Exploring the Relationship between Government Policy and Children

Procedures

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1.      Begin the lesson by introducing the document and allow students to find and explore the features on their own for part of class.  Let students share with each other what features and information they find interesting.  After students have found the site and explored the various issues involving children's rights, take them through the site and display the most helpful ways to find information on the site such as using the search engines, links, and data.

2.      Explain how to read the statistical tables, graphs, and maps.  Explain the purpose and mission of the site and the relevancy of the information to their lives as you teach them the dynamics of the site. 

3.      Allow students to brainstorm on the board at least 15 different topics that recognize the relationship between children' rights and government policy. Have the students vote on the most relevant topics that are posted and use those topics for the student presentations.

4.      Assign groups by trying to make sure that the groups are even in areas of achievement level and compatibility. Have students decide on their role in the group such as designer, researcher, leader, and content expert.

5.      Begin the design process by showing the students examples of ways to create a Power point presentation using the State of the World’s Children Web site.  Demonstrate for them ways in which to transfer material from the site to a slide.  Allow time for discussion on the content of the Web site and for answering any questions on the presentation.  Discussions should include information about copyright policy and methods to cite information in order to avoid plagiarism.

6.      Guide the student’s presentations so that they can gain more of a critical perspective on the issues presented on the State of the World's Children Web site.  Have all groups review each other’s presentations to provide feedback so that they can make changes or clarify information. 

7.      Allow each group to present their projects and lead the class in a discussion following each presentation.  Discussions should allow the students time to ask questions and think about the relationship between government policy and it’s direct effect on children.  Guide students into other possible solutions to problems related to the topic and provide specific scenarios that illustrate these issues.  Allow discussions to develop both sides of children’s issues so that students can engage in a productive dialogue surrounding children’s rights.

8.      Allow each group to evaluate the other group's presentations and send feedback by email to the other groups.  Have each member of the group evaluate the others in the same group for participation and contribution.

 

Center for Technology and Teacher Education, University of Virginia,
This module was created by Jeff Iannone, University of South Florida.