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Unpublished

Creating Proposed Classroom Rules
  1. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 01. Self, citizenship, and society
      1. Benchmark HS.4 Describe and give examples of characteristics of someone who helps others.
    2. Standard PCS 05. Philanthropy and Government
      1. Benchmark HS.3 Identify the relationship between individual rights and community responsibilities.

Students in each class will generate a list of up to ten rules that protect rights by controlling those student behaviors that violate rights of others.

Duration: 
PrintOne Forty-Five Minute Class Period
Objectives: 

The learner will:

  • write a minimum of five and a maximum of ten specific rules designed to assure that student rights are protected.
  • identify the behavior each rule addresses and the right(s) upon which that behavior infringes.
Materials: 
  • Newsprint
  • Markers
  • Lists of Rights and Disruptive Behaviors created by student groups in Lesson One: The Rights and Responsibilities of Students class work..
Instructions: 
Print

  1. Post all the lists of rights and disruptive behaviors on the walls around the room. Allow students time to look at the lists before putting them back in the same groups they were in when they created the original lists.

  2. Explain that students will have two tasks: a social task and a work task.

  3. Social task:

    • As soon as the group meets, make sure everyone remembers everyone else's name and what their favorite movie was (adapt to social task used if different from the one suggested)
    • Circulate around room, stop and call on one or two people to name everyone in their group and identify that person's favorite movie. Whole group receives teacher-designed award if a randomly selected student can accomplish this task correctly.

  4. Work task:

    • Review the lists of behaviors that interfere with learning and infringe on rights of students.
    • Have each group make a list of between five and ten rules to control those behaviors. Write the lists on newsprint and post them on the board as they are finished. Each rule should be related to a specific behavior that infringes on a student's rights. Each member of the group should be prepared to identify the specific right that the rule is intended to protect. No frivolous or offensive rules should be included.

  5. Using a random system, call on one student from each group to read the lists of rules to the class. Each student in the group should be prepared to explain why each rule has been included and what behavior it is intended to control.

  6. Explain to students that the lists will be combined with lists from other classes to eliminate duplication and to create a single list rank-ordered by frequency of listing. For example, a rule that was listed by eight groups might be first; a rule listed by six might be second, etc.

Assessment: 

The names of each member in the group should be included on the newsprint. Students should be given credit for completing the list in a manner consistent with the instructions: No fewer than five and no more than ten rules. No frivolous or offensive rules. Each person in the group who is called upon should be able to explain why each rule has been included by relating it to a specific right and a behavior that infringes on that right. A written assessment could require students to select five rules and identify which behaviors they are intended to inhibit. The student could then be instructed to identify the specific right these behaviors infringe upon. A point is given for the correct matching of the rule with the behavior, and an additional point for the identification of the appropriate right.