Citizenship Focus Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT)
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1. Latest News
MAKE SURE YOU RENEW YOUR ACT MEMBERSHIP FOR THIS YEAR
If you have not received an invoice please let us know by replying to this email.
In addition to all the benefits of being an ACT member, membership also allows you FREE use of Mi-Voice voting and consultation software and a 10% discount on www.CitizenshipTeacher.co.uk. This year members can also access the members only area of the ACT website once they have signed up and paid. Your membership will only be active once we've received your payment. £50 secondary school, £30 primary school and £40 personal membership.
We think it's a VERY good deal for you and we hope you agree.
ACT Southwest Conference and Plymouth LA hold joint event, Saltash, Cornwall 17th October
Citizenship into the 21st Century:A Challenge for School Leaders is the title of this conference. Delegates will have the opportunity to consider:
Citizenship as a route to school improvement - a challenge for school leadership
Embedding Citizenship throughout the school
Practical ideas for implementing the new Citizenship programmes
Citizenship and the duty to promote community cohesion.
The Keynote speaker is Sir Keith Ajegbo, with support from - Janet Palmer, HMI, Liz Craft from QCA, Chris Waller from ACT and Pete Pattisson, National Subject Lead at ACT. Delegate cost 75GBP, additional teachers from the same school 30GBP. Plymouth schools only- free place for Head teacher or Deputy Head when accompanying Citizenship coordinator. More details from Karl Sweeney Adviser for Citizenship, PSHEE and Healthy Schools phone 01752 307489 or ACT Southwest Webpage.
ACT Southeast Conference 2008 at Portsmouth on Friday 28th November 2008. This is our annual conference in the Southwest. This year it will be organised in partnership with Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth LAs. This will be a cross phase conference considering three themed activities: 1. Diversity and Identity - a focus on Europe, 2. Rights and Responsibilities - a focus on political literacy, 3. Taking informed and responsible action - with a focus on volunteering, campaigning and giving. The conference will give an opportunity to discuss teaching approaches, reflect on practice and share experience. Cost per delegate £30. For a flier or for more information see the ACT Southeast webpage.
2. October Feature: Local Democracy Week
BACKGROUND
Local Democracy week is 13th-18th October this year. This is an opportunity for teachers and schools to consider their roles in the local community and to consider their commitment to engagement in local democracy. Why don't you kick start the week by asking your pupils to investigate a local issue that affects them and to find out who the responsible councillor is. This could lead to the pupils inviting the councillor into school to discuss these issues and make a positive change to the local environment. Alternatively the class could arrange for a trip to your town hall or even to the national parliament in London.
CASESTUDY
from Emmajane McNulty, Citizenship co-ordinator at Kirk Balk School in Barnsley
On Wednesday a group of 25 students interviewed the police authority. On Thursday a different group interviewed the Director General of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority and on Friday a different group will interview Michael Clapham MP. In their Citizenship lessons the students have been learning about democracy and preparing suitable questions for these people. The plan is for young people to have their say and talk about issues which concern them. On all the occasions we have also had councillors from Barnsley involved in answering questions. The webcasts have gone really well so far. They are available to watch at http://www.kirkbalk.public-i.tv . Our students have enjoyed the experience immensely and I hope that it will give them a greater sense of what being in a democracy means and how they can have their say at a local level.
RESOURCES
PRIMARY
Local councillors should be happy to engage with young people - also very young people. If they need help with knowing what to say or how to engage, the Local Government Association have produced guides for them. See here
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association have produced information for schools to help young people communicate with councillors. There's a local democracy "how to guide" for Citizenship teachers to help you teach local democracy in a valuable way. The resource can be downloaded at http://localdemocracy.lga.gov.uk/ They also have an ideas page here.
Local Democracy Campaign
For more information on the Local Democracy Campaign visit the website at www.localdemocracy.org.uk.
Find who your councillors are here http://www.councillor.gov.uk/
Local Council's website
Try your local council's website to see what they're doing for Local Democracy Week. ACT knows about several local councils that have excellent resources for Citizenship teachers. We also know of some where these resources are sadly lacking! Let us know if you use your local council's resources. Positive and negative feedback is always welcome here at ACT.
SECONDARY
The Local Government Association have produced information for schools to help young people communicate with councillors! They have produced excellent information for councillors to help them include young people as part of their duty to consult. There's a local democracy "how to guide" for Citizenship teachers to help you teach local democracy in a valuable way. The resource can be downloaded at http://localdemocracy.lga.gov.uk/ They also have an ideas page here
Local Democracy Campaign
For more information on the Local Democracy Campaign visit the website at www.localdemocracy.org.uk.
Find who your councillors are here http://www.councillor.gov.uk/
Local Council's website
Try your local council's website to see what they're doing for Local Democracy Week. ACT knows about several local councils that have excellent resources for Citizenship teachers. We also know of some where these resources are sadly lacking! Let us know if you use your local council's resources. Positive and negative feedback is always welcome here at ACT.
Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission aims to ensure public confidence and participation in the democratic process through electoral modernisation and promotion. Have a look at the Electoral Commission's www.dopolitics.org.uk website where there are many resources for teachers and if you don't already have a copy of their resource "Democracy Cookbook" ACT recommends you get one! (Available in hard copy only.)
Operation Black Vote
Operation Black Vote is a non-party political campaign, supported by a broad coalition of mainly Black organisations. ACT recommends their Guide to Democracy and the Projects and Schemes. www.obv.org.uk
Hansard Society
The Hansard Society have some excellent teaching resources, for example the Y Vote Mock Elections which bring the principles of democracy, parliament and government to life. Mock elections engage students with issues around them by giving them the opportunity to stand as party candidates, run campaigns and vote, in a mock election. It's free to get involved and a step by step teacher guide, full resources and a dedicated student area can all be found at www.mockelections.co.uk
NB
The contents of previous editions of Citizenship Focus, including recommended resources, can be accessed through ACT's website at www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk
3. Diary Dates, Events and Information
New resource for KS3-4 Art & Design, RE, History and Citizenship from the British Museum
Discover the Arab World is a free resource produced in consultation with educators, museum professionals and experts. It will support teachers in exploring relevant and challenging issues about the Arab world and help to develop a greater understanding of Arab culture among students. The resource uses objects from the British Museum's unique collection to explore many aspects of this diverse, complex and fascinating region.It is designed to highlight important key themes, providing a platform for students to research, debate and discover the Arab world for themselves. The resource is available online at www.britishmuseum.org/schools
If you require any further information or have any more questions, please do not not hesitate to contact me. Alternatively, you can visit our website, where you can find the 2008/9 programme for schools and teachers.
www.britishmuseum.org/schools
International School Twinning
The International Twinning Program for School Development in Romania facilitates the contacts between approximately 495 schools from Romania assisted within the Knowledge Economy project. The schools are encouraged to find twinning partners and subsequently develop projects, with a view to establishing sustainable development practices. All the twinning projects will be based on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) including mobile phones, the internet and applications such as email or instant messaging programs. If you're interested in joining this programme and find a partner school from Romania, please register at http://scoli.ecomunitate.ro/
Citizenship Challenge Awards
Do you want to win an award to undertake a Citizenship Challenge in your school? Ten £500 awards are available for English primary or secondary schools whose pupils:
Tackle a currnet issue in their community
Consult with others on the ned for this challenge
Lead and manage it themselves
Evaluate its impact
This award is being run by Community Service Volulnteers and ACT as part of the celebrations of 10 years of Citizenship education. The application form is here online and further information will be at www.csvcommunitypartners.org.uk from 12th September. Closing date for applications Friday 14th November.
'Look at it this way': Citizenship short film competition - exploring learner voice through film
A chance for learners to tell us how they experience 'learner voice' and to give advice on listening to their views more effectively. PRIZES include an intensive film training experience with the professionals, video cameras and the opportunity to attend a high-profile celebration event in London in February 2009. Winning entries will also feature in a training DVD for staff which can really make a difference. Young people from all settings and programme types across post-16 education and training are invited to present their views through film, on how to give all learners a louder and more effective voice in their learning and more widely across their organisation. For full information please download Information for organisers and the learners' pack, A guide to entering. If you would like to enter, you are asked to complete and return an initial Expression of interest form by Friday 17 October 2008. For further information or any queries about the competition please visit the LSN website, call 02... or email citizenship@lsneducation.org.uk.
Understanding Rights Guides
Participation Works have written introductory guides for children and young people to help them understand their rights to be heard in different situation including at school, when in contact with the law, health and children's services. The rights guides have now been uploaded to the gateway and can be downloaded from the page below: http://www.participationworks.org.uk
You can also access them via the Participation Works Resources page under the 'Listen and Change' tab from the link http://www.participationworks.org.uk
Enthusiasm for Youth and Philanthropy Initiative
"The overwhelming feedback from students is one of enthusiasm for and interest in YPI and this way of learning." Thus found the independent evaluation of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) for 2007-2008, its inaugural year in UK schools. YPI gives secondary school students a hands-on experience of philanthropy through which they analyse the social needs of their communities. Teams of pupils in each school build relations with local charities and compete for the opportunity to grant £3,000 to the local charity they believe is doing the best work. For further information about YPI, including the evaluation, please visit www.instituteforphilanthropy.org.uk.
THE CITIZEN is a monthly time-saver for teachers packed with ready-to-go quizzes based on relevant items from the previous month's news. Even pupils with no background knowledge can use the clues, codes, etc. to work out the answers. Moreover, an answer sheet is included so no preparation is required from you. THE CITIZEN is perfect for general class work, extension material or homework and is an absolute godsend when members of staff are absent. Published by teachers, the annual subscription is £30 with a £5 discount for ACT members. You can download a free sample from the following website: www.schoolsproject.co.uk
Diploma in Humanities and Social Science
We are at the early stages of designing the Diploma in Humanities and Social Science (working title) and you can help us develop initial ideas about the structure, themes and topics by taking part in our online questionnaires at www.ccskills.org.uk/diploma Results of this consultation will help us to design the draft Diploma, and in January we will hold further consultation events and a further online survey to get your thoughts about what the Diploma draft should look like. If you have any questions please contact the project team on diploma@ccskills.org.uk
FREE student leadership training day
CSV and the UFA are offering a FREE taster day to schools interested in finding out more about the Student Leadership programme which links closely with active citizenship. They'll be launching a new 2-day course to those who can join them, on Friday 17th October at the Resource Centre, Holloway Road, Islington. Contact Nadia at education@csv.org.uk for further details
Play Your Part: A new Active Citizenship toolkit for teachers
The Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) and CSV have developed an online active citizenship toolkit that supports teachers to encourage pupils to play an active role in community projects - http://citizenship.ascskills.org.uk. The Play your Part website includes ideas, resources, activities and teaching aids designed to raise awareness of sustainable communities, inspire young people to play a part in improving their communities and develop the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to devise and run successful citizenship projects. The site includes four main areas: 1. What makes a good community? 2. What can we do to improve our communities? 3. Planning and carrying out an active citizenship project and 4. Celebrate and evaluate. The toolkit can be downloaded free of charge and used to support Citizenship, Drama, Geography and PSHE lessons.
FREE Local Democracy Teaching Pack
Research shows that only around a third of young people have ever met a politician - and that only around a third of young people think it's improtant to vote in local and national elections. Guess what? Its the same third of young people who've had contact with politics who think its important to get involved. That's why the Local Government Association has produced a guide of tried and tested citizenship lesson ideas to bring schools and local politics together. There are ideas for all ages and all lesson types - from mock elections to political speed dating. The guide will be posted out to all schools this month and is available online here http://localdemocracy.lga.gov.uk. For further details contact the LGA on 020 76... / info@lga.gov.uk
Make a Difference Day
On and around October 25th this year, people across the country will be organising activities for CSV Make a Difference Day, the largest single day of volunteering in the UK. Activities can be anything voluntary, so it's a fantastic opportunity to get people in your area involved in volunteering! To register an activity and claim free resources, visit our website (www.csv.org.uk/difference) or call FREEPHONE 0800 284533 .
Campaign! Make an Impact is a innovative British Library led project which inspires young people about historical campaigns through museum and library collections. Using their new skills children plan and run campaigns about issues which affect them today. So far children have used the abolition of the slave trade, suffragettes and public health campaigns to stimulate innovative campaigns about child abuse, racism, knife crime, litter, school food and lack of out of school activities. We are now looking for schools to pilot resources before March 2009 which will form part of a new British Library website based around history and citizenship. Small grants are available to cover costs. For further information go to www.bl.uk/campaign and contact Alison Bodley, Campaign! Make an Impact Project Manager aabodley@tiscali.co.uk
Educational Resources: China - Snapshots in Time
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) has recently launched new learning resources to accompany its exhibition on China entitled 'China - Snapshots in Time'. Resources target the Key Stage 2 and 3 Geography, History & Citizenship curricula and can be accessed by visiting the 'Unlocking the Archives' website for schools at www.unlockingthearchives.rgs.org Show an exhibition at your school! Many of the exhibitions developed by the Society can be hired by schools to display free of charge. Further details can be obtained by contacting the Project Co-ordinator on 0207 591 3052 or by visiting www.rgs.org/WhatsOn/Exhibitions/Exhibitions.htm Further information available from the eduaction officer at uta@rgs.org
Your Parliament Exhibition
This exhibition aims to promote our parliamentary democracy and encourage positive citizenship. The exhibition is specifically aimed at secondary school children and is free and fully open to the public. It's taking place in Westminster Hall (in Parliament) from Monday 2nd June to Friday 3rd October 2008. There will also be a schools outreach programme where materials are supplied to schools to promote debating on key issues in the classroom. Moreover, as the centerpiece of the exhibition is a mock-up of the commons debating chamber schools are invited to book a time in the chamber (where the Parliament Education service are working to link the school with their relevant MP) to come and hold their debate in Parliament itself! To book a free debating session please call Parliament's Education Service on 020 7219 4496. More information can be found at www.yourparliament.co.uk Take a look at 'Hot Topics' for information on some of today's big issues.
RSPCA Education gets in on the Act
RSPCA Education has launched five FREE Animals and the law resources for teachers, that can be used for Key stage 3 Citizenship lessons. The thought-provoking activities explore how the Animal Welfare Act 2006 protects pets and other animals and encourages students to lead their own campaigns in support of animal welfare. The resources include factsheets, teachers' notes and a colour photo pack with supporting animal welfare points. Visit: www.rspca.org.uk/education
ACT Southwest Conference and Plymouth LA hold joint event, Saltash, Cornwall 17th October
Citizenship into the 21st Century:A Challenge for School Leaders is the title of this conference. Delegates will have the opportunity to consider:
Citizenship as a route to school improvement - a challenge for school leadership
Embedding Citizenship throughout the school
Practical ideas for implementing the new Citizenship programmes
Citizenship and the duty to promote community cohesion.
The Keynote speaker is Sir Keith Ajegbo, with support from - Janet Palmer, HMI, Liz Craft from QCA, Chris Waller from ACT and Pete Pattisson, National Subject Lead at ACT. Delegate cost 75GBP, additional teachers from the same school 30GBP. Plymouth schools only- free place for Head teacher or Deputy Head when accompanying Citizenship coordinator. More details from Karl Sweeney Adviser for Citizenship, PSHEE and Healthy Schools phone 01752 307489 or ACT Southwest Webpage
ACT Southeast Conference 2008 at Portsmouth on Friday 28th November 2008. This is our annual conference in the Southwest. This year it will be organised in partnership with Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth LAs. This will be a cross phase conference considering three themed activities: 1. Diversity and Identity - a focus on Europe, 2. Rights and Responsibilities - a focus on political literacy, 3. Taking informed and responsible action - with a focus on volunteering, campaigning and giving. The conference will give an opportunity to discuss teaching approaches, reflect on practice and share experience. Cost per delegate £30. For a flier or for more information see the ACT Southeast webpage
4. Contact ACT
Roy Honeybone, Editor Teaching Citizenship
Roy.Honeybone@yahoo.co.uk
Pete Pattisson, National Subject Lead
Pete.Pattisson@teachingcitizenship.org.uk
Millicent Scott, Development Officer
Millicent.Scott@teachingcitizenship.org.uk
Chris Waller, Professional Officer
Chris.Waller@teachingcitizenship.org.uk
Anna Amanuel, Membership and Finance Officer
Anna.Amanuel@teachingcitizenship.org.uk
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