July 1, 2002

SUITABLE SCHOOLS
Exploring What It Takes to Become a Well-Informed Citizen

Grades:  6-8, 9-12

Subjects:  Civics, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Johnny Can Read, but Well Enough to Vote?, By ROBERT F. WORTH and ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS", July 1, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students explore education requirements for different professions, and define the skills and knowledge that adults use in their everyday lives.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Define and describe what students, teachers and parents expect from formal schooling.
  2. Examine the legal responsibilities public schools have to prepare their citizens for active involvement in current affairs, by reading and discussing the article "Johnny Can Read, but Well Enough to Vote?"
  3. Research the educational requirements and the skills and knowledge needed in a variety of professions.
  4. Gather information about the educational experiences and professional needs of members of their community for a community presentation.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: Students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "What do you hope to get out of being in school? What do you think your family hopes you get out being in school? What do your teachers hope you get from being in their classrooms?" After a few minutes, allow students to share their responses. Read the following (excerpted from the article, "Johnny Can Read, but Well Enough to Vote?"): "The California Constitution requires the Legislature to 'encourage by all suitable means the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral and agricultural improvements.' North Carolina's Constitution says: 'Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools, libraries and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.'"
    Then discuss the following questions: Do you think these constitutions adequately define the purpose of public education? What do you think it means to be educated? Are you satisfied with the education you are receiving? Why or why not? What types of things are you not getting from school that you believe you should?
  2. As a class, read and discuss the article, "Johnny Can Read, but Well Enough to Vote?" focusing on the following questions:
    1. How long has New York State been battling over the amount of money it provides for New York City's public schools?
    2. According to the article, what financial questions surround this issue?
    3. What underlying philosophical question does the article pose?
    4. According to a New York State appeals court, what obligation to students do schools have?
    5. How much schooling would students be provided if the state fulfills this obligation?
    6. What problems plague New York City schools, according to the article?
    7. What does the appeals court believe the role of the courts to be?
    8. How did the Court of Appeals define the school's purpose in 1995?
    9. What do the State Supreme Court and Appellate Court both agree on?
    10. What does Justice DeGrasse believe citizens must be able to do?
    11. How does Justice Lerner's opinion of what a citizen should be able to do differ from Justice DeGrasse's opinion?
    12. According to the New Jersey Supreme Court, what is the responsibility of public schools?
    13. How does the state of Kentucky describe an adequate education?
  3. Divide students into eight groups. Explain that each group will be assigned a different professional job to research, and will be reporting back to the class on the type and amount of schooling required by this type of profession. Assign each group a profession, such as cardiac specialist, dentist, lawyer, teacher, accountant, restaurant manager, clothing store owner, astronaut, newspaper journalist, record producer, film director, actor, computer technician, plumber, police officer, fire fighter, park ranger and army general. Using all available classroom resources (including primary sources such as job postings, and school degree requirements) students will research the following questions (written on the board for easier student access):
    • How much schooling is necessary before a person can work independently in this profession?
    • What types of skills are needed to do this job well?
    • What schools provide academic or training programs for this line of work?
    • What duties and responsibilities does this job entail?
    • How does this person's profession affect society?
    • What are some things that you might learn in school now that could help you to do that job?
    • Do you think this job could be done with less than an eighth or ninth grade education? Why or why not?
    Each group will develop a short presentation profiling what a person in each field needs to do to be successful.
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Students will create a survey that asks adults what they know about their educational experiences and how these experiences relate to their profession. Students will ask questions such as: What is your highest level of education? What do you do to earn a living? What in your formal education prepared you for the type of work you do in your job? How much of what you learned about your job came from on-the-job training (internship, apprenticeship, orientation, etc.) Which class in school means the most to you now? Why? What class did you wish you had taken? Why?
    Ask students to interview at least one adult, and report their findings in writing. In a future class, students will present their findings by explaining how formal schooling did or did not prepare this person for his or her current job. In addition, students may want to present recommendations based on their findings to the local school board or parent-teachers association.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on journal entries, participation in group discussions, thoughtful completion of group reports on the educations and skills needed in various professions, and thoughtful completion of educational assessment reports.

VOCABULARY:
vast, ailing, rhetorical, fundamental, grapple, stingy, antiquated, reckoning, bureaucracies, allude, palliative, divergent, concede, elite, deficit, bland, litigation, threshold

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Create a timeline that chronicles the development of a public education system in your state or country. If your country does not have public system, research the development of popular private academic institutions. Include benchmark laws and important people who have helped shape the system.
  2. Using the survey developed for homework, interview several people with the job you were assigned to research during class. Write a report explaining how these people became qualified for their jobs, and whether or not their formal schooling has affected their performance on the job or choice of profession.
  3. Write a newspaper article exploring whether or not education is equal for all people where you live. Research landmark court cases, local and national laws and important people involved in civil rights and education.
  4. Write an editorial article exploring the question: What is the minimal obligation of government to educate its children? Take a position and explain why you feel the way you do about your government's role in public education.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Global History- Create a Venn diagram comparing the educational systems of two different countries. How are they similar? How are they different? What social factors affect the development of these systems? How is the role of an educated person defined in each of these countries?

Mathematics/ Economics- Create a bar graph that shows the relation between money allocated from the state or federal government for education and high school graduation. Explain any correlation between spending and success in school.

Media Studies- Watch movies such as "Music of the Heart" and "Dangerous Minds." Analyze what education means to the teacher in the film. How does that teacher's philosophy on education compare with your own expectations of a teacher?

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company

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