Your rules in the park

Context

The problems presented in this learning object require discussion about social situations and etiquette. Areas to be discussed include:

• how families, groups, communities and nations make rules

• how cultural issues can affect how decisions and rules are made

• multicultural nations and how this could impact on law making.

Opportunities for Civics and Citizenship learning

‘Your rules in the park’ provides opportunities for students to:

• examine situations to do with conflict and conflict resolution

• determine the process for addressing situations that involve conflict

• create rules for addressing conflict or disagreement

• establish a code of behaviour for the classroom or schoolyard

• consider the rights of individuals in relation to those of groups

• recognise how cultural diversity might affect perspectives on rules. 

Ideas for the classroom

• Explain to students that they will be looking at a number of conflict issues occurring in a park.

• Ask students to suggest how they should approach the process of making a decision about each situation addressed in the resource. These protocols should be documented so that students can refer back to them.

• Ask students to complete the learning object. Once completed, go back through the object asking for suggested resolutions to the conflicts. Taking their answers into consideration, ask students to suggest a list of rules to be adhered to when playing in the park.

• Use a similar process to discuss and establish a code of behaviour in the classroom or the schoolyard. Include in the discussion the rights of individuals versus the rights of the group. Discuss cultural diversity and, for example, religious practices, considering how this might impact on rules. Issues such as these will need to be approached with sensitivity.