Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Notion of State

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The objectives stage is fundamental to establish the focus of the lesson and guide students on what is expected of them. In this case, the main goal is to ensure that students understand the concept of the State and its relevance in social organization, as well as to identify its functions and structures. Through examples, this stage helps contextualize the topic and prepare students for the practical activities that will follow, where they can apply and discuss the knowledge acquired.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to recognize and describe the mechanisms of political power organization, highlighting the importance of the State in structuring society.

2. Encourage understanding of the different forms of social ordering, using historical and contemporary examples.

Side Objectives:

1. Develop critical analysis skills when comparing different political systems.

Introduction

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students with the lesson topic, using problem situations that stimulate the application of prior knowledge about the State and its practical implications. Furthermore, by contextualizing the topic with real examples and curiosities, it seeks to awaken students' interest, showing the relevance of studying the State in understanding the world around them.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are members of a new society that needs to decide how to organize its government. What would be the first measures you would take and how would that influence everyone's life?

2. Think about the history of a country that has undergone different forms of government over time. Discuss how these changes affected people's lives and the stability of the country.

Contextualization

The concept of the State is not just an abstract idea, but something that directly shapes our daily lives and profoundly influences history. For example, the American Revolution, which transformed 13 colonies into an independent State, or the French Revolution, which changed the power structure in France and inspired revolutionary movements around the world. Additionally, curiosities such as the existence of microstates, like the Vatican, which despite its small territory, is recognized as a sovereign State, illustrate the diversity and complexity of the concept of State.

Development

Duration: (70 - 75 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to place students in situations where they need to apply and deepen prior knowledge about the formation and structure of States. The proposed activities are designed to be interactive and playful, allowing students to explore the concept of the State in practical and engaging ways. This approach aims to strengthen students' understanding of how political and social decisions affect communities and nations.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - State Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Understand in practice how decisions about the structure of a State can influence the lives of its citizens.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups, and each group will represent a people that needs to establish a new State on a newly discovered island. They will need to decide on the government structure, basic laws, and how resources will be managed. Each group will receive a list of resources available on the island and challenges such as natural disasters, which they will have to face with the laws and governance they created.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Provide each group with a description of the resources available on the island and the challenges presented.

• Each group should discuss and decide on the government form and laws they consider most appropriate.

• Groups must create a brief presentation for the rest of the class, explaining their choices and how the laws and government will help solve the challenges.

• At the end, promote a class discussion about the different solutions proposed by the groups and the impacts of their choices.

Activity 2 - Dramatizing Revolutions

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Understand the dynamics of revolutions and how they shape modern States.

- Description: Students, organized into groups, will choose a historical period that involves a significant change in a country's form of government and will dramatize events. They will need to research the historical context, causes, and consequences of the chosen revolution, and prepare a small performance, highlighting the main leaders and events.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to 5 students and assign each group a historical period and a revolution to research.

• Groups must research the historical context, causes, and consequences of the revolution.

• Each group prepares a short performance that will be presented to the class.

• After the presentations, hold a class discussion about the different revolutions and their impacts.

• Encourage students to reflect on how these changes in power structure affected people's lives at the time and what might be different if the revolutions had not occurred.

Activity 3 - Map of Sovereign States

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Visualize and understand political geography and the diversity of States around the world.

- Description: Students will use their creativity to draw and construct a map representing different sovereign States, based on the geography and history knowledge they possess. Each group will be responsible for researching and drawing borders, capitals, and main resources of a real or fictional State.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students and assign each group a State (real or fictional) to research.

• Students must research the State, including its location, main cities, natural resources, and history.

• Using materials such as paper, markers, and colored pencils, the groups should draw a representative map of the State.

• Each group presents their map to the class, explaining the choices made during the research and construction of the map.

• At the end, discuss in class the differences and similarities between the represented States and how these characteristics influence international relations.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this feedback stage is to consolidate learning through reflection and sharing of experiences. Group discussions allow students to articulate what they learned, justify their choices, and listen to different perspectives, promoting a deeper and more critical understanding of the concepts of State and government. Additionally, this phase helps develop argumentation and critical thinking skills.

Group Discussion

Start the group discussion by inviting each group to share the main decisions made during the 'State Builders' activity and how these choices would influence the lives of citizens in the proposed situation. Encourage students to discuss not only the solutions found but also the challenges they faced. Use this opportunity for groups to learn from each other and reflect on the diversity of opinions and approaches.

Key Questions

1. What were the biggest challenges in deciding the form of government and laws for the new State?

2. How could the laws and government created by your group address the challenges faced on the island?

3. Was there any idea from another group that you found particularly interesting or effective? Why?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Conclusion stage serves to consolidate learning, linking theoretical concepts with the practices explored during the lesson and highlighting the importance of the topic studied. This section helps students reflect on what they have learned and understand how the knowledge acquired can be applied in real and diverse contexts, preparing them for future discussions and studies on the subject.

Summary

To conclude the lesson, the teacher should summarize the main points discussed, reinforcing the notion of the State, its functions, and structures. It is important to recap the different forms of government explored, such as monarchy, democracy, and totalitarianism, and how these structures impact daily life and history. Students should visualize the connections between theory and practice through the activities conducted.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, students applied theoretical knowledge about the State in practical scenarios, such as in the 'State Builders' activity, where they had to decide on the structure of a new government and laws for an island. This not only solidified theoretical understanding but also showed how political decisions directly affect social organization and the resolution of practical problems.

Closing

Finally, it is essential for students to understand the relevance of studying the State in their lives and in society. Understanding how the State works and the different forms of government is not just an academic exercise, but a crucial tool for active participation in society, whether at the local, national, or global level, and for forming critical and informed citizens.