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Unpublished

Monitoring the 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 will identify problems related to class rules, develop proposed solutions, debate the proposals and vote on changes as needed.

Duration: 
PrintOne Forty-Five Minute Class Period, once or twice a month, throughout the semester
Objectives: 

The learner will:

  • analyze problems and develop proposed solutions.
  • evaluate the merits of proposed solutions.
Materials: 

Final Assignment: Evaluating Classroom Rules (Handout One)

Instructions: 
Print

  1. Anticipatory Set: How should people change rules they believe are wrong?

  2. Approximately two weeks after the class rules are voted upon, the students should bring their first journal entries to class. A classroom meeting should be conducted on the success of the rules. A list of problems, if any, should be generated through the discussion.

  3. Each class should elect a representative to a classroom council. The elected representative for each class is responsible for presenting the list of problems to the council. The council should meet shortly after the class meetings to develop proposed solutions to the problems.

  4. At the next class meeting, council members should present the proposed solutions in the form of an amendment to the rules. The proposed amendment(s) should be debated and voted on by each class. If the amendment passes in a majority of the classes, the rules should be amended to reflect the approved changes.

  5. Class meetings should be conducted every two or three weeks or as needed.

Assessment: 

At the end of the semester the students will be assigned an essay (see Handout One) in which they will be asked to do the following: Explain the relationship between rights and rules in a society. Identify at least two specific rules created by the class, explain which rights those rules were intended to protect, and analyze whether or not the rules where successful in protecting those rights. Suggest future changes that would make the class rules more successful in protecting rights.