Introduction

Thank you for visiting to consider Hands up! for inclusion in your primary or intermediate classroom programme.  The Electoral Commission decided to commission this resource after realising there was little available to support the Social Organisation strand of the Social Studies Curriculum Statement for students at levels 1-4, and even less to help teachers relate the backdrop of a General Election to these students' learning in a rich way.

The resource has been written by teacher Bronwyn Wood, with the input of teachers Alison McRae, Carey O'Hagan, Jayne-Anne Young, Kaye Webber, and Electoral Commission staff.

Hands up! examines issues at the heart of citizenship and involvement in society. It encourages students working at levels 1-4, to become socially and 'politically' active in issues relevant to their own lives, starting in their school and local community.

This resource provides information for teachers in a 'ready-to-use' format. The seven activities build sequentially and are linked to the concepts outlined in the conceptual overview. The activities are designed to encourage active participation in the classroom and a focus on the local community. Students will learn more by 'doing' than just reading or being told about political process.

Background notes are provided for conceptual clarification in each of the seven activities. These can be used with students at any time that is appropriate by reading the text or allowing them to read it themselves.  Adapt the activities to meet the particular learning needs of your students.

Supporting activity sheets are provided for download with each activity and all activity sheets are available at the bottom of this page as a single document.

Feedback about this resource can be made to Peter Northcote, Communications Manager, Electoral Commission, peter@elections.govt.nz or phone 04-474 0671.

Objectives for students and teachers

Hands up! provides opportunities for students to critically appraise and actively participate in issues of significance in their communities and wider society. It aims to contribute to the development of confident, informed and socially active students who participate responsibly in New Zealand society.

The curriculum focus area for this resource is Social Studies. Social studies education...

'aims to enable students to participate in a changing society as informed, confident and responsible citizens'.

(p. 8 Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum)

In light of the current Social Studies Curriculum review, this resource is focused on conceptual knowledge that supports best practice in Social studies teaching and learning. Key concepts explored in the activities outlined in this resource include:

 

Descriptive concepts (WHAT we look at): Identity (individual and collective); belonging; community; interaction; organisation; democracy; government systems; rights; responsibilities; authority. Analytical concepts (HOW we look): social decision making, inquiry processes, participation and social action.

Hands up! contains activities that are suitable for children working at levels 1 to 4. An indication of the appropriate level is given for each of the activities provided. Any of the activities provided in this resource, could be used to assess student progress. Teachers are encouraged to develop and adapt these activities to meet the needs of their students as well as the assessment requirements of their schools.

Conceptual overview

The Social Studies concepts that are the basis for this resource are:

 

Learning intentions explored

Students will:

a)     Describe how people identify and belong to varied groups and communities.

b)     Identify why individuals and groups participate in society.

c)      Explain the interactions of people within groups.

d)     Participate in differing group decision-making and reflect on the processes used.

e)     Compare systems of government and describe how they operate.

f)      Explore New Zealand's political systems and how people are involved in these processes.

g)     Consider how to exercise their rights and meet their responsibilities now and in the future.

Note: words in bold are key concepts

Summary of activities

Activity	Summary
Activity 1: Hands up for belonging	Students will participate in a Postbox activity to identify and classify groups students belong to. They will record these groups on an 'onion diagram'.
Activity 2: Many hands together...	Students will examine two of the groups they discussed in Activity 1. They will look at who belongs to them and why these groups exist (their purpose). Students will consider how a group can work to make a change in the school environment.
Activity 3: Hands on groups interactions	Students will participate in 'Directed play' and reflect on roles imposed on their peer groups. They will examine the 'rules' that govern groups such as a family or a classroom.
Activity 4: Hands on decision making	Students participate in group decision-making processes - initially as they wish and secondly with imposed decision-making models on the role-plays they develop.
Activity 5: In the hands of the government	Students explore the links between decision making models and systems of government in the Asia-Pacific region. They play dominoes to consolidate new words.
Activity 6: Active hands and voices in New Zealand	Students classify some responsibilities of local and national government. Examples of work Councils have done provide the basis for a storyboard for a TV Reality show 'Think Global Act Local'.
Activity 7: Give them a hand	Students learn about other 'active' students who have made a change in their worlds. They consider how they can participate in issues of relevance to their own community.

References

Texts

Aioni-Iosefa Sarona (2001) Samoa - The Pacific Way, Reed Publishing, Auckland

Cubitt S, Irvine R, Dow A (1999) Top Tools for Social Science Teachers, Pearson Education New Zealand Ltd. Auckland

MacIntyre Lesieli I.Kupu (2003) Tonga - The Pacific Way, Reed Publishing, Auckland

Ministry of Education (2004) Effective Literacy strategies; Years 9-10, Learning Media, Wellington

Schutz, William (1958) Firo: A three-dimensional theory of interpersonal behavior, New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Whitehead David (2001) Top tools for Literacy and learning, Pearson Education, Auckland

Whitehead David (2004) Top tools for teaching thinking, Pearson Education, Auckland

Websites

 

New Zealand 

New Zealand constitutional institutions and the government sector - see New Zealand's system of government - an overview and the links on this page

Australia

Australia's parliamentary system

Parliament of Australia

Australian Electoral Commission

Samoa

Government of Samoa

Tonga

Government of the Kingdom of Tonga

General

Governments on the www

Ministry of Education Best Evidence Synthesis (2003)

Curriculum links

The key strand of the social studies curriculum that this resource supports is:

Social organisation

Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

Level 1

• why people belong to groups
• the different roles people fulfill within groups

Level 2

• how and why groups are organised within communities and societies
• how participation within groups requires responsibilities and rights

Level 3

• how and why people make and implement rules and laws.

Level 4

• how and why people exercise their rights and meet responsibilities

Perspectives

• Bicultural, Current issues, The future

Settings

• New Zealand, Pacific

Essential learning about New Zealand society

 

ELANZ covered

Origins, developments, and operation of systems of government and law, of the franchise and of local and national democratic institutions.

Social Studies soncepts

Identity, belonging; community; interaction; organisation; democracy; government systems; rights; responsibilities; authority; groups, society, rangitiratanga, roles, participation, social action

Essential skills

Communication skills, Numeracy skills, Information skills, Problem-solving skills, Social and co-operative skills.

In Hands Up! - the social studies processes at levels 1-4

 

The Inquiry processes*  - Indicators	Located in resource activities
- use questions (levels 1-2)	2, 5
- collect and record information (levels 1-2)	1, 3, 5
- sort information (levels 1-2)	1, 2, 3, 5
- make a range of valid generalisations based on findings (levels 1-2)	1, 5
- communicate findings appropriate to the mode of communication (levels 1-4)	1, 3, 5
- Reflect upon and evaluate steps and findings (levels 1-4)	3

 

The Values Exploration processes* - Indicators	Located in resource activities
- explain their own values position (levels 1-2)	4, 5, 7
- give reasons why people hold particular values positions (levels 1-2)	4, 5, 7
- explain some ways in which groups accept or resolve differences related to values positions  (levels 3-4)	4, 7

 

The Social Decision making processes*  - Indicators	Located in resource activities
- Identify issues and problems (level 1-2)	2, 4, 6, 7
- Develop solutions to relevant problems (levels 1-2)	2, 4, 6, 7
- Use criteria to evaluate a range of solutions to relevant problems (levels 3-4)	2, 4, 6, 7
- Make a choice about possible action and justify that choice (levels 3-4)	2, 4, 7

* The Social Studies Processes do not follow linear progression, but are visited and re-visited throughout a unit of work, or a course of study. The three processes inter-relate