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You Can't Fight City Hall?
Module 1, Activity 4.2 - Simulated Community Meeting
Student Page
(teacher lesson for this page)

Introduction:

A community meeting is a forum where community members can express an opinion. In this lesson, you will have the opportunity to research municipal meeting procedures and run a simulated town meeting using editorials.

Activities:

Task One - Meeting of the Minds - The Preparation
You will be participating in a simulation. Your teacher will separate your class into 2 groups. Half of the students in your class will play the roles of citizens and half will be town representatives.

Each group will have their own responsibilities. The concerned citizens will have an issue to discuss with town council and the council will run the meeting.

Depending on which group you are in, there are specific instructions on what you need to do to prepare for the meeting and the role you will play in the meeting. See one of the following handouts:

1. Concerned citizens
2. Town representatives

Want to know more about town meetings? Check this out:
Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association's Guide to Council Meeting Procedures

 board meeting
Task Two - Meeting of the Minds - the simulation
Using your research, you will now simulate a town meeting. Be sure to run or participate in the meeting according to municipal standards.

The purpose of the meeting?
The council will listen to the issues brought forth by the citizens and make a decision on how it might like to proceed.

Objectives:

You will be able to
- understand the role of the editorial
- distinguish fact from opinion
- speak to share thoughts, opinions, and feelings
- prepare a dramatic reading
- recognize a speaker's attitude, tone, and bias

Resources:

- internet access
- information on town meeting procedures
- instructional handouts - concerned citizens, town representatives

Task Two - Continued . . .
The purpose for the class simulation?
This simulation introduces the concept of informed opinion. Whether you are speaking at a town meeting or writing an editorial, you must always assume that the people on the other side of the issue will want to attack your reasoning.

converse This is why you must have information from all sides of an issue if you want to attempt to persuade others.

Task Three - Debriefing
Discuss the following questions as a class:

1. Did you feel that each group had enough information to discuss their issue?
2. Where did you need to do more research than you did?
3. Can you think back and identify particular language that was used to try to persuade? When was it used most?

In your reflective journal, answer the following question:

Using at least 3 specific examples, explain what you learned from the simulation that might help you to become a better editorial writer.

 

Last Updated
May 30, 2005

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