Developing Critical Literacy

[kstange]

Subject: Integrated Science
Topic: Pollution
Subtopic: Effects of Pollution on the environment
Age Group: Form 2 (13-14 years)

Deconstruction: Students will view a video about the causes and effects of pollution and what is being or can be done to curb the problem. the ideas from the video will be discussed as a class and the students will be thoroughly questioned about what they viewed. The students will then be placed in groups of six where they will develop a short role play. in it they must depict the causes and effects of pollution as highlighted by the video. They must also depict the possible solutions for the problem, according to the video.

Link for video- www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwM9_3thvss

Reconstruction: Students will create fliers that express the causes and effects of pollution and what can be done to solve the problem.

Social Change: Students can host a mini anti pollution campaign and use the fliers they created to help push forward their ideas.

Impressive presentations by TEdward and GJames in particular. The topics explored in both cases are pressing social issues that would really hit home.

[cwinter]

Subject: Mathematics
Topic: Algebra- Solving equations
Age Group: 13-15 years (Grade 8)

Type of text: Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2TYyUftI8k&feature=related

Step one: Deconstruction
Students will observe the video on how to solve an equation in the perspective of the variable who wants to know what's its value and a constant who is helping him. Students will then note down all the help that the variable is given by the constant and then engage in making connections and disconnections in a discussion where students are asked based on what they know about equations what advice given by the constant would they have given the variable as well and what advice given was different to the advice they would have given.

Step two: Reconstruction
Students are then given the role of the equal sign and asked to help the variable instead to find out its value by means of their own song (RAFT)

Step three: Social action
Students each find one person in their community who have done Mathematics at school successfully to interview. They are to ask this person what they know about solving equations, how would they explain the steps to find the value of a variable and where have they met solving equations in life since they've learned this concept.