This term paper states that our society needs a major emphasis on the importance of teaching the political systems to the younger generation in order to make them mature human beings. After a theoretical background about teaching politics by intertwining two subjects and a special focus on group work, I explain the plan for an introductory lesson on the British political system in eleventh grade that is subject of this term paper in detail. Apparently, teaching politics is not self-evident as it was relatively complicated to find authentic material on the topic. Based on this, it is paramount to consider different ways of giving the students an understanding of the most fundamental part of our society - the political system. The possibilities to do so form one research question I follow when writing this paper.
Most politicians, the so-called experts on our democracy, are just regular people who gained political experience by entering a political party on one or another adventurous way. The question that arises here is how these people qualified themselves to lead our country. They did not study politics or economics. So basically, what they call qualification is just the will to participate in the state’s political life. From the moment on they enter this world of politics, they seem to exclude themselves from "normal" peoples' lifes. They decide on things they barely know anything about as if they were in some way superior. As George Burns said, when politicians would ask the society for suggestions or opinions, they would finally be able to control politics in a way that is truly in favor of the people.
Table of Contents
1. Politicians - Political Gods or Regular People?
2. Didactical Background
2.1. Group Work
2.1.1. Possible Difficulties
2.1.2. Different Formats of Group Work
2.2. Fächerübergreifender Unterricht
2.3. Teaching Politics
3. Lesson Plan
3.1. Reference to the Curriculum
3.2. Teaching/Learning Objectives
3.3. Lesson Plan Version A
3.4. Bedingungsfeld- and Sachanalyse
3.4.1. Hinführung
3.4.2. Erarbeitung
3.4.3. Ergebnissicherung I
3.4.4. Vertiefung
3.4.5. Ergebnissicherung II
3.4.6. Transfer
3.5. Lesson Plan Version B
4. Comment on Possible Problems
5. Concluding Thoughts on Teaching the Political Systems
Objectives and Topics
This academic paper explores the pedagogical strategies for teaching political systems to eleventh-grade students, specifically focusing on the British political system. The primary research goal is to investigate how to effectively communicate complex political structures through student-centered learning methods and interdisciplinary approaches while overcoming the challenges of finding authentic teaching material.
- Theoretical foundations of political education and social learning.
- Implementation of diverse group work formats in the classroom.
- Integration of interdisciplinary teaching (Fächerübergreifender Unterricht).
- Practical lesson planning and differentiation strategies.
- Comparison of the German and British political systems for educational purposes.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. Group Work
Johann Friedrich Herbart coined the expression of group work at the beginning of the nineteenth century. As he was the successor of Immanuel Kant, he was working on didactics. He invented the Herbartsche Stufentheorie, theory in which the lesson is orientated to the individual student to improve his learning effectivity, amongst other things (Meyer, Theorieband 165). Psychologists differentiate between primary groups (e.g. family) and secondary groups (e.g. sports teams) and between formal and informal groups. Formal groups are structured and the members are clearly named, whereas informal groups grow slowly, unintentionally, out of social acts between people in one social group like a class in school. On a superficial level, the class is a formal group because it is put together strategically and defined by the membership of the students. Subordinately, the students form small informal, secondary groups of friends (Meyer, Praxisband 238).
According to Meyer, group work is “die in dieser Sozialform von den [SuS] und der Lehrerin geleistete zielgerichtete Arbeit, soziale Interaktion und sprachliche Verständigung“ (Meyer, Praxisband 242). That is to say, that the students and the teacher work together to achieve a goal with social interaction and oral participation of the group members.
Every social form has an individual format. Group work can be divided into an outer part and an inner part. Whilst the outer part consists of specific rules for the social-communicative situation of the lesson, the inner part handles the teaching and learning of method competences that are going to make the students act in a creative and self-determined way (Meyer, Praxisband 243).
Summary of Chapters
1. Politicians - Political Gods or Regular People?: Discusses the necessity of political education for young people to foster maturity and critical thinking regarding democratic systems.
2. Didactical Background: Provides a theoretical framework on educational socialization, group work methodology, and the pedagogical value of interdisciplinary teaching.
3. Lesson Plan: Details the structural design of an introductory lesson on the British political system, including learning objectives, curriculum alignment, and specific procedural phases.
4. Comment on Possible Problems: Analyzes potential classroom challenges and technical obstacles, offering mitigation strategies and alternative lesson planning paths.
5. Concluding Thoughts on Teaching the Political Systems: Synthesizes the importance of teaching political literacy for societal stability and reflects on the broader pedagogical impact of the lesson.
Keywords
Political system, Didactics, Group work, British political system, Interdisciplinary teaching, Classroom management, Secondary school, Curriculum, Parliamentary democracy, Political literacy, Social competence, Learner types, Lesson planning, Jigsaw method, Civic education.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The paper focuses on developing a pedagogical approach to teaching the British political system to eleventh-grade students, using interdisciplinary methods and structured group work.
What are the primary themes covered?
Key themes include group work strategies, the importance of interdisciplinary subject integration, lesson planning theory, and the specific structural analysis of the British political system.
What is the ultimate goal of the lesson plan presented?
The goal is to enable students to understand the British political system, compare it to the German system, and develop political maturity and critical engagement.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The paper utilizes didactical theory from scholars like Hilbert Meyer and Engelbert Thaler, applying their frameworks to practical lesson design and teacher-centered classroom management.
What does the main body address?
It provides a theoretical background on social learning, describes concrete lesson phases (Version A and B), and evaluates specific group work formats like Jigsaw and Placemat.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include political system, didactics, group work, interdisciplinary teaching, and civic education.
Why are two versions of the lesson plan provided?
Version A is the standard plan, while Version B is designed to accommodate restless or noisy classes, providing the teacher with necessary flexibility.
How is the "Fächerübergreifender Unterricht" (interdisciplinary teaching) integrated?
The lesson builds upon students' prior knowledge of the German political system acquired in "Sozialkunde", systematically connecting subjects to broaden their conceptual understanding.
What specific group work format is recommended for the deep-dive phase?
The author recommends the Jigsaw (group puzzle) method for the "Vertiefung" phase to ensure that every student actively contributes to the collective understanding of the British system.
- Citation du texte
- Johanna Gruber (Auteur), 2019, The Political System of the United Kingdom. A Lesson Plan for the 11th Grade, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/505428
