Learning Goal: To express our thoughts and opinions in role as characters making a decision about our town, using oral, written, and/or graphic forms.
Minds On
Spectrum of Difference > Fold the Line > Stating our Concerns
Invite students to take their places once again on the spectrum of difference from last class, and summarize some of the concerns and questions we had after our meeting with the Mayor.
Why did some of you think this could be a good thing for our community?
Who was opposed to it, and why?
Fold the line, creating two lines of students facing each other. Students should be standing opposite someone with a different point of view than their own. Ask them to discuss their feelings with their partner.
What will you say when you meet the head of the City Company?
What information did we find that could impact our community?
Distribute index cards and ask students to work with their partners to create some talking points for their role play. Provide sentence starters such as:
One reason I think the amusement park development is a good idea is . . .
This would benefit me because . . .
One concern I have is . . .
This development could have a negative impact on our community because . . .
Circulate and check in with students, providing additional assistance to students who might need it. Encourage students to use the findings from their inquiry research in their talking points.
Action!
Whole Group Role Play > Meeting with the City Company
Inform students that there will be a meeting with the head of the City Company at the local Town Hall. This is an opportunity for the town members to express their opinions and ask questions about the proposal to build an indoor amusement park in Milford.
Remind students of their Two Stars and a Wish goals from last class before we begin today’s role play. What did you do well? What do you want to say or do differently?
Consider recording this session for assessment, using the Role Play Rubric (CODE Resource)
Use teacher in role or stranger in role (such as the vice principal or a parent) as the head of the City Company. When she enters, she should be highly charismatic and charming, but perhaps a little bit over-the-top, as if the proposal is a ‘done deal.’
Some talking points to spur students’ thinking and provoke debate:
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The development will bring many jobs to Milford. We all know farming is a tough profession. Maybe it’s better to turn our farms into recreation sites for tourism? This has worked for cities, why not for Milford?
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We all know that life in small towns can be very boring, especially for young people. There isn’t much to do. The amusement park will be great fun, and even provide them with part-time jobs.
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In order to build the development, the City Company will be looking for land and will want to buy up some farms, and perhaps even build a bigger highway through Milford so that people from the city can easily reach it. This might mean years of construction, but even more jobs.
Try to encourage debate about the ethical dimension of this proposal. For example:
Does this project actually benefit the city more than the country?
Will it change our way of live for the worse?
What might happen to our lands, animals, nature, and water?
Do we actually have the right to make these decisions?
What about our local First Nations community-- is this their sacred land? Do we have an obligation to protect it?
These are just some of the directions in which the role play could move.
To help students consolidate their ideas, periodically ‘step out’ of the role play. Cue students to find a partner or small group and discuss reflect on what is happening.
Reflection Questions
What points are being raised?
What new information are we learning?
What new concerns or questions do we have?
How are we feeling about the head of City Company: is she telling us the truth?
Does she have our best interests in mind?
As the role play is winding down, the head of the City Company should find a reason to leave, telling the town she is looking forward to hearing their decision about the proposal. She will be in touch with the Mayor in a week’s time.
Consolidation
Spectrum of Difference > Have Our Minds Changed?
After the role play, ask students to share some of their reflective discussion from the role play, based on the preceding questions. Write down some of these arguments for and against on chart paper.
Ask students to return to the spectrum of difference out of role, based on their personal feelings. Do you think this development is a good idea? Why or why not? Have volunteers explain their choices, making clear links to the arguments that were raised during the role play. Continue recording these ideas on paper for use in the culminating task.
Pro and Con > Tableaux or Writing in Role > Our Hopes and Fears
Invite students to summarize their feelings about the proposal, giving them differentiated choices. For example:
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A Pro and Con chart with specific reasons for and against the development
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A paragraph written in role from the point of view of their character in the role play
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In a small group, two tableaux that illustrate the townspeople’s hopes and fears about the development
Introduction of Culminating Task
The culminating task for this unit will help to influence the Mayor’s decision about the City Company’s proposal. Students can choose one of the two tasks, or the teacher might decide to focus on just one. The task should be completed in subsequent literacy blocks.
Task 1: A Persuasive Letter to the Mayor
Each student will write a letter to the Mayor in role as their character in the town. In the letter, they will try to persuade the Mayor to approve or decline the project to build an amusement park in Milford, using specific evidence to support their point of view.
See the organizers and self-assessment from A Guide to Effective Instruction in Writing, Ontario Ministry of Education (2005), 6.16 Persuasive Letter Planner and Self-Assessment
Task 2: A Brochure of Our Town
Students will create brochures of the town of Milford, using a graphic layout with images and words. The brochure should show us what they want their town to be, making connections to the regional aspects we have discussed, such as resources, jobs, and recreation. It may or may not include an indoor amusement park!
After students have completed their Culminating Tasks, they should ‘deliver’ them to the Mayor (consider creating a mailbox for student drop-offs).
After the teacher has evaluated the final tasks, she will arrive in role as the Mayor to share their work. The Mayor will ask students to explain their choices and read selections from their assignments, and each student will complete a Two Stars and a Wish self-assessment based on their work.
Finally, the class will conduct a final spectrum of difference activity and vote on whether or not they want to accept the City Company’s proposal.