Grade 8 - Self and Society (Working Together)

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

• use various strategies to prompt and support others
• use various strategies to resolve conflicts, solve problems, and build consensus
• evaluate group processes and their own contributions to them by using established criteria

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Self and Society (Working Together) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Arrange students in groups and assign each student a role, such as "the boss," "the helper," or "the silent person." Give each group a simple task, such as putting a puzzle together, and have students complete the task in role. Then conduct a class discussion about what it feels like to play each role, asking students to consider how their roles helped or hindered their groups.
• Present students with this problem: You are working in a group. One member is not participating or not doing a fair share of the work. What could help solve this problem?
• Have students consider the expression "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" and then answer these questions:
  • Is this expression true?
  • How do names affect the way we respond to people (e.g., in The Outsiders )?
  With students, brainstorm the ways language can be used to hurt someone. Ask them to find supportive comments to replace hurtful ones.
• Help students reflect on their participation in various group activities, using such questions as:
  • How do you encourage others to participate?
  • What do you do about the person who wants to do everything?
  • How do you resolve conflict?
  Model appropriate questions to help students understand how their behaviours influence their groups and how to work well with others.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• When students discuss and analyse their role plays concerning conflict situations and different opinions, look for evidence that they are able to:
  • offer constructive suggestions
  • recognize the responsibility of all participants
  • consider more than one way of dealing with a situation
  • be flexible and open to suggestions from other students
  • build on the contributions others offer
• Have students collaboratively develop a set of expectations and criteria for working in groups. Use these criteria to create a rating scale or observation form that students can use to analyse their groups. From time to time, assign a student or group of students to observe and offer feedback to another group.
• After students have participated in group work, provide prompts to help them assess their participation. For example:
  • Today, I contributed to the group's work by __________.
  • I supported and encouraged (name) when I __________.
  • I helped solve a problem when I __________.
  • Overall, I would describe my group work today as __________.
  Review and respond to students' reflections from time to time.

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

• The 21st Century Dictionary of Quotations
• 3-D English
• Beyond Chalk & Talk
• The Issues Collection
• "Just Talking About Ourselves": Voices of Our Youth
• Literature Circles
• Mini Anthologies - Grade 7/8
• On Common Ground
• Pathways to Co-operation
• Prism of Poetry
• Speaking for Success
• Stories from Asia
• Storytelling Games
• Touching all the Bases
• The Whole Language Catalogue

• MultiSource

• In Perspective

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