Workshop 8
Goals :
It is better to conduct this session in a larger classroom or hall to allow space for the Forum Theater activity.
Workshop 8 Outline :
- To empower students and encourage them to become activists--fostering the belief that students have the power to change their lives/society/world.
- To examine the concept of oppression and to discuss ways to deal with oppression.
- To develop a plan for social activism, from ideas to action plan.
It is better to conduct this session in a larger classroom or hall to allow space for the Forum Theater activity.
Workshop 8 Outline :
- Introduction Game - Associations "Sunshine"
- Forum Theater
- Plan of Action
- Summary Activity
Associations "Sunshine"
Aims : defining the word "oppression" from the students' point of view.
Time : 5 minutes
Activity :
Aims : defining the word "oppression" from the students' point of view.
Time : 5 minutes
Activity :
- The teacher draws a circle in the middle of a sheet of paper and writes the word "OPPRESSION" in the circle.
- The teacher asks the students to associate freely and say everything that comes to mind when they think about the word "oppression".
- The teacher writes what the students say, in the form of a "sunshine" - each phrase is written on a different "ray".
Forum Theater (Augusto Boal)
Aims : Empowerment of the students - fostering the belief that they have the power to make a change in their lives ; examining the concept of oppression and practicing ways to deal with oppression.
Time : 55 minutes
Activity :
- What was the most effective strategy in your opinion ?
- What can we learn about oppression and How to deal with it ? (10 min)
Aims : Empowerment of the students - fostering the belief that they have the power to make a change in their lives ; examining the concept of oppression and practicing ways to deal with oppression.
Time : 55 minutes
Activity :
- The teacher asks the students to take a moment and think about a time when they experienced oppression. This can be them being oppressed by someone, or a time when they themselves oppressed someone else or witnessed oppression of someone else. It could be a one-time occurrence or a repeating occurrence. (3 min)
- The teacher invites volunteers to tell the group about the experience s/he chose.
- The teacher invites other volunteers to act out the story along with the first volunteer. for example : the story is about a teacher who yelled at the student and ordered him/her to leave the classroom. The student will play him/herself, someone else will play the teacher and some others will play other classmates. (10min)
- After the first role-play, the teacher invites the students to suggest a strategy to deal with the situation. Every student who makes a suggestion will replace the "protagonist" in the play, and everyone will enact the story again to see how it will unfold with the new suggestion. (10min)
- Open discussion :
- What was the most effective strategy in your opinion ?
- What can we learn about oppression and How to deal with it ? (10 min)
- The teacher invites another volunteer to act out their story, and the activity is re-enacted again. 'several strategies and role-plays + summary discussion) (30min)
Plan of Action
Aims : From ideas to action plan - developing a plan for social activism
Material : Action Plan Charts
Time : 30 minutes
Activity :
Aims : From ideas to action plan - developing a plan for social activism
Material : Action Plan Charts
Time : 30 minutes
Activity :
- The class is divided into groups of 6-7students.
- Each group receives an "Action Plan Chart" and is instructed to choose one of the issues that was raised during the forum theater or any other issue that bothers them and they wish to act to change it. Each group must fill out the chart. It should be understood that the students will later be expected to implement this action plan so they should choose their issue carefully.
- Back to the large group, each group shares their action plan with the rest of the class, leaving time for discussion of each action plan and brainstorming on how to improve it further.
Summary Activity
- The teacher should allow 5-10 minutes at the end of each workshop for a brief summary of the activity, plus time for question. Questions which don't have a short answer will be written on one of the flipcharts, to be addressed later on.
- The teacher reminds the students that they are invited to write their ideas, questions and new information they learn about the ME on the sheets that will remain hanging in the classroom until the next workshop.