Lesson
Materials (word document)
Day
1
AIM
Students
become familiar with the origins and history of CFE v. The State of
New York. Students understand the right to a “sound basic education”
and assess their own experience.
Standards
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York State
Standard 4: Economics
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship and Government
Materials
CFE Timeline (see Lesson Materials), Surveys.
Do Now
Students have 5 silent minutes to answer the following question:
Imagine you are our school’s principal. You are given extra
money from New York State. What is the one best way you could spend
the money to improve learning at our school?
Mini Lesson
Teacher uses the CFE timeline to engage students in a brief discussion
of CFE v. The State of New York.
Activity: Students are divided into 3 equal groups. Each group is assigned an
area of central importance to a “sound basic education”
(As defined by the New York State Court of Appeals in June, 2003).
Group 1: High-quality
teaching.
Group 2: Small class sizes.
Group 3: Adequate classroom supplies, textbooks, libraries and computers.
Students then
conduct interviews with their classmates. Each group is given a question
concerning “what does this right look like?” Students
have 15 minutes to interview a minimum of 5 students from the other
two groups and record their responses.
Interview
Questions:
Group 1: What does a “high-quality teacher” look
like? What do they do?
Group 2: What does a “small class” look like?
How many students should be in each class in order to give everyone
a “sound basic education?”
Group 3: What do “adequate supplies” look like?
What items must a school have in order to give everyone a “sound
basic education?”
Homework
Students must interview a minimum of 3 more students outside of the
class and record the results.
Day 2
AIM
Students understand the right to a “sound basic education”
and assess their own experience.
Standards
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York State
Standard 4: Economics
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship and Government
Materials
Poster paper, markers.
Do Now
Students have 5 silent minutes to answer the following question:
Based on the interviews you conducted, what do your classmates believe
our school needs?
Activity
Students return to their groups to discuss the results of their interviews.
Each group combines their results and agrees upon what their area
“looks like.” Each group then discusses how our school
measures up. Does our school fit the group’s definition of a
“sound basic education?” Each group then discusses what
our school needs in order to meet the requirement of a “sound
basic education,” based upon their definition.
Each group then
records their findings on a poster. Posters must be headed with their
group’s assigned area and divided into 3 sections: What does
the right look like? What does our school have? What specific things
does our school need or need to do in order to meet this requirement
(not just “more money,” get specific)?
Share
Groups present their findings to the rest of the class and discuss
what they observed and what our school needs.
Teachers are encouraged
to display student posters in common school areas.
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