GA Citizenship Working Group GA Annual Conference 17

GA Citizenship Working Group GA Annual Conference 17 th April 2009 Manchester Teaching Citizenship through Geography: Citizens in Society

Key Questions • How are the ‘active citizen’ and ‘society’ narrated in the geography and citizenship curricula? • What can we learn from social policies which promote active citizenship? • How can political and social geography help us to better understand the relationship between individual and social responsibility? • How can these concepts be explored through classroom activities in geography?

Citizenship: how responsible are we? Learning Objectives • to consider active citizenship and personal responsibility as contested concepts • to explore different scales of responsible citizenship and different ways of being responsible (individual/collective/political action)

Activities • Topical news stories – responsibility for issues; what causes these problems, how are these causes interrelated? • Emotional mapping and photo analysis – responsibility for places • Mystery: Jack’s identity – responsibility for data protection, environment, global interdependence

What is citizenship? • On the sheet are some newspaper headlines about citizenship. • Group the headlines into categories and complete the key. • KS 3/4: what categories did you come up with? How many ways could you group these headings? KS 2 / SEN – use the key provided • What is citizenship? KS 3 / KS 4 – come up with – whole-group discussion your own groupings and complete the key

What is citizenship? Citizenship as a set of behaviours or acts, and rights and responsibilities can be explored in many different social spheres, such as finance, environment, planning, health, crime. Is citizenship also more thank how people behave and the moral choices they make? (i. e. a cultural sense of belonging, a legal status, a response to others? ) What are the limits of personal responsibility? Are we individually responsible for the future of the planet? What is the difference between an active citizen and an activist citizen?

Who is responsible? KS 2 / SEN • Photo analysis activity KS 3 / KS 4 • Mystery activity Complete the sheet by answering the questions about the photographs. Work in pairs or small groups and discuss your feelings about the photos. Cut out the mystery cards to solve the question ‘Why was Jack’s identity stolen? ’ Extension questions are at the bottom of the sheet for discussion.

Who is responsible? KS 2 / SEN Photo analysis activity How does this place make you feel? How would the time of day or people you are with change how you feel about it? Who is responsible for this place?

Who is responsible? KS 2 / SEN Photo analysis activity How does this place make you feel? How would the time of day or people you are with change how you feel about it? Who is responsible for this place?

Who is responsible? KS 2 / SEN Photo analysis activity How does this place make you feel? How would the time of day or people you are with change how you feel about it? Who is responsible for this place?

Who is responsible? KS 3 / KS 4 Mystery activity Why was Jack’s identity stolen? Feedback through whole-class discussion and make links between the events on the cards Who was responsible for Jack’s identity being stolen? At what stage in the chain could theft have been prevented? How could this issue be solved? Who should be responsible?

Who is responsible? KS 2 / SEN • Photo analysis activity KS 3 / KS 4 • Mystery activity Follow-up with a whole class discussion on the findings. Follow-up with a whole class discussion, using the questions at the bottom of the sheet. Plenary: solutions to the problems, and who should be responsible for them. Plenary: solutions to the problems identified, and who should be responsible for them.

Who is responsible? KS 2 / SEN • Photo analysis activity KS 3 / KS 4 • Mystery activity Taking it further • emotional mapping activity of the local area (fieldwork) and then planning local solutions • Discussion of decisions made at different levels: personal, local, government, external companies (spatial); levels of trust/ responsibility • Exploration of our own place in the world as global citizens

Emotional mapping – example activity

• Write your name on the sticky note • On the front of the sticky note write a list of 10 things which you saw on the way to school this morning

Activity 1 • Draw a map of your journey to school using the hand you don’t normally write with (to prevent time-consuming drawing) • Think about the things you saw during your journey. • Use the list on your sticky note to help you

Activity 2 • Design a key to show you felt at various points along your journey. • Use the key to mark on your feelings at 10 points on your map.

Example Key Happy Sad Angry Surprised

Activity 2 • Design a key to show you felt at various points along your journey. • Use the key to mark on your feelings at 10 points on your map.

Activity 3 • Write a sentence to explain the reasons for your feelings at each point you have labelled on the map. • For example: When I left my house I felt ………… because…………… • How would different people feel at these points?

What can be done about the negative parts of my journey? Who is responsible? How can we campaign for change?

www. geocitizen. org. uk • See lesson ideas and useful links from our current and previous workshops on: – Voices – Designing Identity – Citizens in Society • Share your lesson ideas with other teachers • Showcase your students’ work on the geocitizen website • Receive a geocitizen award and badges! • Join the CWG

Lesson resources

KS 2 / SEN Starter Activity What is citizenship? Sort these newspaper headlines into the groups shown in the key. Colour-code each newspaper heading using the key. Concern over the NHS becoming privately-owned Car-sharing lane opens on main route into Birmingham ASBOs – a social problem of this century? Local planners close ‘dangerous’ pedestrian underpass Classical music played outside local shops to deter ‘hoodies’ Police report increase in violence due to binge drinking Kensington in London has the longest life expectancy in the UK Increase in the number of home repossessions Greenpeace concerned over increasing air travel Town centre identified as burglary hotspot Celebrity chef helps UK obesity problems Locals fight building of wind farm Local people fight against new housing development Government bans smoking in public places in England Pensioners worried about increasing winter fuel bills Local council offers prizes for top recyclers Crime Planning Finance (money) Health Environment

KS 3 / KS 4 Starter Activity What is citizenship? Sort these newspaper headlines into categories. You will have to decide on the categories and complete the key. Colour-code each heading using your key. Concern over privatisation of the NHS Car-sharing lane opens on main route into Birmingham ASBOs – a social problem of this century? Local planners close ‘dangerous’ pedestrian underpass Classical music played outside local shops to deter ‘hoodies’ Police report increase in violence due to binge drinking Kensington in London has the longest life expectancy in the UK Increase in the number of home repossessions Greenpeace concerned over increasing air travel Town centre identified as burglary hotspot Celebrity chef challenges UK obesity problems Locals fight construction of wind farm Local residents fight against new housing development Government bans smoking in public places in England Pensioners concerned over increasing winter fuel bills Local council offers prizes for top recyclers

KS 2 / SEN Main Activity How would this place make you feel? If you were with your friends… If you were on your own… If you were with your parents… In the daytime… At night… Who is responsible for this place? Who is responsible for looking after this place? Who is responsible for how this place makes you feel?

KS 2 / SEN Main Activity How would this place make you feel? If you were with your friends… If you were on your own… If you were with your parents… In the daytime… At night… Who is responsible for this place? Who is responsible for looking after this place? Who is responsible for how this place makes you feel?

KS 2 / SEN Main Activity How would this place make you feel? If you were with your friends… If you were on your own… If you were with your parents… In the daytime… At night… Who is responsible for this place? Who is responsible for looking after this place? Who is responsible for how this place makes you feel?

KS 3 / KS 4 Main Activity Why was Jack’s identity stolen? Paper, plastic bottles and metal cans are collected from Jack’s house by the council every Tuesday. A credit card receipt was found in a rubbish dump in India. An undercover reporter found a copy of the Lichfield Mercury in a huge landfill site in India. Lichfield District Council has one of the best recycling programmes in England. A container full of recycling was discovered on a cargo ship being transported to India. Greenpeace is worried that ‘recycling’ in China is actually contributing to global warming as much of the waste is actually burned. Jack is careful to put all of his waste paper into the recycling box. The UK Government’s targets for recycling aim to recycle 40% of household waste by 2010. The council lorries that collect recycling take it to a huge depot where it is transferred into large containers. Companies in India and China will pay over £ 100 per ton of recycling waste, where as companies in the UK only offer around £ 50. An estimated one million personal shredders are sold each year as a result of public concern about identity fraud. A national newspaper reported that some local councils are selling recycling they have colleted to companies abroad. Every council has targets to meet for recycling, and they face fines if they do not reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill. Jack and his family try to be environmentally friendly and recycle as much of their waste as possible. Jack lives in Lichfield. Poor labourers in India and China are employed to sort recycling. They are paid very little. The UK Government advises people to shred any personal documents before throwing them away to protect their identity. Criminals can use stolen personal details to open bank accounts, obtain credit cards, loans, and other documents. Discussion: Who was responsible for Jack’s identity being stolen? At what stage in the chain could theft have been prevented? What is the ‘original’ cause of the problem/what is the ‘real’ problem? How could this issue be solved? Who should be responsible?