Political Engagement assignment

page 50-56 of PDF

Project Info:

classroom. As part of their engagement project, students may, for example:
• learn about the local manifestations of a global issue
• engage with primary and secondary sources
• explore the dynamics and consequences of decision-making on individuals and communities.

The political issue should be at the center of project planning

Students should therefore choose an engagement that helps them gain an experiential perspective on a
political issue that genuinely interests them. Often, this is likely to happen if:

• the engagement allows students to experience the dynamics of real-world politics, and to do so in a
participatory way
• the chosen political issue affects a community or a society in which the student has some personal
stake and experiences, e.g. the beach clean-up is a collective effort around a real problem in the
student’s own locality
• the engagement involves contact with others who are also interested in, or have a stake in, the
political issue.

 

Examples provided at Page 52

 

Research with the experience:

• In addition to the experiential learning students gain through their engagement project, and on
which they critically reflect, what else do they need to know and understand to be able to write a
quality evaluative analysis of their selected political issue?

the role of the research is to enhance students’
understanding of the political issue raised by their engagement, and help them answer questions that
emerge as a result of their planning, actions and discussion. Additionally, exploratory research might prove
useful for identifying possible political issues of interest or stakeholders that students could engage with.
Before carrying out formal engagement activities, students are advised to conduct preliminary research to
prepare and improve their learning experience.

 

Written Report:

In their reports, students must identify a political issue they decided to explore through the engagement
activities and explain the reasons why they wanted to get involved with this specific engagement and issue.

Instead of describing at
length what they did, the key sense in which students outline their engagement in the written report
is to analyze what it contributed to their understanding of the selected political issue.

They are expected to synthesize their insights and evaluate the political issue from multiple
perspectives.

The written report must not exceed 2,000 words

What is not included in word count: Page 54

Ethical considerations: - Page 55

They must show tact and sensitivity, respect confidentiality and acknowledge all sources used.

Further information on a list on page 55

Links to CAS page 56

CAS activities should be distinct from DP requirements, perhaps some elements pertaining to global politics are focused, while other experiential details are focused in CAS (look at 56)

 

Ideas:

• In what ways do NGOs impact government decisions on ___