Introduction – vote with your feet

This activity may contribute to student portfolios.

1. Post selected services around the room (Resource 1 – PDF, 81KBExternal Link).
2. Students think about the BEST service in their school or community and vote by standing next to the word.
3. For each service, ask:    
   • Why did you make that choice?
   • Was it hard to choose just one? Why?
   • Which is the most popular service?
    
4. Students complete Resource 2: collecting and displaying data (text version) or PDF (71KB)External Link.
5. Discuss student answers to the following:    
   • If the local council was going to provide one service, which one should they choose? Why/why not?
   • What might happen if the council listened to the most influential people in the community and selected the least popular service to fund?
   • Why should the council consider these consequences when making funding decisions?
    

Teacher tip

Ideally, post photographs of services that are provided in the local community.

My local community – audit and wish list

1. Invite students to audit the services available in their school or local community (Refer students to Topic 4, Activity 5 as a starting point). 

Teacher tip

Use a local map, organise an excursion or invite a local councillor.

2. Ask:    
   • Are there things missing that you would like to see in your school or local community? For example, a library, skate park, playground, water fountain, more trees, cleaner streets, bike path. Record the wish list on the board.
   • Are they wants or needs?
   • Who would agree with your choice? Who would disagree?
    

Our project – letter writing

This activity may contribute to student portfolios.

1. Work with students to decide on a service that would improve the local community, and requires council funding.
2. Explain to students that they will each write a letter to the local council to request funding.
3. Explain some of the strategies they might use when writing a persuasive letter (Resource 3: persuasive letter strategies visualiser (text version) or PDF (84KB)External Link).
4. Give each student the persuasive letter template (Resource 4 – PDF, 82KBExternal Link) to scaffold their writing of a letter.
5. Each student drafts, edits and word processes a letter to the local council outlining their idea and requesting council funding. 

Teacher tip

This is a hypothetical exercise and not intended for letters to be sent to council. Encourage students to share their letters within the classroom.

What might others need? – give and take of diversity

1. Discuss:    
   • Just like every member of the class has a right to belong and we as class members have a responsibility to ensure everyone feels like they belong, members of the broader community have a right to feel like they belong and also have responsibilities.
    
2. Model scenario one from Resource 5: scenarios (text version) or PDF (82KB)External Link with the class.
3. In pairs, students read scenarios 2, 3 and 4 and note what each character might need and want and what they could do to contribute.
4. Ask:    
   • What could you do to contribute to your school or community or to make sure others felt like they belonged?
    

My contribution – deciding what, why and how

This activity may contribute to student portfolios.

1. Share ideas about what students their age could do to contribute to their community. Ideas might include:    
   • Help at a sausage sizzle.
   • Read a story to younger students.
   • Sell badges on Anzac Day.
   • Read to, or visit people in a nursing home.
   • Pick up litter in my street or school.
   • Lead a fun activity for Year 1 students at lunch time.
   • Collect canned food and donate to charity.
   • Grow and share vegetables.
   • Draw special pictures for children in hospital.
   • Write thank you notes to people who’ve helped you.
   • Donate your toys to goodwill.
    
2. Students select one idea and explain how and why this will contribute to their community.
3. Students create a plan on how they might achieve their project. Students can use Resource 6: scenarios – possible answers (text version), PDF (84KB)External Link or ICT to create their plans.
4. If possible, allow students to implement their plan.

Reflection – presentation

This activity may contribute to student portfolios.

1. Students reflect on the action they were able to take using the prompts:    
   • What went well…
   • It would have been even better if...
    
2. Invite parents, members from the community and/or other classes to a session where students share their plans and/or experience and reflections of contributing to the community. 

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• Years 3–4