set up a stand in the school and encouraged fellow students to sign the postcards. Then they organised the collection of the postcards and sent them to Trócaire.

CONCEPT 7: STEWARDSHIP

Water on the Brains

Issue: A 2nd year class were studying the environment. They had already gone on field trips with their Geography and CSPE teachers. They decided as a class to investigate the levels of pollution in their local community and interview locals about the effects of the pollution (if any) on their town.

Action: The class worked as a unit. The students went out and analysed water samples, collected rubbish from the riverbanks and sketched the effluent pipes running along the banks.
The class interviewed local fishermen about the effects of pollution in the local river and visited the waste-water treatment plant. They also conducted a survey on the flora/fauna in the area.
The results of the survey showed that the residents felt that the improvements in the river were largely due to the new waste-water treatment plant. Residents also valued their right to use the river and accepted responsibility for its future.

Local Litter and Environmental Survey

Issue: The students in one CSPE class asked their teacher if they could take action on the litter problem in their town and assist the Town Council in its fight against litter.

Action: All 1st year classes were involved in this Action Project. Each class was divided into groups of five/six pupils. Two groups surveyed the public on their attitudes to litter using a prepared questionnaire. The other two groups collected litter and took photographs of environmentally unfriendly sights. This included plotting the distribution of litter, litter bins, lifting litter and examining the types of litter present.
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.
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 so that all students were aware of the Action Project and the findings of the survey.
An overall report was drawn up and presented to the local Town Council including recommendations for further action. The Council agreed to sponsor a poster competition on the litter theme for students in the school. The winners and their findings on the litter and environmental survey/report were reported in the local newspaper.

"I was able to express my views on different aspects of the course. I was listened to and was given the opportunity to change things, however small, within the school community. We got to share what we learned with others through our action project."
(Mary O'Brien, CSPE student, Dublin)