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Civics:
Addressing Local Issues
Subject
Area
Specifically
designed for the Grade 12 General English class (ENG 4G1), this
activity addresses ‘the writing folder as developing a written
voice’ aspect of the English curriculum. This activity emphasizes
materials which lend themselves to an environmental focus, particularly
writings in essay form, and writing folder work addresses issues
of tone purpose and audience.
Students
are now at the level where they should be concerning themselves
with essay style, tone, purpose and audience. While developing
these skills, this activity will assist them in developing an
understanding of environmental issues affecting their local community.
Since the source of information will be their local newspapers,
materials should be continuously available.
Learning
Outcomes
Teaching,
learning and evaluation will focus on the student’s ability
to:
- Identify
and describe aspects of urgent local environmental concern;
- Evaluate
concepts and principles relating to local politics and environmental
thinking;
- Extend
and creatively develop ideas through research, writing and speaking;
- Develop
a response synthesizing available data and personal opinion.
Classroom
Development
- To allow
students the opportunity to prepare for the class, direct them
to select and carefully read an editorial or newspaper article
on a local environmental issue prior to class. If your area
has a weekly local paper, give the students warning about this
part of the activity.
- Allot
enough time in class for students to précis and discuss
their articles with other students in a small group setting.
- Amplify
and further extend the students’ understanding of issues
with a library visit in which each student will search out resource
material around the topic or issue on which his/her chosen article
is based.
- Analyze
and consider the concepts, thinking and political conflicts
identifiable in the article in the light of further research.
- Develop
draft responses to the selected issue. Share the drafts and
edit them according to your class’ standing policy on peer
editing. Polish and submit final pieces for evaluation. Pieces
may also be submitted to the local newspaper for publication.
Timing
Allow 3-5
(75 min) periods for this activity.
Resources
Local newspapers,
door to door political handouts and your school library.
Cross-disciplinary
Links
This is
a lesson in civics (the duties and rights of citizens). It therefore
may have relevance to Law as well as to Environmental Studies
and Environmental Science.
Take
Notes...
- In groups
of 2-3, consider issues arising from the articles you have read.
You may simply talk together about your articles as a whole,
or assist each other to isolate issues and technical concerns
within the articles.
- Look
at the article dispassionately for its rhetorical devices. What
appeals are made to local society? Does the writer attempt to
sway the sympathies of his/her audience? How? What issues organize
the piece?
- Following
the library visit, draft formal notes for submission, describing
information relevant to the topic of your article (These could
be submitted with other first draft materials as part of the
preliminary writing activities for folder.).
- Write
responses to the article on issues arising from your piece purely
as a writing folder assignment, a formal letter to be sent to
the writer or as a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.
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