In this lesson students will view clips on some educational policies over the past thirty years and work to identify intended and unintended outcomes of these policies. Through these clips, students will work to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational policies enacted by the National Government and through an extension activity reflect on how these policies have impacted their own education and determine how these policies could be improved or modified for future students.
Students can use the accompanying handout to take notes as they view the videos in this lesson.
Handout: Educational Policy (Google Doc)
Step 1:
To start the discussion on who should make educational policy or if education is a right, students need to have an understanding of the 9th and 10th amendments. Have students watch the following clip to get a description of the amendments.
Video Clip 1: Ninth and Tenth Amendments (1:00)
After watching the video clip; either as a class, small groups, or individuals, have students come up with examples of the 9th and 10th amendment. Use the following tasks to guide students' discussion.
Step 2:
Students will watch clips about different educational policies that address the intended and unintended outcomes of these policies. As students watch the videos, they should take notes on the Educational Policy Handout, identifying outcomes of the policy.
Video Clip 2: Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Title I (4:30)
Video Clip 3: No Child Left Behind (5:30)
Video Clip 4: Common Core (7:30)
Video Clip 5: Race to the Top (4:57)
Step 3:
Students should use their notes to provide a written response to the following prompt:
Extension Activities:
Ask students to consider the notes they took while viewing the videos and during class discussion then have students formulate an opinion on who should make educational policy. Students can demonstrate their opinion through:
Class-wide Socratic Seminar, using some of the articles as additional resources in the discussion.
Students write to local, state, or national legislatures on educational policies.