FE2 ACTIVITY PLAN:

ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY

BACKGROUND/CONTEXT
Title of unit Civic Responsibility Cycle & Grade Cycle 2, Grade 9
level
English Language Arts
Subject area
Goal for Activity For students to understand the concept of a civic responsibility and how it applies to them.
The students are also reading the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, and so this topic will help
them understand some of the themes covered in the novel better. Themes such as civic
responsibility, fighting injustice, etc. They will then relate the activity to the novel at the
Rationale for Activity end of class through answering 2 questions on an activity sheet individually, which they will
be given at the end of class.

ELA Cycle 2:
Competency 1: Uses language/talk to communicate and to learn.
Key Features:
- Establishes a repertoire of resources for communicating and learning: students use
QEP Subject Area communication with peers, along with technology to learn about their ideas
Competencies/Progressions - Participates in the social practices of the classroom and community in specific
of Learning contexts: students learn through each other, they participate in groups discussions
and write down their self-reflections
- Interacts with peers and teachers in specific contexts: students engage in team
efforts for the class discussion and actively listen to their peers’ ideas.

All students have access to iPads and/or laptops, so students will be allowed to use them
to search for definitions. Students will also have the opportunity to work in small groups
which will allow them to share their ideas without feeling overwhelmed about presenting
their ideas alone. Students will also be moving around, which will be great for students
Differentiation
who have trouble sitting still for an entire class. Students will also be given the instructions
by the teacher, and will in addition, have an activity sheet with the questions written on
them, which will ensure that they are aware of what’s going on at all times.

ACTIVITY PLAN
Know:
1) What it means to be “part of the solution” rather than “part of the problem”
2) The importance and definition of civic engagement and responsible citizen.
Do:
1) Identify some issues and problems evident in their world
Student will 2) Articulate an understanding of why people hesitate to become involved in problem
know/understand/do as a resolution.
result of this activity 3) Explain their position on the given statement.
4) Share their ideas with their peers
Understand:
1) what it means to be a responsible citizen and identify ways that civic engagement
demonstrates it.
2) why people hesitate to become involved in problem resolution.
1. Students will start off the activity by discussing as a class what they
believe the civic duty of a citizen is.
2. They will then be divided into 3 groups of 5-6 students, and each
Procedures
group will start off at a “station”. Each station will have a large
sheet of paper with a statement written on it. These statements are
as follows: 1) I am more likely to do my civic duty when I am in a
group with others (which will be accompanied by a helping a
bullying scenario). 2) If you are not part of the solution then you are

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 FE2 ACTIVITY PLAN:
ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY

part of the problem, and 3) Culture, custom and tradition are more
powerful than laws.
3. Students will then have to choose a stance on the statement, by
choosing with the options of ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘disagree’,
and ‘strongly disagree’ labeled on the sheet of paper. They will
then provide a brief justification of their choices on the same sheet
(1-2 sentences.)
4. The students will change stations every 3 mins, until every group has
visited every station.
5. We will then reconvene as a class and look at the banners of each
station and compare/observe the responses. The students will then
be asked to elaborate on their justifications, thereby starting a class
discussion.
6. To conclude, the students will be given an activity sheet with 2
questions written on it: 1) how do you think this activity about civic
duty is linked to the novel TKAM?, and 2) Based on the activity and
class discussion, what skills, knowledge, actions or attitudes do you
think effective citizens need to have? Students will choose one
question to answer, and submit it once they are done.

Participation in group and class discussion, and activity sheet with questions.
Assessment

Broad Areas of Learning

Citizenship & Community
Life
Explanation:
Students will be thinking about what it means to be a good citizen and active member of society by reacting to certain social
situations, and explaining what their responsibility is to do in those scenarios. The overall objective is to make students understand
that they all have duties to fulfill as members of a society, and those duties involve not being a bystander in situations that do not
affect them. This then also applies to community life because in being a responsible citizen, you need to be conscious and
participative in your community.

Cross Curricular Competencies

Uses Information Exercises critical
judgement
Cooperates with Communicates
others appropriately
Explanation:
Students will be using information given to them at the beginning of class such as definitions of the terms civic responsibility and
culture. Students will be exercising critical judgement when considering scenarios and what their stance should be on them. They will
also be communicating and cooperating with their group members when sharing their thoughts and justifications and writing them
down on the banner sheets.