A Parsnip is a Vegetable but in the world of education it is an acronym for Politics, Alcohol, Religion, Sex, Narcotics, Isms (such as communism or atheism), and Pork. Teachers are warned to keep away from such subjects and they have become a taboo in most classrooms and textbooks. However I feel that teachers should be more focused on how to deal with such subjects rather than avoid them. The key lies in cultural awareness and accepting plurality.
POLITICS
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Give a definition of the term 'Politics' using the visual thesaurus below.
2
Compare and contrast your definition with the one below.
- Do you agree that politics is about the citizen and the city / region / country the citizen lives in?
- How does this relate to foreign policy between countries?
- Why can politics be such a sensitive topic between citizens of the same country or between formal relationships between different countries?
- In what way can politics be like sport?
Alcohol
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Religion, or at least religious inquiry, is something that nearly all humans share in common. In all corners of the world and in all eras of history, people have wondered about the meaning of life, how to make the best of it, what happens afterwards, and if there is anyone or anything "out there."
1
Religion
1Religion, or at least religious inquiry, is something that nearly all humans share in common. In all corners of the world and in all eras of history, people have wondered about the meaning of life, how to make the best of it, what happens afterwards, and if there is anyone or anything "out there."
Religions Around the World
- 32% of the people in the world are Christians.
- 23% are Muslims.
- 16% are not religious.
- 14% are Hindu.
- 7% are Buddhists.
- 6% are Primal Indigenous.
- 6% Chinese Traditionalists.
- 0.4% are Sikhs.
- 0.22% are Jews.
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Sex
1
Discuss the following
- The word 'Sex' often brings a smile on the faces of people akin to saying 'cheese.' Do you agree?
- It is obviously something some people prefer to keep private and behind close doors. Do you agree?
- The term 'intercourse' is a preferred choice over the term 'sex' in formal or public situations. Why?
- Sex should not be mentioned in class. Do you agree? Why?
2
Discuss the following questions.
- What does consent mean?
- What does making tea for someone and consent have in common?
- Watch the video below and discuss your answers.
Complete the exercise below.
Narcotics
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Complete the Exercise below.
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ISMS
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Pork
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I am taking Pork to cover all topics considered to be sensitive and therefore not to be tackled in class.
Starting with Pork. Many people will eat pork and other meat in all their forms whilst others will strongly resist this meat due to matters of religion (Pork is considered unclean in Islam whilst the cow is considered sacred in India) or to matters of choice (as in vegetarians and vegans). Both latter groups strongly protest against those who do not follow their point of view on this. There are many other subjects which raise such opposing and irreconcilable views between different groups.
- Make a list of topics which are sensitive in your opinion.
- Find a reason why they could be sensitive.
- Decide whether they are topics that you would like to cover or not.
- Give reasons for your choice.
Running out of ideas? Check this resource list.
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Debate
Learning to have these types of discussions with other people is a valuable skill, so should be encouraged. Setting ground rules before the start of the discussion will discourage possible negative outcomes. These are the rules to observe during the debate.
- Give people time to make their point, do not interrupt
- Do not ridicule other people's opinions, or put them down
- Consider the effect what you are saying may have on other people
- Listen to and consider other people's opinions
- Be aware that body language as well as what you say can affect others
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