A group activity designed to increase student’s knowledge about Canada’s participation in international efforts to address current, global issues. In groups, students will research and make a dramatic presentation about Canadian organizations addressing these issues
Expectations:
English Language – Reading: 6e23, 6e25, 6e27, 6e32 – Oral and Visual Communication: 6e49, 6e51 – Group Skills: e616, 6e62, 6e66
Social Studies – CWC: Canada’s Links to the World: 6z25, 6z26, 6z32 – Inquiry/Research and Communications Skills: 6z37 – Application: 6z48, 6z49, 6z51
Global
Water Stats
Canadian
Water Stats
Materials:
4 signs
Teaching
strategies
Construct four signs that read: food, water, health care, and safety. On the backs of the signs, write: Canadian Hunger Foundation, WaterCan, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, and Free the Children (or any other Canadian-based organizations you would like to study) respectively. Put each sign up in a corner of the room.
Tell the students to think quietly about which issue they feel most strongly. Which issue do they feel is most important to human life? Once they have made their decision, tell them to quietly move so that they are standing under the sign that corresponds to their decision.
Once in their groups, have them talk about why they decided on this issue. Why do they feel this issue is essential to human life? Why is this issue important? Once the groups have had time to discuss, invite them to share their answers with the class.
Once the class has discussed all of the issues, tell the groups to flip their cards over to reveal the name of a Canadian-based organization. Explain that these are international organizations that work to promote their issue. Explain that their group will have the rest of this period to research their organization. Each group will be doing a dramatic presentation on their organization. They can be as creative as they want, and each member of the group must contribute in some way. They will have half the period tomorrow to work out their presentation, and the rest of the period will be spent viewing the presentations. (Note: it may be necessary to ask for volunteers to move to another group if the groups are not even)
Make sure they include in their presentations such things as: some basic global statistics on their issue, what the organization does, where the organization works and how they get money to fund their projects.
Have the students perform a group peer assessment of the other groups.
