Empowering Global Citizens

Activity 5.1.]

It’s Tyranny!

The teacher has a prewritten set of rules for the class and reads them to the
class. The list starts out rather reasonably but then gets progressively more
tyrannical and unreasonable, such that by the end of the list, the students
know that those aren’t the real class rules. The following rules are only sug—
gestions. Some of the rules below foreshadow some of the causes of the
American Revolution:

1. All students must treat one another with respect applying the gold—
en rule.

2. All students are expected to help one another learn.

3. All students must turn in homework on time, with the proper
heading.

4. All students should raise their hand to speak and will wait to be
called upon before speaking.

5. Students are not allowed to question the teacher’s grading of
papers.

6. Students are not allowed to talk among themselves in class if
the purpose of the discussion is to question the authority of the
teacher.

7. Students must bring the teacher ten dollars every day andgive the
teacher half of any money that they are given or earn.

8. Students will not be a part of the process of making rules and must
abide by all rules.

The teacher should notice some surprise when the last rules are read and
then should lead a discussion. The teacher should ask the students whether
these rules are like the rules they had in previous classrooms. Are they fair?
Which ones aren’t fair? Why not? The teacher made these rules, so would
another rule—making process result in rules that were more fair? Why do we
need rules?

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