Implementation

The Process

This project is designed for a secondary United States Government class, but it may also be applicable to History and English classes. The WebQuest itself requires two class periods to complete, followed by a third day of 5-8 minute student presentations.

Day 1:

Let the students divide themselves into groups of three.
Each student will then choose one of three focus areas for their research:
The WebQuest provides resources for each student to research his or her focus area.
As the students explore their focus areas, they answer the following questions to guide their research:

In one paragraph, explain the general process of your area of civil disobedience. Does the civil disobedience include large groups of people? Was there a specific leader involved? Was the civil disobedience incorporated into daily life?

In one or two paragraphs, explain the consequences of the civil disobedience you researched. Were people who participated in your civil disobedience focus area arrested? Did society look down on people who participated? Was the civil disobedience successful in enacting change? What barriers did people using civil disobedience face?

Develop a plan based upon your focus area of civil disobedience that applies to the invasion of privacy affecting you and your peers. This should be a detailed plan that reflects thorough understanding of the steps and ideas from your research.

Decide whether or not you think the plan you devised will work. Do you think that the ideas and practices of the civil disobedience you researched are applicable to your situation?

Day 2:

At the beginning of class, collect one copy of each student’s responses to the individual research questions.
Today the students will reconvene with their groups and share their answers to the guiding research questions for their focus area.
Once they have shared their research, the group will work together to create their own original definition of CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. The approximate length is one paragraph, and their response should cover all aspects of civil disobedience that the students feel are important. Each group will submit one typed copy of their group’s definition to the teacher by the end of class.
Next, the students will work within their groups to create a plan of action in response to the school’s invasion of privacy. This should be a detailed and strategic plan of how the students will protest against the school administration and local police. The students may choose one of the following three ways to plan their response:
It is now time for your team to create a plan of action against your school’s profiling. This is a very detailed and strategic plan of how you will protest and gain public support against school administration and local police. This plan should reflect the research that you have done. Your teams can choose three ways to plan:

Your team can vote on and accept one team member's plan and use it as a basis for your own strategy against the policy.
Your team can decide to combine two, three, or all of the focus areas into one plan.
Your team can decide that none of the focus areas are appropriate for your situation. This means that your team's plan will be original.

Each plan should include at least two pages of strategy, including locations, participants, projected cost, and time. The students will also have to provide at least one page of justification for their decision, explaining why they made their particular decisions. Finally, each group should write at least one page describing what they hope to achieve from their plan and the consequences that may occur. This plan of action will be submitted to the teacher for grading.
Next, each team will imagine themselves the day after their protests are completed. The students will discuss in their groups the results of their acts of civil disobedience. Questions the students will consider include: What did people think and how did they react? Were you arrested for your actions? Do you feel you accomplished your goal? What were the consequences of your actions?

Day 3: Presentations

The third day of class will be spent doing student group presentations.
Each group is responsible for a 5-8 minute creative presentation explaining their plan of action in response to the new school policy.
Creative presentation ideas include acting out a television news program on the demonstration, a radio show, a skit, or an interview.
All members of the group must participate in the presentation.
The presentation must be pre-approved by the teacher.
On the day of the presentation, the groups are to turn in all research and essays to the teacher with their group members’ names clearly written on the sheets.