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Comparing Malaysian GE15 coalition manifestos (reading activity)

*Based on Manual Kesedaran Sivik Sekolah Menengah - Tajuk: Sistem Demokrasi

Materials: Election manifesto slides, election manifestos for reading, big white paper, markers

Learning standard: 

Reading 3.1.2 Understand specific details and information in extended texts on a wide range of familiar topics

Reading 3.2.1 Read a variety of suitable print and digital texts to investigate and analyze national issues

Writing 4.1.4 Express and respond to opinions and common feelings such as amusement, anger, and regret


Objectives: 

1. Students will be able to learn about election manifestos.

2. Students will be able to answer comprehension questions regarding the manifestos.

3. Students will be able to state and justify the advantages and challenges of a particular offer from each coalition.


Pre-lesson:

1. Teacher distributes small square papers to students (2 for each student).

2. Teacher writes 'election manifesto' on the board and instructs students to write what they KNOW about it and what they WONDER about it and paste them on the KWL chart. 

3. Teacher reads the KWL chart to know their level of knowledge regarding election manifestos.

4. Teacher shows a slide to explain the meaning of the election manifesto, and examples of election manifestos from different countries. In that same slide, the teacher will show the front covers of the Malaysian GE15 coalition manifestos before distributing them.

5. Tell the students to imagine themselves that they are voters and they're going to read the manifestos before voting.


Lesson development:

Activity 1:

1. Teacher distributes the manifestos to the students.

2. Students read through the 3 different manifestos and answer the comprehension question.

3. Teacher and students check the comprehension activity together.


Activity 2:

1. Teacher distributes pieces of big white paper and markers to every group.

2. Teacher instructs students to choose one offer from every manifesto and write down the advantages and challenges for the offer to be implemented in Malaysia. *Indicate the number of the offer on the big white paper.

3. Once they are done, every group paste their work around the classroom and they do a gallery walk.

4. Each group will read other groups' advantages and challenges and note down which argument they find interesting. They will stay at the spot for 2 minutes and then they rotate to another groups' big white paper.

5. Instruct students to go back to their seat.

6. Distribute small pieces of paper and tell students that they're going to vote for which manifesto they find suitable to be implemented. Students write the name of the coalition on the small piece of paper. Remind students that who they vote for is a secret and tell them not to follow the decisions of their friends.

7. Students submit the small piece of paper to the teacher.

8. Teacher counts the 'ballot' and announce which manifesto received most votes.

Post-lesson:

1. Teacher distributes a small square piece of paper to every student and write about what they learned (L) about reading manifestos as a voter.

2. Students paste the paper on the KWL chart.


Relfection: 

This lesson is an example of how to include real Malaysian political parties in order to make it authentic as possible and fit with the Malaysian context but still remain non-partisan and non-biased. The manifestos only included offers that students can relate. It is also one way to teach them that whoever we vote for should be based on legit information, such as a manifesto, as well as to consider every points of view (reflected in the gallery walk activity) before choosing our next government. In this lesson, teachers should refrain from showing or stating political party preference. 






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