A. Look at the pictures.

 

a. What are the people doing?

b. Have you ever seen people doing these activities?

 

⊕ Answer:⊗⇔⇔⇒⇓

Based on the provided pictures:

1. Volunteering at local organizations or charities: The people might be helping at food banks, shelters, or charity events, offering their time and resources to assist those in need.
2. Participating in community clean-ups or beautification projects: The people could be picking up trash, planting trees, or maintaining parks and gardens to make the community cleaner and more beautiful.
3. Attending public meetings or town halls: The people might be sitting in a gathering where local leaders discuss community issues and make decisions.
4. Voting in elections: The people could be casting ballots in a voting booth, participating in elections to have their say in governance.
5. Advocating for social or political causes: The people might be participating in rallies or holding signs, trying to bring attention to a cause or change a policy.

Have I ever seen people doing these activities? Yes, I’ve seen examples of all these activities in local communities—especially community clean-ups, volunteering at organizations, and voting during elections. These activities are common forms of civic engagement that people participate in to help improve their society.

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B. Work in pairs.

 

Discuss how the pictures are related to the lesson title — Civic Engagement.

⊕ Answer:⊗⇔⇔⇒⇓

The pictures show people participating in activities like volunteering, cleaning public spaces, attending public meetings, voting, and advocating for causes. These actions are all directly related to the concept of civic engagement, which involves individuals contributing to the well-being of their community.

• Volunteering at local organizations or charities shows individuals using their time and skills to help others, which is a form of civic responsibility.
• Participating in community clean-ups or beautification projects represents how citizens take responsibility for maintaining and improving public spaces, benefiting the entire community.
• Attending public meetings or town halls demonstrates involvement in decision-making processes, where people voice their opinions and contribute to important discussions about their community’s future.
• Voting in elections is a key part of civic engagement, as it allows individuals to actively participate in democracy by choosing leaders and influencing policies.
• Advocating for social or political causes shows how people work to address issues they care about and promote change, reflecting their commitment to improving society.

All these activities reflect civic engagement as they involve individuals taking action to improve the public and social life of their communities

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C. Read the texts below. When you have finished reading, use the grid and write in your own words how the three terms — civic engagement, volunteerism, and service learning are similar and dissimilar.

 

Education aims to bring about positive changes in our behavior. It helps us try to change our lives as well as the society we live in. Education that does not illuminate our minds or does not inspire us to work for the community is not complete at all. Education is not all about getting grades or receiving certificates — we use education to make life better. We are expected to apply the knowledge, skills, and values that we learn in a classroom in our engagement with the world that lies outside. And we can do so in many different ways. Let’s have a look at how education works.

Learners’ civic engagement is highly appreciated all over the world. Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life (the public life of the citizens as contrasted with private or personal life) of the community using knowledge, skills, values, and motivation. Civic engagement promotes the quality of life in a community by contributing to the improvement of health and well-being of the people.

Civically engaged individuals recognize themselves as members of a larger social community and are concerned about civic issues. They consider themselves responsible citizens who take action or raise their voices against injustice, discrimination, and other forms of social ills.

In civic engagement, issues of public concern are crucial. Civic engagement includes individual or group activities to protect public interests and change the way the community values itself. For example, if you are protesting against any unjust decision of the local municipality such as raising taxes or an act that might work against people’s interests, you are civically engaged and your action is considered a civic engagement.

This protest can be done in different ways such as organizing rallies, collecting signatures, making human chains, writing petitions, etc. You can also help control traffic in front of a school, help children to cross the roads, work in a team to clean a park or a sea beach. You can also give some services to elderly people. These are all examples of civic engagement as what you do directly affects the community.

When civic engagement is a part of an academic program, and the learners’ engagement is assessed following a scale, then it is called service learning. It involves the application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom and then making a complete plan of action, i.e., preparing a budget, starting the process of implementation, involving people, and activating operational strategies. When civic engagement is spontaneous but irregular and not a part of any academic program, it is considered volunteerism.

 

 

 

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D. Read the stories below.

When you have finished reading, write in the blank space on the top of each story what the story is about — civic engagement, volunteerism, or service learning.

Scenario 1: Famous Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie came to Bangladesh as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s special envoy to Rohingya refugees in February 2019. She visited the refugees in their camps and talked to them and spent time with some children in their school. She came to know about the atrocities the Rohingya refugees had faced in their villages in the Arakan state of Myanmar. Visiting the world’s largest refugee settlement, Ms. Jolie called for expanded access to education for Rohingya children. Afterwards, she urged for an end to the injustices that had driven nearly one million Rohingyas into exile in Bangladesh.

Addressing the refugees in the camp, the UNHCR special envoy said, “I want to say I am humbled and proud to stand with you today. You have every right to live in security, to be free to practice your religion and to coexist with people of other faiths and ethnicities. You have every right not to be stateless, and the way you have been treated shames us all.”

Scenario 2: A group of college students were watching television news in their hostel. They were touched by the plight of the flood-affected people in Sunamganj. All the rivers and water bodies there had overflowed their banks because of the onrush of floodwater from the hills beyond our borders. Their homes, haats, bazaars, shops, and croplands were under several feet of water. The local administration had rescued the people and accommodated them in schools that were on higher grounds.

Villagers in the nearby areas were helping these people in all possible ways. Yet, ensuring drinking water, cleanliness, and hygiene was a big challenge. The schools had toilets, but these were clearly not enough. Seeing this situation, Ahmed, Swapan, Rakib, and Niladri quickly decided to go to Sunamganj and work for the flood victims. But to do that they needed money which they did not have.

They began by pooling their own contributions and talked with their classmates, teachers, local lawmakers, and civil society members for assistance. Everyone came forward to help them. Some guardians also contributed. Their collection was not bad — about Taka 3,00,000 — with which they could provide some substantial help to the flood victims.

They could buy dry food like high protein biscuits, gur (molasses), chira (beaten rice), drinking water, water purification tablets, toilet cleaners, and liquid soaps. Their priority was senior citizens, who were over 70 years of age, and children. They stayed there for more than a week and then came back after government agencies took over and some flood-affected people started going back home. When the four friends were back in their town, they seemed to have lost some weight, but were happy and satisfied that their efforts had been immensely rewarded.

Scenario 3: Alex, an eleven-year-old boy from California, was watching TV at home with his parents when he came across the news of severe winter weather conditions in a remote town in Romania. The news that many people in the town had no proper heating in their homes and were facing serious health hazards made the boy upset. He compared the comfort he was enjoying in his nicely heated house and the distressing condition the Romanian people were in, and felt ashamed. He thought their eyes looked so vacant and lifeless.

Alex was not an outgoing boy in his school and mostly kept to himself. Teachers were worried about how the introvert boy would do in the exams. The students were supposed to do something for the community in whatever ways possible and their involvement was to be continually monitored and assessed. So far, Alex hadn’t been able to set any example of doing something for his community.

So when he came to his teacher with a video clip of the news report and expressed his interest in doing something for the winter-affected people in the Romanian town, the teacher was surprised. “How come?” she thought. But she became increasingly attentive as Alex presented his case. The boy was very emotional when he said — “We must do something for these people. The kids are like us. We cannot live here in comfort leaving them in such distress.”

Alex’s plea touched the teacher. She wanted to know what he had planned. He told her that he had talked to others in the class and they all would like to donate a month of their pocket money for these poor fellows to save their lives. The teacher then guided the class to take up a project. The boys, with the help of the teacher, worked it out. They contacted the local municipality in the Romanian town and expressed an interest in working for them.

They also contacted their own lawmakers, who also contributed to their fund. Then a small team led by the teacher went to Romania. They spent a couple of weeks with the people, helped them put heating in their houses, and supplied them with sufficient blankets and food. The school authority monitored the whole process from the first to the last. They warmly welcomed them back. Everyone was proud of the students who had made and carried out their own plan, helped the people in their need, stood beside them to give mental and emotional support, and came back home as young heroes.

 

⊕ Answer:⊗⇔⇔⇒⇓

 

Here’s a table comparing Civic Engagement, Volunteerism, and Service Learning:

Aspect	Civic Engagement	Volunteerism	Service Learning
Definition	Actively participating in activities to improve community life, addressing public concerns.	Voluntary activities done to help others, often on an irregular basis and not part of an academic program.	An academic program where students apply classroom knowledge to community service, with structured planning and assessment.
Focus	Broader community involvement and public issues.	Helping others voluntarily without a structured academic component.	Combining community service with academic learning and assessment.
Activities	Protests, community meetings, advocating for causes, etc.	Helping at shelters, cleaning parks, assisting at events, etc.	Planning and executing projects based on academic knowledge, such as creating budgets and implementing solutions.
Purpose	To address public concerns and improve community well-being.	To assist and support community members in need.	To integrate academic learning with practical community service.
Structure	Can be spontaneous or organized, not always part of a formal program.	Typically informal and not part of a structured curriculum.	Structured and part of an academic program with specific learning outcomes.
Examples	Attending town halls, advocating for policy changes.	Organizing a charity drive, volunteering at a community center.	A project where students plan and execute a service activity related to their studies, such as a fundraising event for a specific cause.
Assessment	Generally not formally assessed.	Not typically assessed in an academic sense.	Assessed through academic criteria, including planning, execution, and reflection.

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E. Read the statements below. Some of them are true and some are false. Write T (for true) or F (for false) in the boxes beside the statements.

1. All three stories have one common point — civic engagement.
2. Angelina Jolie came to a refugee camp to distribute relief.
3. The story of the college students is an example of service learning.
4. Alex proved that he was a global citizen.

 

⊕ Answer:⊗⇔⇔⇒⇓

Here are the statements with the correct answers:

1. All three stories have one common point — civic engagement.
   T (True)
   All the stories involve activities related to civic engagement, whether it’s advocating for refugees, helping flood victims, or supporting people in need during winter.
2. Angelina Jolie came to a refugee camp to distribute relief.
   F (False)
   Angelina Jolie visited the refugee camp to raise awareness and call for expanded access to education for Rohingya children, rather than distributing relief.
3. The story of the college students is an example of service learning.
   F (False)
   The story of the college students is an example of volunteerism, not service learning, as it involved spontaneous volunteer work rather than a structured academic program.
4. Alex proved that he was a global citizen.
   T (True)
   Alex showed global citizenship by taking action to help people in a different country and raising funds to support them, demonstrating concern for global issues.

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F. Answer the questions.

1. What are the similarities among the stories?
2. How are the stories different from one another?
3. What statement of Ms. Jolie shows that she has deep sympathy for the Rohingya refugees?

 

⊕ Answer:⊗⇔⇔⇒⇓

1. What are the similarities among the stories?
   The similarities among the stories are:
   • Civic Engagement: All three stories involve actions taken to address community and global issues, reflecting the principles of civic engagement.
   • Helping Others: Each story features individuals or groups actively working to support or improve the lives of others, whether through advocacy, direct aid, or fundraising.
   • Personal Involvement: The individuals in each story are personally involved in their respective efforts, demonstrating a commitment to making a positive impact.
2. How are the stories different from one another?
   The differences among the stories are:
   • Nature of Involvement:
     • Angelina Jolie’s story involves advocacy and raising awareness about refugees’ rights and needs.
     • The college students’ story involves spontaneous volunteerism, where they organized aid for flood victims.
     • Alex’s story involves service learning, where he and his classmates planned and executed a project based on their academic curriculum.
   • Scope and Focus:
     • Jolie’s focus is on global advocacy and addressing systemic issues faced by refugees.
     • The college students focus on local humanitarian aid in response to a natural disaster.
     • Alex’s story involves academic integration and cross-cultural assistance to address a specific need in another country.
   • Level of Formality:
     • Jolie’s actions are more formal and high-profile, involving international organizations.
     • The college students’ efforts are informal but organized community service.
     • Alex’s project is structured and academically guided, part of a school program.
3. What statement of Ms. Jolie shows that she has deep sympathy for the Rohingya refugees?
   The statement showing Ms. Jolie’s deep sympathy is:
   • “I want to say I am humbled and proud to stand with you today. You have every right to live in security, to be free to practice your religion and to coexist with people of other faiths and ethnicities. You have every right not to be stateless, and the way you have been treated shames us all.”
     This statement demonstrates her empathy by acknowledging the refugees’ suffering, advocating for their rights, and expressing a sense of collective responsibility and moral outrage.

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G. Work in groups. Think about a civic problem in your locality.

 

 

⊕ Answer:⊗⇔⇔⇒⇓

Example Civic Problem: Improper Waste Management

Description: In many localities, improper waste management is a significant issue. This includes littering, inadequate recycling facilities, and improper disposal of waste, which leads to pollution, health hazards, and a general decline in community well-being.

Possible Solutions:

1. Awareness Campaigns:
   • Organize community events and workshops to educate residents about the importance of proper waste disposal and recycling.
   • Use social media and local media to spread awareness and encourage participation.
2. Improved Recycling Facilities:
   • Work with local authorities to set up more accessible recycling bins and facilities.
   • Provide clear guidelines on how to sort and dispose of waste properly.
3. Community Clean-Up Drives:
   • Initiate regular clean-up drives to remove litter from public spaces, parks, and streets.
   • Encourage local businesses and schools to participate and support these initiatives.
4. Advocacy for Better Policies:
   • Advocate for stronger waste management policies and regulations at the local government level.
   • Engage with policymakers to ensure that effective waste management practices are implemented and enforced.
5. Partnerships with Local Organizations:
   • Collaborate with local environmental organizations and NGOs to tackle waste management issues more effectively.
   • Seek their expertise and resources to improve waste management practices in the community.

Impact: Addressing the issue of improper waste management can lead to a cleaner and healthier environment, reduced pollution, and improved quality of life for residents. By working together as a community, we can create a more sustainable and enjoyable living space.

 

 

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