Week 1 – How politically engaged am I?
Type of Activity – Video comprehension, Community Engagement
Contents
Week 1 – How politically engaged am I? ............................................................................................... 1
Type of Activity – Video comprehension, Community Engagement .................................................... 1
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 1
Expected Outcomes – ......................................................................................................................... 1
Estimated Time -20-25 Minutes ......................................................................................................... 1
Steps for the activity – ....................................................................................................................... 1
About the Video – .............................................................................................................................. 2
Debrief – ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Extension of the activity – .................................................................................................................. 2
How politically engaged am I? ........................................................................................................... 3
Introduction
Politics is not about taking part in Political debates, discussion, having knowledge about political
leaders, parties, issues, etc. Politics starts with simple conversation, participation in decisions,
forming opinions about some essential matters which affects you or the people around you, etc. To
participate in it effectively, one needs to be able to engage with others with the appropriate attitude,
the capacity to reason together, and the readiness to share the decision-making responsibilities.
Expected Outcomes –
Students will
1. Recognise the importance of a personal set of political values and acquire the skills and
confidence to apply them in practice
2. Be able to understand where and how decisions are made in a society – family, school,
immediate community, and then the whole society
3. Be familiar with a range of ideas, decision-making processes, forms of arguments, importance
of opinions and views, etc.
Estimated Time -20-25 Minutes
Pre Preaparation and Material required – Display Board and Projector for Video display
Note to the Facilitator (Desh Apnayen ACTIZEN Club President/Vice – President)
Steps for the activity –
1. Ask simple questions and invite answers from the group to start the discussion, like -
a. What do they understand about politics?
b. Can children also engage in Politics? If Yes, how?
c. Why children’s participation, their voice, their opinion in family decisions is important?
2. Explain the group about the video that they are going to watch.
About the Video –
Speaker - Hajer Sharief is an activist promoting human rights in Libya and beyond, Hajer Sharief works
against society's flow -- and across generations -- to find solutions.
Everyone should participate in decision-making and politics -- and it starts at home, says activist Hajer
Sharief. She introduces a simple yet transformative idea: that parents can teach their children about
the political agency by giving them a say in how their households are run, in the form of candid family
meetings where everyone can express their opinions, negotiate and compromise. "We need to teach
people that political, national and global affairs are as relevant to them as personal and family affairs,"
she says. "Can you afford not to be interested or not participate in politics?"
3. Let us all explore this by watching a short video –
https://www.ted.com/talks/hajer_sharief_how_to_use_family_dinner_to_teach_politics?utm_sourc
e=tedcomshare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tedspread
Debrief –
1. Discuss the understanding of the message with students. What did they learn from the video?
2. Does their family involve them in discussions about important family matters?
3. How important is it to express opinions and also to give respect to other’s opinion?
Extension of the activity –
If you think it is important to take part in politics from an early age, take a survey from your 5
friends/siblings/elders about their perception, and how democratic their families are.
Present the findings in the following week.
Closing and Pre-preparation for Week 2
1. Vice President –Discuss the next Week plan (Content Analysis and Photo Magazine activity)
with DAAC members and finalise date and agenda. Give them the brief about the activity
and the required material.
2. Secretary - Collect the filled survey proforma and collate the results, click photographs of
the activity and share with your Desh Apnayen teacher and request him/her to share the
same with Desh Apnayen.
3. Treasurer –Make groups and for the next activity.
Survey Proforma : How politically engaged am I?
Name - ______________________
Age - ______________________
Gender - _____________________
1. What do you understand about the word “Politics”.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you think participation in family matters and discussions are essential? Yes/No, Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you think children have their voice, opinion and they have the right to express these in
the family?
Yes/No
4. Score the Democracy Index of your family –
Statements
Always (4)
Mostly(3)
Sometimes(2)
Never(1)
1. I have right to express my
views in family matters
2. My parents give equal
importance to all children
3. We discuss the issues
between siblings with parents
openly
4. I am not scared of punishment
for small mistakes
5. I do not have fear to maintain
the No. 1 position in class
6. My parents respect my
hobbies and support me to
develop those
7. We can ask questions to our
parents
8. We eat dinner together and
discuss the daily things
9. We together decide and plan
for family holiday/trip
Statements
Always (4)
Mostly(3)
Sometimes(2)
Never(1)
10. I am being consulted to plan
for family get
together/celebrations/special
occasions
Total Score - ____________________________
**Note – If the score range is between 30-40, you have a Democratic family, and you are
politically engaged in your family.
If the score range is 10-20, explain the participant about “Friday Democratic Dinner”concept
and suggest them to try it.
