Students used a school space, where diverse students come together, to conduct mock elections for class representatives. They presented their speech to the other students after which the eventual outcome was the formation of the student council.
| Enduring Understanding | Democracy supports equal opportunities among citizens |
| Level | Middle School (11-14 years) |
| Disciplines | Social Sciences, Language, Drama |
Description
Teachers approached this unit with excitement, as they knew that the eventual outcome would be the formation of a student council, which was a noticeable missing element at the school. Students used a school space, where diverse students come together, to conduct mock elections for class representatives in the Middle School section. Along with this, they presented their speech to the other students and conducted a survey to collect data on the number of students that wish to have a student council at Gateway. The authentic outcome of this project proved to be a key motivator for students and teachers alike.
Deliverables
Interview questions: Students interacted with ex-Student Council members of schools in Mumbai (Hill Spring International School and Arya Vidya Mandir School) to understand the election process, and roles and responsibilities of council members.
Speech: Students prepared a speech to inform the school leadership team about the benefits of creating a student council in a school to the school leadership team in order to ensure democracy.
Project Learning Goals
- To understand the necessity of governments
- To learn the different types of government
- To learn the features of a democratic country
- To learn the advantages and limitations of a democracy
Scaffolding & Differentiation
- Class divided into smaller groups while delivering content
- Teacher support was provided in terms of typing the speech
- Scaffolds and sentence starters while preparing the speech
Assessments
Students studied the leadership structure of the Gateway School and compared these to the principles of a democratic country. Students then prepared a speech to the leadership team of the school and explained how Gateway was not truly democratic, and to persuade the stakeholders that student voice and thus a student council was necessary.
