How education has changed:

Over the last few years, education has gone through a number of important changes. Years ago, teachers would have great books with lots of facts. They aimed to teach them and the students aimed to learn it all. Education has moved on from the retention of simple facts.

Currently in Australia (and probably other parts of the world), there is a real push for what is called civics and citizenship education. The aim of this is to help students become active and informed citizens.

A Global Community:

We like to think that it is the ACTIVE part of it that is most important - though really, what's the use of action if you don't know why you are doing it? As we enter the 21st century it is also important to note that no longer can we hide and ignore what is going on in the rest of the world. Internet technologies - the use of the Internet, e-mail, chat as well as satellite television have made us more aware of what is in the world around us - and also, enabled us to have an impact back. Active citizenship is no longer simply getting involved in elections and local campaigns, it should also recognise that we have responsibilities as global citizens as well.

The Importance of Participation and Action.

One part of this refers to our exercising of our democratic rights. That is the right we have to vote and to make suggestions about the sorts of people we want as our leaders. In a participatory democracy, an obvious extension of this is the willingness to undertake action. In 1988, AGTA (Australian Geography Teachers Association) suggested that effective citizenship education should include not only the opportunity to "analyse the social and environmental implications of political decisions" but also "to encourage others to participate with you to conserve our environment and redress social justice." (quoted in Interaction, Vol 26 Sept 1998, p. 6)

Young people today need to know about the social, political and legal structures that surround them. They also need to understand the ways these structures operate. Most importantly, they should appreciate that the ability to take effective action in the world today depends on knowing how these things work.

Here you will find some ideas to guide you in helping students to undertake projects that will help to make a difference. We have not tried to provide you with a long list of lesson ideas though there are a couple of ideas to get debate and discussion underway.