To build or not to build?

About this Collection

What do I want to find out?

Explore pupils’ attitudes to environmental and social issues around their local area, and to what extent they can think critically and broadly about multiple viewpoints..

What do I need? 

  • A photo of an area of rough ground or woodland.
  • One post-it note per pupil.
  • An opinion scale.
I strongly agree I agree neither I disagree I strongly disagree

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

What do I do?

Timing: 5 minutes

  • Describe the following situation to the pupils: This is a place where children play, people walk their dogs and wildlife flourishes. There are plans to build a new shopping centre/retail park here. Should it be built?
  • Ask the pupils to decide whether they agree or disagree with the building of a shopping centre in place of the field/woodland and write the reason on a post-it note.
  • When everyone is ready, ask pupils to place their post-it in the appropriate place on the opinion scale (one end of the scale represents agreement with the construction, the other disagreement).
  • Photograph the completed opinion scale.

How do I analyse the results?

  • Assess whether the pupils are in favour of the construction or against it, and the reasons that led them to their decisions.
  • Look for whether pupils are more focussed on environmental concerns, or social concerns.
  • To what extent are pupils able to imagine multiple viewpoints of the hypothetical situation. Do pupils listen and respond well to other viewpoints in the class?

How do I measure the change?

  • Look at the change in the criteria pupils use to make their choices. To what extent is there an increase or greater balance in their knowledge of a range of factors, for example, do they consider quality of life of people living in the locality, market saturation, need for jobs, the type of area to be developed, loss of biodiversity, or global links – the shops´ ethical policies, where products are manufactured, increased carbon emissions through air miles.
  • Observe whether pupils are able and willing to change their viewpoint in light of better information. Are they more able to critically evaluate viewpoints that go beyond their own needs?
  • Note whether pupils now talk of any ways in which they might take action to make their local environment better, are they aware of local campaigns or projects?
  • To what extent do pupils now relate this local issue to other global issues they may have heard of, do they name any issues from the media that relate to similar decisions? Are they more aware of the different factors that might face people in other countries?