Lesson video

Hello.

My name's Miss Akomi and I'm a teacher from London.

I'm going to be guiding you through today's lesson.

We've got lots to get through, so we're going to get started.

Today's lesson is called, what is an active citizenship project and what skills do I need? It is part of the wider unit, how can we make a difference in society, the active citizenship project.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain what active citizenship is and describe what skills are needed to carry out an active citizenship project.

The keywords we're going to hear in today's lesson are active citizenship.

This is the process of learning how to take part in democracy and use citizenship skills, knowledge, and understanding to work together and try to make a positive difference in the world.

An active citizen is a person who actively takes responsibility, becomes involved in areas of public concern, and tries to make a positive difference in their community.

We're also going to hear the word skills.

These are abilities or expertise gained through practise or experience to perform tasks effectively.

We're going to hear the term case study.

This is a detailed examination or investigation of a person, group, or event over a period of time.

Keep an eye out for these keywords as we move through today's lesson.

We're going to start by thinking about what is active citizenship.

As we can see from our keyword definition, an active citizenship project is a process where people or groups take responsibility to address issues and make a positive change in society.

This change might happen at a local and national or an international level.

Active citizens are the people who are taking part in this work.

So they're using their citizenship knowledge, skills, and understanding to be engaged in democracy, work together towards a common goal, such as improving communities, maybe supporting a particular social cause, or tackling a global challenge.

To have a successful active citizenship project is really important that we follow three important stages.

All of the different steps that we take within these stages are going to help us to make sure that our projects are planned effectively and we have the outcome that we're hoping for.

The first stage is to get planning.

This is where we choose our issue, research the issue, and plan how we are going to carry out our action.

Then we move on to the second stage, which is taking action, putting all of that planning into place.

Lastly, we have to measure impact, taking time to reflect and evaluate how successful our project was.

The first stage is the planning stage.

In this stage, we're deciding on an issue and a goal that we would like to achieve.

In order to decide that issue, we're probably going to have to do some research and research what actions might be appropriate to take to tackle this issue.

We decide the most effective form of action to take based on this research and decide how successful or how impactful our project will be and how we're going to measure it.

Then it's time to plan and get ready.

The issue that you choose to base your active citizenship project on should be linked to a wider citizenship concept, such as democracy, law, rights or equality, lots of which you would have learned about in your lessons.

These citizenship issues can be local, national or international.

Andeep's giving us a tip.

He says, "It's important when you choose your issue and plan your level of action that is achievable with your available resources." Some examples of citizenship issues could be pupils campaigning to improve the safety of a road crossing near their school.

That impacts the local community.

So therefore would be an example of a local issue.

Pupils might investigate the voting age and reasons for and against lowering it to 16.

This is something that would impact all pupils across the nation, so therefore it's a national issue.

Pupils might investigate the role of the United Nations in conflict situations.

This impacts people on a global scale, so therefore would be an example of an international issue.

Andeep is at step one of his active citizenship project, choosing his issue.

However, he's got a little confused.

I'd like you to think about Andeep's statement and decide what is wrong with the issue he's chosen.

Andeep has said, "I think I'll focus on organising a project to plant flowers in the school garden.

It will make the school look nicer and everyone will enjoy it." Pause your video and have a think about what Andeep has got confused on.

Andeep's issue is not linked to a citizenship concept such as democracy or equality, so therefore it's not going to be appropriate for him to choose this to do his active citizenship project on.

The next stage of the project cycle is to take action.

The method of action will be decided in the planning stage and in this stage we are actually doing what we set out to do.

There are lots of different ways that action can be taken.

For example, creating and signing e-petitions, maybe going to a protest, raising awareness through social media or lobbying an MP, perhaps by writing a letter.

Laura is telling us the method of action must be appropriate for the issue.

A social media campaign for votes for 16 would reach more people on a national level compared to a poster campaign.

So we need to make sure in our planning we have matched up the type of issue we are trying to address with the type of method we're going to use.

Next, we're going to think about measuring the impact.

This is the last stage of the active citizenship cycle.

We have already decided in the planning stage how we are going to measure the impact, so therefore it's reflecting on everything we've already done.

It's really important to assess how successful a campaign is and how improvements can be made for future projects and that's what we're doing in this third and final stage.

Alex is saying, "Impact can be measured using quantitative or qualitative data or a combination of both." Quantitative data is data that can be presented in numbers or graphs.

Qualitative is giving us more quotes and is a bit deeper.

Let's do a check.

What is the second stage in the active citizenship project cycle? Pause your video and choose your answer.

The correct answer is B, taking action.

Sophia is telling us, "All three stages are needed for a successful active citizenship project." Let's put this into practise.

I'd like you to choose one of the stages in an active citizenship cycle and write down at least two reasons why that stage is important.

Jacob has given us an example to help with planning.

Jacob says, "Planning is an important stage to ensure that an appropriate issue is chosen and a clear goal is set." Pause your video and have a go at this now.

I asked you to write down two reasons as to why the stage you chose is important.

Jacob chose planning.

Did his points match yours? To ensure an appropriate issue is chosen and a goal to be achieved is decided, the most effective methods of action are selected to achieve the goal, to decide on how success will be measured.

Next, we're going to think about what skills are needed to be an active citizen.

Skills are abilities or expertise that are gained through practise or experience to perform tasks effectively.

We develop skills throughout our lives.

We might have different skills when we are at home versus what we're using at school, but these skills are transferable.

We can apply them in different or unfamiliar situations.

Aisha is giving us an example of this.

"Communication skills are important to get your message across to people." That might be really important in school, but also will be important in work.

I'd like you to fill in the missing words to complete the sentences below.

Pause your video and have a go at this now.

Let's check our answers.

Skills are abilities or expertise gained through practise or experience to perform tasks effectively.

We develop skills throughout our lives.

Skills are transferable, meaning we can apply them in different or unfamiliar situations.

Active citizens need to have a number of skills.

For example, the Oak National Academy pupils have noticed that the road crossing near their school is unsafe.

They decide to launch a campaign to make the crossing safer for students and local residents.

This is a project that is important on a local level, but they are still going to need the same skills as though they were doing it in a national level.

What type of skills might they need to get involved in this project? Take a few seconds to think.

Some of the skills might include communication.

This is sharing information effectively.

Discussion or debate.

That is exchanging and arguing ideas.

Being analytical.

That is to break down complex problems or ideas.

They would need research skills in order to gather detailed information about their project.

They would need teamwork, collaborating together towards a shared goal.

And they would also need critical thinking skills to evaluate ideas logically and see both.

Laura is telling us, "We'll need effective communication skills to ensure that everyone involved in the project understands the issue and the proposed solutions.

We must communicate clearly and persuasively in order to gather support.

Aisha is telling us, "We'll also need good analytical skills so we can break down the problem of road safety into smaller, easier to handle parts.

We might use these skills to look at traffic patterns, accident reports, and community needs in order to fully understand this issue." The pupils have already developed many of these skills and that means that because they're transferable, they can apply them to various different situations, including as an active citizen.

For example, teamwork is something that they would've used previously, maybe at school or maybe out of school.

Which of the following is not an example of a skill? Is it A, communication B, active citizen, C, teamwork or D, research? Pause the video and have a go.

The correct answer is B, active citizen.

An active citizen is a person who takes responsibility and becomes involved in an issue.

However, it is not a skill that they are demonstrating.

Let's put this into practise.

I'd like you to choose two of the skills below and explain how they might be needed to be an active citizen.

Pause your video and have a go at this.

I asked you to choose two skills and explain how they might be needed to be an active citizen.

You might have used some similar answers to Jun and Laura.

Jun has said that teamwork is needed to be an active citizen so people can work together to achieve a goal.

Tasks have me assigned based on people's interests and strengths.

Laura has chosen critical thinking and said critical thinking is needed to be an active citizen, so ideas can be scrutinised, that means looked really hard at, and the best idea or ideas can be taken forward.

Well done if you included some of that in your answer.

Last, we're gonna think about what case studies can teach us.

As we saw from our definition, a case study is a detailed examination or investigation of a person, group, or event that happens over a period of time.

Case studies are important because they provide us with real world holistic understanding of an issue.

Holistic means wider reaching.

Active citizenship is not a new concept.

There have been examples of active citizens in history from all over the world.

You probably have heard of a lot of them.

For example, Emmeline Pankhurst was an active citizen and the issue that she was supporting was women's suffrage, women's right to vote.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Was an active citizen.

The campaign that he was passionate about was civil rights for all people in the US.

Mahatma Gandhi was an active citizen.

His passion and his project was on anti-colonialism in India.

There are also many modern examples of active citizenship.

For example, Greta Thunberg, who is a young person that has a massive voice when it comes to the issue of climate change and trying to reduce it.

Another famous example is that of Sir Alan Bates, who was a former sub-postmaster and a lead campaigner for those victims of the post office scandal.

This is where sub-postmasters were accused of dishonesty and fraud, even though they hadn't done anything wrong.

Actually, it was a problem with the IT software.

Lots of people face criminal charges and he was campaigning to get them justice.

So we can see a really good example of where he used active citizenship projects to make a difference in an area that might have impacted him, but also lots of people in the community.

Let's do a check.

True or false, case studies are experiments that provide statistical data about an issue.

Pause your video and choose whether you think this is true or false.

The correct answer is false.

Case studies don't provide necessarily statistical data.

It is an in-depth investigation into a person, group or event.

They allow us to explore details holistically in a real world context so we can better understand what happened and why.

Let's do another check.

Sir Alan Bates is a modern day example of an active citizen.

What issue did he campaign for? Pause your video and choose the answer now.

The correct answer was the post office scandal.

Alan Bates campaigned for victims who were accused of being inept or corrupt rather than the post office acknowledging that their computer system was faulty.

A further example of where active citizenship is needed can be seen through the case study of Flint in America.

In the 2010s, Flint, which is found in Michigan, and you can see a picture on the map of where that is, faced a health crisis because the drinking water became contaminated with lead after the water supply was switched.

This likely caused an outbreak of bacteria that resulted in illnesses and deaths, particularly among children.

Mari Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint, campaigned for her home city during the water crisis.

She was just eight years old and she wrote a letter to President Obama about the issue.

In 2016, Obama visited Flint and pledged $100 million to help, but this wasn't enough.

Mari continued her efforts, raising funds to provide bottled water to residents in need as they weren't able to drink the water from the water supply.

You can see a picture of them there.

This example demonstrates to us that active citizenship projects are really important, whether they are on a big scale, like that example, or on a smaller scale.

They don't always attract national, international attention.

They can be on a smaller scale and that can still be really important and make a big impact in local communities.

For example, in Kent, young people have launched the Don't Disrespect campaign to tackle street harassment and violence against women and girls.

Small scale, local, active citizenship happens every single day.

Lucas, for example, has said, "I'm on my school's student council.

We campaign to reduce litter at school by fundraising for recycling bins and raising awareness of the environmental impact of littering in assemblies." These studies, like the ones that we've seen, can teach us lots of things about active citizenship and how we can follow the cycle that we learnt about earlier.

It helps us think about how issues affect people and communities in a real world context, how active citizens engage in the cycle, for example, choosing their method, what an active citizen is, what skills are needed for a successful active citizenship project, and what impact projects like these have had throughout history and around the world.

Let's do another check.

Ayesha says, "Active citizens are always famous people like Greta Thunberg who get a lot of attention." Is Ayesha correct? If not, can you correct her answer? Pause your video and have a go at this now.

Let's check our answer.

Ayesha is not quite correct.

This is because anyone can be an active citizen.

Active citizenship projects don't have to be high profile or get a lot of media attention.

They can be small scale local projects, but still have a big impact.

The key aspect is that they make a positive difference to society, no matter what size they are.

Let's put this into practise.

I'd like you to explain what case studies can teach us about active citizenship.

You might want to include some of the following in your answer.

What a case study is and why case studies are important.

Pause your video and have a go at this now.

I asked you to explain how case studies can teach us about active citizenship.

Sam says, a case study is an in-depth investigation of a person, group or event.

Case studies are important as they help us understand issues in a real world context.

Case studies are particularly useful in active citizenship because they teach us how and why an action was carried out, what skills are needed and how successful the project was.

So we can try and emulate some of that in our work.

Today we have been learning about what an active citizenship project is and what skills we need to take part in one.

We have learned that active citizens and active citizenship projects are crucial to making a positive difference in society.

There are three stages in the active citizenship project cycle, planning, taking action and measuring impact.

Many skills are needed for a project to be successful, such as teamwork and communication.

By looking at case studies, we can get a well-rounded, real world understanding of an issue.

For example, the case study of Mari Copeny who campaigned for her hometown during a water crisis.

This helps us to see how one person's effort can make a difference.

That's the end of today's lesson.

Thank you for joining me.