I am after a social studies activity...

[arthurbach4]

I am currently studying a masters of teaching - primary (elementary) at Melbourne university in, well, Melbourne.

We are to come up with an activity to take our fellow university students through as a type of 'tuning in' activity (like that which might take place at the start of a real lesson).

The subject is humanities (social studies) and needs to be between 5 to 10 minutes in length.

Yes, these Australian/American conversions are proving confusing!

We have been given three broad topics to choose from:

1.Democratic processes
2.Social justice
3.Sustainability

Ideally, the activity would be an affective and throught provoking one which would get the students 'tuned in' to the lesson proper.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Pete.

[hweber]

I will take a stab at the social justice thread. Select a topic, for instance slavery (which we cover in fourth grade here) and the Underground Railroad (a secret system to help slaves escape). Read a short story to the class, I have read "Moses" about Harriet Tubman. Then discuss the pros and cons of helping slaves escape, of being a conductor. I don't know if this is what you are looking for or not. What do you mean by sustainability?

[arthurbach4]

Thanks for your reply.

Sustainability would be to do with the environment. Examples of a couple of tuning in activities we have already done in class include:

1. Separating the class into those with blue eyes and those with brown - now the students witrh blue eyes are allowed to vote but the others are not (minorities throughout time not bein allowed to vote etc)

2. Talking about how aboriginies were stripped of their land and possessions. We draw pictures of our lands and our lively hood and then as the teacher takes us through european settlement we have our pictures torn up to signify land being stripped away etc.

So it is an exercise like these that I am after - reasonably short, but very punchy and effective.

Thanks.

[ms.jodi]

I've done this in reading when we discuss conflict in story but you could adapt it to meet what you mention..as with the blue eyes bit and such. It is called angels vs. devils. you divide the class into two groups or just take 2 students instead of groups. one is the angel side, the other the devil. you toss out a scenario-- this could be to a third student who will play the character or it can just be you they persuade. so playing on the conductor of the underground railroad as mentioned...you give a scenario a conductor might have faced. the angels get three minutes to convince you to do the right thing and keep on helping while the devils get three minutes to persuade you to think only of yourself and your own family. the third student can pick who was more persuasive and make the decision of how they would have acted. like i said, i use it to discuss inner conflict with reading characters. but it is a good grabbing opener for anything when decision making is involved.

[arthurbach4]

Thanks Jodi -great suggestion.

I actually have to run it by the other members of my group, so any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Pete.