Lesson 4 - Columbia Global Centers - Columbia University

Five Boroughs to the World
Teachers College, Columbia University
Curriculum and Lesson Plans for the World Leaders Forum
Central Theme 1: Social Responsibility
Session #: 4
Goals for Class Session:
Instructional Outcomes
for Knowledge
Acquisition and Skills
Development:
Group and Individual Rights (1 session; 50 minutes)
Students will explore some ways democratic governments balance
group and individual rights.
Students have examined the impact of individual citizen action. Now
they will investigate what happens at the government level when
individuals seek to change their communities. Through Structured
Academic Controversy, students will examine both sides of a contested
historical issue: the 1969 Tinker v Des Moines Supreme Court ruling.
This lesson prepares students to investigate the power of ideas to
change society.
Are there limits to individual rights? How do governments balance the
Guiding Questions for
freedom of individuals and the needs of the group? What is symbolic
Students
speech, and when is it protected?
Class Outline:
I. DO NOW (5 min) -­‐ As students enter the room, group them into quads and direct them to
the questions on the board: How do societies balance the freedom of individuals and the
needs of the group? What are some examples of this balance? After the 5 minutes, ask for
volunteers to share their answers as part of a pre-­‐activity discussion.
II. This lesson uses the “Structured Academic Controversy” model to engage students in
considering all sides of historical material. Groups of four are further divided into two
teams with dissenting arguments. Ask students “Are there limits to free speech?” Have
students spend 2-­‐3 minutes discussing the question on the board with their partner.
III. There are two sides to the issue, as represented by the provided resources. Distribute
readings such that each group of four has one pair on each side of the issue. Students will
have up to 10 minutes to read and take notes on the provided readings. You may want to
provide note-­‐taking handouts, or have students use their own methods. Students are
reading for information to help make a persuasive argument about the key question.
IV. After reading, assign pairs on one side of the issue as “presenters” and the other side as
“listeners.” Presenters will have 5 minutes to present their case. During this time, the
listeners should not interrupt, ask questions, or present their case. After the first
presentation, the listeners will have 2-­‐3 minutes to ask questions and restate the
presenters’ points. The goal is to achieve clarity rather than persuade one way or the
other. After listeners and presenters are satisfied that they understand each other, switch
roles and repeat.
V. After the second round is complete, groups should abandon their assignments and spend
five minutes to try and reach a consensus on the issue. At this point, students should have
all the information on both sides of the issue; their task is to use that information to reach
a decision. Towards the end of this round, remind students that consensus can be difficult

Five Boroughs to the World
to achieve. Ask if there were groups that could not reach consensus, and share their
differences.
VI. For the last 10 minutes, students should complete the provided self-­‐reflection rubric and
share what they learned about free speech from the activity. Were groups able to reach a
consensus? If so, what was the final viewpoint? If not, what were points of dissension?
Lecture Notes / Key Discussion Points
Teachers should emphasize the different issues that
involve considerations of group needs and individual
rights. Examples include free speech, freedom of
religion, reproductive rights, taxation, and access to
education.
Key terms to review are:
Rights;
balance of power
Supreme Court; freedom of speech
Individual; collective; Bourgeois
Learning Activities:
Assessment /
Evaluation (primarily
in-­‐class):
Readings:
F Instructor Tips: Review the role of the
U.S. Supreme Court in determining legal
disputes that involve individual rights.
FThis lesson works well with many other
Supreme Court cases, or with a study of the
Bill of Rights.
F Encourage students to draw upon their
own beliefs regarding these issues, but
remind them to focus “on the facts” of the
provided case.
Structured Academic Controversy is a proven technique that encourages
students to investigate both sides of an issue that has no established
answer. Students will engage the material in an effort to understand both
sides. In this case, the eternal question is how governments balance the
rights of individuals against the needs of the group. Students will
incorporate new information into their existing understanding of an issue.
Have students complete the “Self Assessment for Persuasive Oral
Communication” rubric. The rubric is set up so that teachers can make
two rubrics with each sheet of paper.
Teachers should also look for holistic signs that students are engaged in
the S.A.C. activity. For example, they should look for examples of good
listening and speaking skills as students share their information.
Tentative:
1. Optional Course Reader: Little Prince
2. “Individual Rights” reading packet, including the Preamble to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
3. “Group Needs” reading packet, including selections from The
Communist Manifesto
⇒ http://www.streetlaw.org/en/landmark.aspx
⇒ http://crfc.org/
⇒ Taking a Stand: Challenges and Controversies in Reproductive Health,
Maternal Mortality, and HIV/AIDS (transcript)
http://www.worldleaders.columbia.edu/events/taking-­‐stand-­‐
Teaching Resources:
challenges-­‐and-­‐controversies-­‐reproductive-­‐health-­‐maternal-­mortality-­‐and-­‐hivaids
⇒ Climate Change: The Leadership Challenge of Our Age, Kofi Annan
http://www.worldleaders.columbia.edu/events/gabriel-­‐silver-­memorial-­‐lecture-­‐kofi-­‐annan
Materials Needed: • Copies of the divided readings, grouped for a Structured Academic

Five Boroughs to the World
Controversy involving pairs of students on each side of an issue.
• Self-­‐Assessment rubric
• Teacher’s discretion: handouts for taking notes