Module 3: WHAT FOR?

(Page 20) Worksheet 4

Topic four: goals and aims

to the teacher

All over the world human beings organise themselves into groups of varying sizes: families, clans, tribes and nations. We are basically gregarious creatures. Groups consist of people who share a common characteristic, whether of origin or interest. People band together for survival and company, for security and a sense of belonging. The family has been found as a basic unit in every human society that has been scientifically studied. Basically human beings feel a need to be together and to communicate with each other. However, it is sometimes difficult to have real communication, nor is it always easy to get on with people in the same group.

This topic gives the pupils the opportunity to experience working in a group, discovering its advantages and disadvantages, and to talk through how to overcome some of the difficulties.

topic development

The work in this topic is done entirely in groups.

Ask the class to form themselves into four groups giving them no indication of how many you want in each.

Give each group one copy of worksheet 4 (pages 21/22) Where do I belong? They should begin by filling in together question 1 a-g. This asks them questions about the group they have formed. When they have done this, find out from each group why and how they got together.

Then ask the groups to answer the rest of the questions on the worksheet which deal with wider social groupings.

At the end of the lesson discuss how easy or hard it was for the members of the groups to work together. How did they overcome any difficulties?

What do they think are the important factors which help a group to work together?