The Role of Government/ The Role of Citizens (Community Involvement and Personal Responsibility and Relationships)

The Role of Government/The Role of Citizens

Resources:

Teaching the Levees Blog:
http://www.teachingthelevees.org/
Time Magazine Article:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1675600,00.html
CNN News Story:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/08/28/Soledad.childrenofstorm/index.html
Rethinking Schools Article and Lesson Plans:
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/21_01/hurr211.shtml
Rethinking Schools Editorial: Lessons of Katrina:
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/20_01/katr201.shtml

Lesson:

In class we brainstormed a list of governmental expectations we have as citizens in a democracy.

Some examples you came up with include: healthcare, clean environment, safety, education

We also discussed our role as citizens in a democracy. We discussed our duties as citizens as well as those actions we view as important but didn't rise to the level of civic "duties." Keep these lists in mind as you watch the documentary.

Some examples of civic duties we discussed in class include: taking care of those in need, voting, reading and talking about political affairs

As you watch, "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts," record evidence of local, state and federal government both succeeding and failing to meet the expectations you indicated in our brainstorming session. Keep in mind the goals of the Preamble. How well did the government do with regard to achieving the goals listed in the Preamble. Where did the government fall short?

Wikipedia Link (The Preamble)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamble_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Refer to the handout, "Types of Citizens."
http://www.wlu.ca/documents/27504/threekindsofcitizenship_excerpt.pdf

Do any of the individuals profiled in the documentary meet the criteria of "Personally Responsible," "Participatory," or "Justice Oriented Citizen?" If so, who? What evidence can find to support your claim?

Do any individuals fall outside of these three categories? If so, who are they? What explanations can you site for their behavior?

Assignment: Create a graphic organizer that includes all of the issues addressed in this blog post. Visit the link below for examples of graphic organizers. Your Graphic organizer will actually contain two main components. One will focus on civic responsibility and the other will focus on governmental responsibility.

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

The "Tree Chart" might work well for the purpose of this assignment. The trunk could be labeled "Role of the Government," branches could be examples we discussed in class (including the goals in the Preamble) and the leaves could be examples of how the government achieved or failed to achieve the goals. You could color-code the leaves to indicate success or failure on the part of citizens and government. Green leaves could represent success and brown leaves could represent failure. A second tree could illustrate the role of the citizen in a democracy.

"Cluster" concept maps would also work well for this assignment.

I also have examples of graphic organizers on my classroom walls. (Flower pots, an American Flag, a pointilism design, etc.)
As you work, post any questions or concerns you have in the comments section on the blog. I will try to address your questions and concerns promptly.

Do something:

CNN Impact Your World:
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/
Make it Right "The Pink Project"
http://www.makeitrightnola.org/

Extra Credit: Visit one or both of the links above. Which charitable organization did you learn more about? What do they do? How can you help? Post your response in the comments section.

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