Taking+Social+Action


 * Summary**

One of the most valuable important goals of social studies education to teach students how to be informed and involved citizens. The main objective of any social studies education, as a result, should be to teach students how to be active participants in our society. The //Taking Social Action// strategy (Lenski et. al, 2011: 207-208) encourages students to think critically about social justice and ways that they can get involved to effect the kinds of change that they want to see in the world. By developing literacy, students are better able to interpret situations, propaganda, opinion, and argument in order to identify where and how they can get involved. This strategy is extremely relevant to the lives of students, because it gives them strategies to make very real changes to the world around them. This strategy emphasizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.


 * Directions**


 * 1) **Encourage** students to start paying close attention to social and political issues in their community. Post articles and links to resources that are relevant to your content area around the classroom and encourage class discussions around the issues.
 * 2) Once you have a variety of issues highlighted in your classroom have students **Identify** the ideas represented by the issues what overlap may exist between them.
 * 3) **Distribute** the list of issues to the class and have them prioritize them with a number scale. Then collect the lists back and identify which issue id the most important to the class, and identify it to the class.
 * 4) Have students begin to **Research** the issue by collecting resources (print and non-print alike) that speak to the issue that the class has identified as the most important.
 * 5) Have the students bring their research to class and begin discussing it by asking questions about the topics main points of contention.
 * 6) Give students strategies and techniques for taking social action (policy proposals, letters to elected officials/editors, phone banking etc.). Remind students that social action should always be respectful and that no matter how strong of an argument they make, they might not see the change they are fighting for. However, even though they might accomplish their goal this time, they should continue using critical literacy to fight for what they believe in.


 * Example**

In a high school government class students are taught about the government functions and what their roles are as citizens. This is the tips of classroom environment where //Taking Social Action// is not only possible, but also an amazing opportunity for hands on learning. Recently there has been a lot of discussion in many classrooms about the Occupy Movement. Here in Portland the Occupy Movement has had an impact on nearly every student in every class room. //Taking Social Action// can provide students with an opportunity to get involved no matter what side of the issue they stand on. It is important that no matter what issue is being discussed, that students are given an option about which side of the issue they stand on. In very few circumstances will an entire class agree on a position to take. Below is an example of how a teacher can use critical literacy to get students to start thinking about how they can get involved for or against the Occupy Movement. The attached example is in favor of the movement, but students should always be given a choice when considering any controversial issue.