Tide~ talk ... online journal

Starter activities for exploring controversial issues in Citizenship
Elaine Miskell
Tide~ Centre

Ideas and approaches for making use of material contained in the Tide~ publication Building new citizenship

Using the photographs
Photographs offer a flexible and versatile stimulus to support discussion about a range of citizenship issues. Students of all ages and abilities are able to contribute their views and personal experiences making this material an excellent resource for ensuring inclusive and relevant teaching and learning.

Selection activities
Students are asked to choose an image and justify their choice to others in a group. Criteria for this choice might include: an image that surprises them; raises an important citizenship issue; makes them want to ask a question etc

Captioning
Students are asked to write a caption for an image given a context for image use. For example an image is to be used in a local newspaper, city marketing material or a political web site etc.

Questioning
Supporting students to question source material is a vital skill for citizenship. See page 15 of Building new citizenship for an example of a frame to question the mural photographs. More information about the development compass rose here.
Using the City Vision cards
These postcards offer a visual resource to think about the process of building citizenship and participation in any community. Each image relates to a key vision or challenge for citizenship in the future, identified by people in Derry.
Brainstorming
What ideas do students have about the ‘citizenship vision’ in a chosen image? How do their ideas compare to those of others?

Matching
Students are given a set of vision statements [see page 21 of the Building new citizenship pack] and they are asked to match a statement with an image. The aim of the exercise is to support discussion about these visions and how apt students feel they would be for their own town or city.

Creating our own visions
What visions would students have for their locality? How would they represent these visually?

Addressing the citizenship curriculum at key stage 3
Sample activities

Marching activity [pg 24, background information pg 9]
This activity enables students to explore the controversial issue of marching in Derry. As an issue it touches on themes of human rights, democracy, inclusion etc. The focus for the activity is to enable students to consider perspectives from a range of different community groups and to explore the role of the media in covering such an issue.
Citizenship curriculum KS3

1b the diversity of national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding

1g the importance of resolving conflict fairly

1h the significance of the media in society
Who should be Mayor of Derry? [Pg 34]
This activity enables students to explore an example of a local democratic structure. They are given some background information about the make up of the local Council including the representation of different parties and have to consider a variety of options about how to choose a mayor bearing in mind principles of fairness, inclusion and practicality.

Citizenship curriculum KS3

1c central and local government, the public services they offer and how they are financed and opportunities to contribute

1d the key characteristics of parliamentary and other forms of government

1g the importance of resolving conflict fairly
Exploring participation in the community [Pg 42]
This activity enables students to explore some case study material of community projects run by local voluntary organisations. The activity aims to draw out potential barriers to community participation and to explore ways that voluntary organisations. can contribute to addressing these barriers and building citizenship.
Citizenship curriculum KS3

1b the diversity of national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding

1f the work of community-based, national and international voluntary groups

“Topical and controversial issues are part of life. Students are aware of and want to talk about and understand such issues. To shelter students from them is to leave them ignorant about some of the major issues of the day and unprepared to deal with them.”

~ Making sense of citizenship, Ted Huddleston and David Kerr

Building new citizenship is a pack that offers a wealth of ideas and support for teaching and learning about contemporary issues in a local/global context.

Key themes addressed by this pack include:

Identity
 Democracy
 Participation
 Sustainable development
 Inclusion
 Conflict resolution

The pack contains a range of visual stimulus material to support an issues approach to Citizenship at both key stage 3 and 4.

Materials include:
- photographs raising a wide spectrum of citizenship issues
- City vision postcards illustrating key citizenship ideas
- Practical activities addressing curriculum requirements
- Photocopiable stimulus material
- Links to useful web-sites to support student research and investigation.
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