What is freedom?

What is freedom?

Martin Luther King’s Freedom is living in peace, under the blue sky without wars.

Dance

As though no one is watching you,

Love

As though you have never been hurt before,

Sing

As though no one can hear you,

Live

As though heaven is on earth!

There is a saying that “You can solve a small piece, but you cannot solve the whole problem”. It’s really so, but we think it needs the continuation:

“You can solve a small piece, you can’t solve the whole problem. But if everyone is able to solve a piece of it, we, together, will solve it .

What is democracy?

At present there are dozens (if not hundreds) definitions of “what is democracy?” and the ways this term is understood, as in the proverb “Many men have many minds”.

But to have your own opinion you have to taste and digest the “unknown fruit”. So the next time you can “eat” and use it without fear for your life, and you can clearly understand what and why you are doing that.

A. Actuality of democracy

If “Democracy” is understood as a form of a state organization where its citizens can realize their major rights and freedoms (such as the right to live, to have property, freedoms for speech, religion, etc.) so there should be conditions that can help to provide and realize their fulfillment.

B. Role game: “Let’s fight for our rights”

Roles: The Principal of a school, History teacher, Math Teacher, Class Tutor, a student, his father.

The situation to be discussed: One of the best students of the class tells the tutor that his very expensive pencil box is stolen. The students have their Math Class at that time. The class tutor interrupts the lesson and demands that the students should show the contents of their school bags and searches them. Everyone complies except one student. He says that no one is allowed to do that. The tutor insists and they quarrel. The tutor takes the student to the principal. The principal himself opens the student’s school bag, but doesn't find the missing pencil box. The pupil states that he doesn’t want to study at that school where his rights are violated. He tells his father about the incident. The father has a talk with the principal and the tutor, and decides to change schools.

C. How to organize the game:

The teacher discusses the roles with the pupils who will be engaged in role-play beforehand, so that the remaining part of the class doesn’t know what will happen. (The teacher role-plays the tutor’s part.) Some of the pupils are to participate as the Math teacher, the History teacher, and the pupils of the class. The teacher and the students simulate the situation. The pupils discuss the situation. And the teacher asks them to find the supporters of their point of view. (Group discussion)

Sample questions to be discussed

1. Who is right/wrong? Why?

2. Were there serious reasons for the pupil to leave that school? Why?

3. What would you do if you were:

- the class tutor

- the principal

- the Math teacher

- the boy’s father?

4. Why did the pupil change that school?

5. Can, the boy’s and his father’s behaviour and decision change anything at school from the point of view of law relationship?