Creating Student-Generated Classroom Rules
How does a community form to address issues for the common good?
Photo Credit: Capital High School Classroom Discussion by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin is licensed under CC by 2.0
Within the context of studying student rights and responsibilities in a school environment, students participate in the development of some classroom rules. After creating the rules, students maintain the rules through participation in a classroom council that will hear complaints and recommend needed changes. This unit addresses the philanthropic themes of public discourse and problem solving for the common good.
Students will apply the concept of jurisdiction to classroom rules, identify court-recognized student rights and create a list of behaviors in a classroom that might violate student rights.
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.
By reviewing, debating, and voting on a final set of classroom rules that will govern classroom behavior, students will learn and participate in a democratic process related to the rule of law.
Students will identify problems related to class rules, develop proposed solutions, debate the proposals and vote on changes as needed.