Grade 10 Civics: Unit in Political Action

Developed in April 2000 by Prof. Laure Paquette, Ph.D., Lakehead University. The author thanks Diane Fawcett of the Lakehead Board of Education.

Unit Description

 In 1999, the Government of Ontario introduced a new curriculum for high school. This webpage proposes Political Strategy, Lobbying, Advocacy as a classroom experience in Civics.

You will find here:

1. Political action: the definition of political action, the components of political action, a scenario for the experiential learning in grade 10 Civics, including a schedule of classes, forms for classroom use (proposal, planner and report, as well as a guide to grading .
2. Ideas for the classroom: themes for 20-30 minute lecture blocs, suggestions of guest speakers, political films and/or tv shows and readings.

Political Action

 Political action is a planned series of acts that are carefully thought out and then carried out in order to change something in the political system, broadly defined. It is a way of doing things that is particularly helpful to those people who have little power or money. It can be used by anyone. It calls on an individual's analytical intelligence, but also creativity and practicality. It makes for better citizens, more involved people who have a sense of their own power, but it doesn't make life easier for politicians, who have a lot more thinking people to keep happy.

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Description of political action for Civics grade 10

It is an 18 week plan that combines student projects and short teaching blocks . Teams of students using their rights and responsibilities as citizens to accomplish something for the common good. It is designed to have students learn by doing, and it requires a teacher to be flexible about the order in which the information is presented, but it actually requires less preparation time that a traditional series of classes about civics. It can integrate information from a number of classes, including history and Canadian and international studies.

The class needs to be divided into at least 5 groups, working on making some change at the organizational, local, provincial, federal and international levels. Once those groups are created, there is a series of classroom exercises and mini-lectures. The political actions can be run as simulations or as actual interventions in society.

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Components of political action:

1. Goal: what the students would like to see changed. Examples: having a bike lane on a street, having more money for the school library, gettting the provincial voting age lowered, asking for a recount in a federal election.
2. Tactics: what the students actually do to get something changed. Examples: presenting their case to a meeting of the city council, asking the principal or the school board to change the budget, writing the Attorney General of Ontario, writing the Chief Returning Officer of Canada, or organizing a protest, putting up a website to take a poll, etc.
3. Core idea: this is the image or slogan that students use to help them remind themselves of what they are trying to achieve, and be better able to roll with the punches without losing track of the goal. Examples: Gandhi's 'Quit India' slogan for getting the British to leave in 1948; McDonald's corporate slogan 'We do it all for you'; Churchill's 'We shall attack the underbelly of Europe' for the second (winning) invasion of Europe during WWII.
4. Values: what is motivating the students, what is important to them. Examples: extra-curricular activities were important to Montreal high school students, and they had massive demonstrations in the streets. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted justice for African-Americans, and he knowingly gave his life for his people.

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Schedule

Assumption: 18 weeks for a semester, 5 classes a week, 72 minutes a class:

Themes: teacher's responsibility; topics to be covered by lectures, guest speakers, films, discussions

 Teamwork: students' classroom time devoted to students working on some aspect of their political action; teacher table-hops between groups

Presentation: students' responsibility: either to share information or to get more feedback from the class on how their action is progressing; or to submit to teacher for grading.

 Schedule for Political Action in Grade 10 Curriculum

week 1	themes: lecture on political action; role of values in democracies teamwork: team formation -- one for each of organization, local, provincial, federal, international; write level of government section of proposal; identify need for a change that interests everyone; identify what values make that change interesting to everyone presentation: change and values underlying it; lead into discussion of role of values
week 2	themes: decision-making; policy-making; participation teamwork: write a good goal, i.e. specific, achievable, complete, accurate presentation: present goal
week 3	mini lecture on levels of government: organization, local, provincial, themes: levels of government: organizational, local, provincial, federal, international; lobbying techniques teamwork: research on : who makes the decision about the changes the teams want; what influences those people; who has real power; who has informal power; what decisions have been made in the past; on what basis have those decisions been made
week 4	themes teamwork: identify steps to goal; identify resources needed; prepare presentation to class for next week
week 5	themes: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Magna Carta, Charter of Rights and Freedom teamwork: revise steps to goal taking feedback and new ideas into account presentation: steps to goal, discussion of effectiveness of what is proposed; submit proposal to teacher (see forms and grading tool below).
week 6	themes: legislative process, how people in democracies vote teamwork: plan the political action on a week-by-week basis for rest of term, using planner below.
week 7	themes: how city hall works: by laws, regulations, programs, policies, departments, agencies, role and responsibilities, jurisdiction presentation: present your plan and get feedback
week 8	themes: how the provincial government works: laws, regulations, programs, policies, ministries, agencies, roles, responsibilities, jurisdiction teamwork: give time in class for team meetings, preparation for various steps in action presentation: role play for one-on-one contact
week 9	themes: how the federal government works: laws, regulations, programs, policies, ministries, agencies, roles, responsibilities, jurisdiction teamwork:give time in class for team meetings, preparation for various steps in action presentation: role play for structured presentation
week 10	themes: legal recourse, the Constitution, the Charter, how the judiciary works teamwork: give time in class for team meetings, preparation for various steps in action presentation: writing a letter
week 11	themes: pressuring bureaucrats, how the administrative branch of a government works teamwork:give time in class for team meetings, preparation for various steps in action; prepare report on first four weeks presentation: contacting someone on e-mail
week 12	themes: pressuring city council or Cabinet teamwork: give time in class for team meetings; problem-solving in class if necessary; presentation: one team presents four week report; faxing someone
week 13	themes: pressure members of Parliament or members of provincial Parliament, political parties, issues of last election teamwork; one team presents four week report; time in class for team meetings; preparation for various steps presentation: one team presents four week report; making an appointment
week 14	themes:swaying public opinion teamwork: preparation for various steps; team meetings presentation: one team presents four week report; role play on making a phone call
week 15	themes: polls, public opinion teamwork: team meetings, preparation for various steps, preparation of second four week report presentation: on team presents four week report; role play on demonstrations, rallies, town hall meetings, public meetings
week 16	themes: role of media, swaying media teamwork: preparation time; submission of four week report; team meetings presentation: mock radio, tv or newspaper interviews; making contacts with reporters
week 17	themes: small group dynamics teamwork: preparation of presentation; finalization of political action presentation: three teams present results
week 18	themes: assessing success or failure teamwork: preparation of presentation, finalization of political action presentation: three teams present results

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Ideas

Themes for single classes

• various ways of policy-making
• various ways of decision-making
• levels of government: local,
• levels of government: provincial

• levels of government: federal
• organizational governance
• international organizations
• Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• legal recourse
• lobbying and lobbyists
• lobbying techniques: pressuring bureaucrats
• lobbying tecyniques: pressuring city council or Cabinet
• lobbying techniques: pressuring members of Parliament or members of provincial Parliament
• lobbying techniques: swaying public opinion
• lobbying techniques: using the media
• lobbying techniques: extemporaneous interactions
• lobbying techniques: structured interactions
• United Nations Organization
• small group dynamics
• legislative process
• UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• opinion polls
• how do people in industrialized liberal democracies vote
• how do people in specific countries vote
• campaign rules
• political culture
• role of media in politics
• political parties
• interest groups
• bureaucrats in politics
• bureaucrats in making decisions for Canada
• current political issues
• electoral systems and reform
• issues and results of the last election
• planning an election campaign
• the budget system
• cabinet decision-making
• current politicians
• legal and constitutional systems
• others, according to curriculum or as need presents itself

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Political Films

• watch "12 Angry Men" and discuss the way in which characters convince each other
• watch "Democracy a la mode" and discuss when an individual came make a difference
• watch Michael Moore's "Roger and Me" and discuss when an individual can send major corporations a message
• watch the documentary "The War -Room" and discuss how political parties get their candidates elected without the public knowing the mechanics
• watch "The Manchurian Candidate" and discuss the Cold War's effect on the politics in each country.
• watch Heritage Minutes: how the CRB Foundation and later Historica produced them, whether they foster patriotism
• tape the National Anthem at the start of each broadcast day on CBC and discuss how the government uses it to foster patriotism, pride, and also conformity

• others as available

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Readings for the Political Strategist

Available as a collection from Canadian Scholars' Press for $35.95. Edited by Prof. Laure Paquette, Ph.D.

1. Figure: Strategies and Tactics: A Decision-Making Framework, from Jeffrey M. Berry, Lobbying for the People / The Political Behavior of Public Interest Groups, Princeton: Princeton University Press 1977.
2. How much Information Do You Need? From Charles Miller, Lobbying / Understanding and Influencing the Corridors of Power, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1987.
3. Table: Kinds of Influence Peddlers In Canada. From Paul Malvern, Persuaders / Influence Peddling, Lobbying and Political Corruption in Canada.
4. Building a Fact Sheet. From Jean Mater, Public Hearings Procedures and Strategies / A Guide to Influencing Public Decisions, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1984.
5. The Invisible Key to Success. From Tom Stewart, Fortune (August 5, 1996), 173-174.
6. Competence of the Facilitator. Brian Stanfield, the Magic of the Facilitator, Institute of Cultural Affairs.
7. The Focused Conversation Method. From Laura Spencer, Winning Through Participation, Institute of Cultural Affairs.
8. Effective Intervention Activity. From Chris Argyris. Intervention Theory and Method: A Behavioral Science View. Addison-Wesley, 1970. 374p.
9. Teaching Smart People How to Learn. From Chris Argyris. Harvard Business Review (May-June 1991), p. 99-109.
10. Steps to Developing Scenarios. From Peter Schwartz, The Art of the Long View, New York: Doubleday Currency, 1991.
11. The Insulated Public Manager. From Public Participation in Public Decisions / New Skills and Strategies for Public Managers, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995.
12. Modifying your Audience's Definition of the Situation and Strategies of Argument. From Willard C. Richan, Lobbying for Social Change. New York: Hayworth, 1996.
13. Understanding Political Action. From George Beam and Dick Simpson, Political Action / The Key to Understanding Politics. Chicago: Swallow, 1984.
14. Statistics about Interest Group Actions. From Ken Kollman, Outside Lobbying/Public Opinion and Interest Group Strategies. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998.
15. Five Strategies for Changing the Government's DNA. From David Osborne and Peter Plastrik, Banishing Bureaucracy / The Five Strategies for Reinventing Government. Reading: Addison-Wesley.
16. Seven Lobbying Strategies and Direct Lobbying. From Charles S. Mack, Lobbying and Government Relations / A Guide for Executives. New York: Quorum, 1989.
17. Worksheets for Lobbying. From William D. Coplin and Michael O'Leary, Syracuse: Policy Studies Associates, 1988.
18. Internal Cohesion of Your Group. From David Truman, The Governmental Process / Political Interests and Public Opinion, New York: Knopf, 1968.
19. Being a Hedgehog or a Lion: What kind of a Lobbyist Are You? From Charles Maier, Organizing Interests in Western Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981.
20. Foulds' Fifteen Famous Rules for Sensible and Effective Lobbying. From J.F. Foulds, reprinted by permission of the author.
21. On the Nature of Action. From Alasdair MacIntyre, Against the Self-Images of the Age, London: Duckworth, 1964.

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Classroom guests

• present and past mp's, mpp's, reeves, aldermen or councillors, Cabinet ministers
• political party riding association presidents, presidents of political party riding association youth wings
• staff of constituency offices for mp's or mpps
• chiefs of First Nations
• poverty activists
• anti-violence activists (women, children, elderly)
• anti-war activists
• environmental activists
• anti-nuclear activists
• activists for humane treatment of animals
• anti-racism activists
• anti-ageist activists
• assistant crown attorneys, speaker from Human Rights Commission Office, complaints police officer
• concerned citizens' groups currently lobbying city hall, Queen's Park or the school board

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Forms

Below, you will find various forms that can be used in the Civics required course.

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Project Proposal

Inside the boxes, you'll find questions to help you focus on what to write there.

Proposal

Level of Government Is the change organizational, like in a school, or hospital? Is the change local, like at city hall, town council or band council? Is the change provincial, like for OHIP or hunting and fishing? Iis the change federal, like about the GST or about national parks? Is the change international, like about the United Nations or the Red Cross?

Goal What frustrates me, what bothers me? What would I like to see changed? Be as specific as you can. Goal should be short, and as specific as possible. Example: I want to make sure the grass around the old Prospect school gets cuts once a week in the summer. Not: I want someone to make my neighborhood nicer. Make sure there is only one goal, not several. Example: I want to go to one school dance this winter. Not: I want to have more fun so I want to go to school dances and join another student club and spend more time snowboarding. Goal should be about civics, about making society a better place by making everyone have more of a say in what things get done. Example: I want to make students aware a lot of children grow up in poverty. Not: I want buy one brand of socks over another.

Steps to Goal Who makes the decision to change or not change? Is it the person formally in charge, like the mayor or premier, or is it actually someone else? When have decisions to change been made in the past? What influenced that decision? What argument can I make that will make the decision go my way? When are they going to make another decision? How can I convince them to think about another decision? Where can I get the facts that will make the decision go my way? What techniques (letter-writing, presentation, one-on-one lobbying, focusing attention, protesting, etc.) can I use to change the minds of the people in charge? Who do I try to communicate with, the administrative, executive, legislative, voters, media?

Resources What do I need to get the job done? Do I need money? How much? Where I am going to get it? What am I going to spend it on? What is absolutely necessary? What would make the job easier? How much time do I need? How much from me? How much from the teammates? How much time from people not in the team? Do I need someone's permission for any step along the way? Who? When? To do what? Do I need anyone's cooperation? Who? When? About what? How do I get it? How do I make sure I don't make a pest of myself? How do I make sure I only bother them when I absolutely have to? Do I need anyone to stay of my way? Who? When? About what? How can I get it? What else do I need? Make a list. Where do I get it? How do I get the information I need? Library? World Wide Web? Newspapers? Elsewhere? How do I get advice when I hit a roadblock? Teammates? Friends? Teachers? Others? How do I make sure I am getting good advice?

Team Members : Make a list of everyone on your team.

Roles and Responsibilities of Each Member For each member: What are they particularly good at? What do they want to do? What are the jobs no one wants? How are you going to assign these jobs? What are the jobs everyone wants? How are you going to decide who gets those jobs? How are you going to keep track of everyone doing what they are supposed to?

Restrictions: We understand that we cannot: 1. Say we are speaking on behalf of _____________________school. 2. Be paid for this work. 3. Do anything illegal or dangerous. We are supervised by _____________________.

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Grading a Proposal

Date:_______________________ Team members:

Level of Government

I understand each part	Yes/No	All facts are accurate	Yes/No
Everything you need to do is listed	Yes/No	Goes with rest of proposal	Yes/No
Specific enough	Yes/No	Everything is relevant and necessary	Yes/No

Goal

I understand each part	Yes/No	All facts are accurate	Yes/No
Everything you need to do is listed	Yes/No	Goes with rest of proposal	Yes/No
Specific enough	Yes/No	Everything is relevant and necessary	Yes/No

Steps to Goal

I understand each part	Yes/No	All facts are accurate	Yes/No
Everything you need to do is listed	Yes/No	Goes with rest of proposal	Yes/No
Specific enough	Yes/No	Everything is relevant and necessary	Yes/No

Resources

I understand each part	Yes/No	All facts are accurate	Yes/No
Everything you need to do is listed	Yes/No	Goes with rest of proposal	Yes/No
Specific enough	Yes/No	Everything is relevant and necessary	Yes/No

Presentation

Grammar	Yes/No	Spelling	Yes/No
Needs to be polished	Yes/No	Easy to read	Yes/No

Strengths

 Grade ______/10

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 REPORT

___________________________________________________________

Goal

____________________________________________________________________________

Sub-Goal for __________________(day/week/month)

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Planner

Students can also use above form as a planner by simply changing the title of the page.

Task	why	how	when	who

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 This webpage was created by Professor Laure Paquette, Ph.D. of Lakehead University. Forms may be duplicated with acknowledgement of authorship for individual use. Workshops on political action are available from Laure.Paquette@Lakeheadu.ca. Laure Paquette thanks Professor Walter Epp, Ph.D. , also of Lakehead University, for his assistance. All rights reserved on webpage. Last updated March 22, 2000.