Overview
This is the final culminating project of this Civics Course. It requires you to identify, research, analyze and take action on a civil local issue.
Purpose:
The focus of this project will be to prepare you for full citizenship in order to influence public decision making. You will become actively engaged with a community issue of interest to you. This will provide you with the opportunities to make connections between classroom activities and active participation. This culminating activity will require you to identify and research a local issue. You will then formulate a plan of action and begin to implement it.
Tasks:
The project will run as the following:
Step One - Choosing an Issue (Day 1 and 2)
Step Two - Researching the Issue (Day 2 and 3)
Step Three - Analyzing the Information (Day 3 and 4)
Step Four - Problem Solving (Day 4 and 5)
Step Five - Taking Civic Action (Day 5, 6, and 7)
It is essential that you follow each step through the project, as each one will be assessed as part of your completion of the course.
Checklist:
The following is a list of the tasks for each step that you need to complete and hand in:
Purpose:
The focus of this project will be to prepare you for full citizenship in order to influence public decision making. You will become actively engaged with a community issue of interest to you. This will provide you with the opportunities to make connections between classroom activities and active participation. This culminating activity will require you to identify and research a local issue. You will then formulate a plan of action and begin to implement it.
Tasks:
The project will run as the following:
Step One - Choosing an Issue (Day 1 and 2)
Step Two - Researching the Issue (Day 2 and 3)
Step Three - Analyzing the Information (Day 3 and 4)
Step Four - Problem Solving (Day 4 and 5)
Step Five - Taking Civic Action (Day 5, 6, and 7)
It is essential that you follow each step through the project, as each one will be assessed as part of your completion of the course.
Checklist:
The following is a list of the tasks for each step that you need to complete and hand in:
|
Step One
|
Step Four
|
Step One: Choosing an Issue
This is the final project of the course. You will choose a local issue, research and analyze the information and take action on this issue.
Local government takes care of those issues which directly affect the citizens. Cities and towns are run by a municipal council, which is responsible for areas such as police, fire, ambulance services, parks, street cleaning, zoning by-laws, libraries and public transit. The mayor is the head of local government. He or She is elected directly by the voters (unlike the Prime Minister or Premier). Party politics play a much smaller role in local government than it does at higher levels. There may be candidates who run as a party, but since mayor has to win a direct election, it; possible for citizens to split their vote. So, for example, a person might vote for one party’s candidate for mayor and a different party’s candidate for city councillor. This means a mayor is often much less powerful than a Prime Minister or a Premier. The mayor cannot count on party supporters on any issue. The mayor simply has one vote, like any other member.
Instructions:
Please read and complete all the tasks in this step:
By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items
Local government takes care of those issues which directly affect the citizens. Cities and towns are run by a municipal council, which is responsible for areas such as police, fire, ambulance services, parks, street cleaning, zoning by-laws, libraries and public transit. The mayor is the head of local government. He or She is elected directly by the voters (unlike the Prime Minister or Premier). Party politics play a much smaller role in local government than it does at higher levels. There may be candidates who run as a party, but since mayor has to win a direct election, it; possible for citizens to split their vote. So, for example, a person might vote for one party’s candidate for mayor and a different party’s candidate for city councillor. This means a mayor is often much less powerful than a Prime Minister or a Premier. The mayor cannot count on party supporters on any issue. The mayor simply has one vote, like any other member.
Instructions:
Please read and complete all the tasks in this step:
- Read “Local Issues Scenarios”. Work through the scenarios as an introduction to the study of local issues.
- Determine what the major issues in the community are that may affect YOUR life. If there are no burning issues, one of the following may be considered.
- Are there persistent concerns about issues concerning school business, school activities or student behaviour?
- Watch the local community television channel or read local newspapers to identify community issues.
- Read “Choosing an Issue”. Complete this outline and submit to the teacher.
By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items
- Local issues Scenarios Worksheet
- Choosing an Issue Worksheet
Step Two: Researching an Issue
|
Now that you have chosen an issue you have to begin your research.
Instructions:
Sources Some of the sources that you can use are listed below. You should formulate a list of questions regarding your issue before you start looking at any of these sources.
Organizing and Analysis After you have completed your research, it is important to analyze it in order to make sure that you have taken all the appropriate steps to complete the assignment in the best manner possible. To ensure you have achieved this the following steps should be taken:
Checklist: By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items:
|
|
Step Three: Analyzing the Information
Instructions:
Now that you have completed your research and ensured that you have all the necessary facts, you must analyze it to ensure that you are not being led astray by someone’s bias or propaganda. The following notes will help you to distinguish between facts and opinions/
Propaganda Techniques
The Bandwagon Technique
This technique is used to make it seem as though everyone agrees with the person from whom the information came. Some common advertising gimmicks that are used to suggest popular support, such as Everyone used (Likes, agrees, etc) and/or Nine out of ten people use the Yellow Pages.
Endorsements
Another popular propaganda technique is that of an endorsement by a well-known personality. Examine the information you have collected about your local issue. Look for instances of Bandwagon or Popular personality techniques being used to try to convince people to have one opinion or another on your local issue.
It is important to remember that different members of the community have different points of view about what is happening and what is important.
Identify the different possible viewpoints of the issue you have researched.
Read “Point of View” and complete it using the information you have gathered about your issue.
Analyzing Arguments
An argument is an assertion with supporting evidence.
Analyze news editorials, statements by public officials or citizens, and information collected from others about the issue researched, looking for arguments. Identify ways you could check the accuracy of the supporting evidence.
After identifying arguments with accurate evidence, categorize the arguments, e.g., arguments that deal with health and safety would fall into a different category from those that deal with revenue.
Compare the categories found with arguments representing different points of view.
Do the viewpoints emphasize different categories?
Can you think of any relevant categories for which there are no arguments presented?
Is there important information, which has not been covered?
Fact and Opinion
There is a difference between fact and opinion;
How could you go about checking if facts are true? Some opinions might be more credible in certain situations (e.g., If the fire chief gives his/her opinion about common causes of fire or fire safety, that is likely to be better grounded in experience than if someone who is not part of the fire department gives his/her opinion). Identify facts and opinions from the research you have conducted.
Checklist:
By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items:
Now that you have completed your research and ensured that you have all the necessary facts, you must analyze it to ensure that you are not being led astray by someone’s bias or propaganda. The following notes will help you to distinguish between facts and opinions/
- See “Point of View”. Use this worksheet and read the sections below to help you understand the different points of view involved with your issue.
- Now that you have completed the research and identified other people’s posts of view it is now time for you to analyze all of the information in order to help you come to your own conclusions. Please read the sections below to assist you in answering questions and complete “What is the Problem” worksheet.
Propaganda Techniques
The Bandwagon Technique
This technique is used to make it seem as though everyone agrees with the person from whom the information came. Some common advertising gimmicks that are used to suggest popular support, such as Everyone used (Likes, agrees, etc) and/or Nine out of ten people use the Yellow Pages.
Endorsements
Another popular propaganda technique is that of an endorsement by a well-known personality. Examine the information you have collected about your local issue. Look for instances of Bandwagon or Popular personality techniques being used to try to convince people to have one opinion or another on your local issue.
It is important to remember that different members of the community have different points of view about what is happening and what is important.
Identify the different possible viewpoints of the issue you have researched.
- Identify the different groups who have a stake in the issue researched.
- Summarize the group’s viewpoint on the issue.
- Identify the major arguments made by these groups to justify their stand.
Read “Point of View” and complete it using the information you have gathered about your issue.
Analyzing Arguments
An argument is an assertion with supporting evidence.
Analyze news editorials, statements by public officials or citizens, and information collected from others about the issue researched, looking for arguments. Identify ways you could check the accuracy of the supporting evidence.
After identifying arguments with accurate evidence, categorize the arguments, e.g., arguments that deal with health and safety would fall into a different category from those that deal with revenue.
Compare the categories found with arguments representing different points of view.
Do the viewpoints emphasize different categories?
Can you think of any relevant categories for which there are no arguments presented?
Is there important information, which has not been covered?
Fact and Opinion
There is a difference between fact and opinion;
- Opinion - skateboards are dangerous
- Fact - Fifty children have been hurt on skateboards in our community this year.
How could you go about checking if facts are true? Some opinions might be more credible in certain situations (e.g., If the fire chief gives his/her opinion about common causes of fire or fire safety, that is likely to be better grounded in experience than if someone who is not part of the fire department gives his/her opinion). Identify facts and opinions from the research you have conducted.
Checklist:
By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items:
- Point of view (Worksheet)
- What is the Problem? (Worksheet)
Step Four: Problem Solving
Instructions:
The following notes will help you to become more organized and to come to a conclusion about how you would like this issue to be deal with. Please go through and complete each of these activities. As you do so be sure to carefully read through the content instructions below.
Content (Problem Solving)
Restate the Problem
Although you have been working with an issue for some time, it is useful to restate the problem clearly and succinctly. Sometimes an issue has so many parts to it that it is easy to lose sight of what the actual problem is. Far too often it is easy to state a solution as a problem. (e.g. We need a walkway over the highway.) In doing so, your solutions are limited because you have confused a potential solution with a problem. By restating the issue, you have to focus on what is really at the heart of the issue (e.g. The highways is preventing pedestrian access from one side of the city to another). You should have completed this in Step Three of this Project
Brainstorm the Solutions to the Problem
Come up with as many possible solutions to the problem as you can. You may want to focus on what you want the outcome to be.
Examining Solutions:
Examine whether the solutions are feasible or possible at all. If a list of solutions exists, decide in which solution would be most effective by using the PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) Technique (this technique is included in the attached document). The task is to find the solution with the fewest negative consequences and the greatest number of benefits to all. It is important that you look for the common good rather than interests of smaller groups of citizens. This is the key to making good public policy decisions!
Read and complete “Plus, Minus, Interesting”
Checklist:
By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items:
The following notes will help you to become more organized and to come to a conclusion about how you would like this issue to be deal with. Please go through and complete each of these activities. As you do so be sure to carefully read through the content instructions below.
- See “Plus, Minus, Interesting”. Use this worksheet to help you analyze the different solutions to this issue.
- Now that you have analyzed the various solutions to this issue it is time for you to decide what you think should be done. Write a brief paragraph, outlining what you think the best solution to the problem is and submit that paragraph to your teacher. You need to state reasons why you think this is the best solution.
Content (Problem Solving)
Restate the Problem
Although you have been working with an issue for some time, it is useful to restate the problem clearly and succinctly. Sometimes an issue has so many parts to it that it is easy to lose sight of what the actual problem is. Far too often it is easy to state a solution as a problem. (e.g. We need a walkway over the highway.) In doing so, your solutions are limited because you have confused a potential solution with a problem. By restating the issue, you have to focus on what is really at the heart of the issue (e.g. The highways is preventing pedestrian access from one side of the city to another). You should have completed this in Step Three of this Project
Brainstorm the Solutions to the Problem
Come up with as many possible solutions to the problem as you can. You may want to focus on what you want the outcome to be.
Examining Solutions:
Examine whether the solutions are feasible or possible at all. If a list of solutions exists, decide in which solution would be most effective by using the PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) Technique (this technique is included in the attached document). The task is to find the solution with the fewest negative consequences and the greatest number of benefits to all. It is important that you look for the common good rather than interests of smaller groups of citizens. This is the key to making good public policy decisions!
Read and complete “Plus, Minus, Interesting”
Checklist:
By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items:
- Plus, Minus, Interesting (Worksheet)
- Solution Paragraph
Step Five: Taking Civic Action
Instructions
Read and Complete all the tasks in this Step.
As you undertake the above tasks please carefully read through the “Background” information listed below,
Background
After you have determined the best solution to your problem, you need to determine what actions are necessary to carry out the agreed upon solution and who can take these actions. In order to do so, you need to think about which groups have the power to take action and how you can best present your solution to these groups. You need to plan how you can convince others that your solution will actually solve the problem. You may decide that a public awareness is the proper solution or you need to present the information to a particular group (Local government agency, media, school, community groups, etc.), or you may come up with a solution that you can carry out yourself, such as cleaning up a local park. At this stage you need ti identify steps to take in carrying out your solution. Develop a sequential approach to your solution. It is important to plan each step carefully.
The following are a few suggestions of action that you can take to help make your position known:
Checklist:
By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items:
Read and Complete all the tasks in this Step.
- See “taking Action”. Use this worksheet to help you organize your ideas of how to resolve this issue.
- After Identifying how you would make your position known, you are to Write a paper of 1.5 - 2 pages. Your paper must:
- Outline the local issue
- Present possible solutions
- Carefully outline the solution you have selected
- Explain how you would make this information known to others
As you undertake the above tasks please carefully read through the “Background” information listed below,
Background
After you have determined the best solution to your problem, you need to determine what actions are necessary to carry out the agreed upon solution and who can take these actions. In order to do so, you need to think about which groups have the power to take action and how you can best present your solution to these groups. You need to plan how you can convince others that your solution will actually solve the problem. You may decide that a public awareness is the proper solution or you need to present the information to a particular group (Local government agency, media, school, community groups, etc.), or you may come up with a solution that you can carry out yourself, such as cleaning up a local park. At this stage you need ti identify steps to take in carrying out your solution. Develop a sequential approach to your solution. It is important to plan each step carefully.
The following are a few suggestions of action that you can take to help make your position known:
- Write letters to editors of local newspapers
- Write news storied for their school paper or submit a news story to the local newspaper
- Prepare a news release
- Write letters to their local representatives
- Visit local officials and experts
- Publish a fact sheet or newsletter explaining the issue
- Prepare posters to be placed in and around the school or local community
Checklist:
By the end of this step you should have completed and submitted the following items:
- Taking Civic Action (Worksheet)
- Active Citizen Paper