Technical Report · January 007 citations reads 320,648 author: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects

1.
 
Motivation/introduction activities: 
explain to students the relation between the aspect 
or concept to be learned and the reality. An interesting approach must be created in order 
to raise the curiosity of students; a catching title, a “thrilling” development or an end with 
some degree of usefulness. This strategy means the use of movies. The topic to be studied 
must be related as much as possible with the social, cultural, economic and physical 
environment in which school life is carried out. The presentation of the unit shall not 
make the students think that it is a totally closed topic. It must incite students in order to 
make them able to help their own development. Activities can have a different nature: for 
instance, DVD and video or article analysis, laboratory practices, etc. In such cases the 
presentation of the information must be conducted in a direct way. Regarding the subject 
of Citizenship and Human Rights Education, role play is a suggestion, where students 
have to act in an antagonist situation in which a cognitive conflict is presented in order to 
promote the best solution of the dilemma.
 
2.
 
Previous knowledge activities: 
are conducted in order to get to know the students´ ideas, 
opinions and conceptual right and wrong answers about contents to be developed. 
Detection strategies of students’ ideas can be put into groups regarding pencil and paper 
tests and oral tests (interviews, Phillips 66, brainstorming, debates, role-playing, forum, 
etc.). Dramatizations of real and fictional situations are very useful in order to assess 
behaviors and attitudes aiming at overcoming the negatives ones and improving the 
positive ones.
 
3.
 
Development activities: 
allow the acknowledgment of concepts, proceedings and new 
activities as well as communicate the conducted work. This type of activity seeks the 
qualitative analysis, hypothesis emission and experimental design.