Global Education &
European Teaching Strategies
Upplands- Brogymnasiet (Kungsängen)
Workshops on democracy- a project on social science and
Swedish
We had the chance to observe the preparation of a democratic debate; a
role-playing activity involving all students from grade 7.
They were first separated into different classrooms to prepare the discussions.
Students were assigned political roles and had previously worked in
commissions of different political tendencies present in today’s Swedish
parliament. The teacher had a table for assessment and took notes while
students were doing their speeches. These were the topics dealt: immigration
(right wing), economics and producing own goods (socialists), education (social
democrats). After these micro political discussions, they were going to choose a
representative to perform the following Friday, when all the students would be
assembled, as in a plenary session of parliament. The week before, they had an
“official opening” session in which real politicians of the municipality were
invited and students had the chance to interview them and ask them
questions…and even share some fika time at the cafeteria.
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