Modern Revolution-Call for Change!
Please check out our class YouTube site to see our Modern Revolution Newscasts!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs9Ivw1ICsc
Project Abstract
This project involves researching in depth, engaging in discussion and formally presenting an issue that exists in the modern world (locally, nationally or globally). In groups of four, students explore an issue that they feel is an important one in the world today. This issue is also one which they feel needs more attention, awareness and media coverage in the larger world. In other words, the students think deeply about and research an issue they think requires an urgent and immediate call for "revolutionary" action and CHANGE. Students are to identify the specific issue, the specific change that is necessary and a possible plan of action. There are three major products for this project: the research paper (individual), the "Special Report" newscast (group) and the informational piece (group). These special reports will be videotaped and presented to a larger audience. Students are challenged with these questions:
Can you persuade the audience that your issue is one that requires urgent CHANGE?
What would this "revolutionary" change "look" like for your issue?
What did you teach and how did you teach it?
The project connects with our earlier unit on historical revolutions, both violent and non-violent in nature. We go into depth about what constitutes a "revolution." As a class, we consider the commonalities across these historical revolutions and what spurred these revolutions. Additionally, I ask students to ponder the question as to whether there are revolutions going on in the world around them. Furthermore, I challenge students to think about whether there are issues, perhaps which they experience or witness in their own worlds, that require revolutionary action in our world today. The learning goals include having students think in-depth and critically about a particular issue in the world today, research it in a professional manner and develop a potential plan of action to bring about a necessary change.
What concepts and skills did the students gain in this class through this project?
Through this project, students gain an understanding of how revolutions indeed exist today. Furthermore, students not only learn about the steps of the research process and analyze an issue individually and collaboratively, they also construct an action plan for change. They work on their research papers utilizing a writing workshop model. They learn how writing is a process of peer-revising each other's work, self-revising and teacher revising (myself and seeking another adult in the building). Students also refine their presentations and group-work skills, as they create a "Special Report," for a newscast about their issue. To front-load this portion of the project, we look at models of various newscasts and identify qualities that make up a "good" newscast.
How is the curriculum for this project academically rich and grade-level challenging?
This project challenges students because it asks students to deeply think about their own world/experiences/prior knowledge and what issues are meaningful to them. It asks them to take the traditional research paper about an issue a step further: what is a potential solution to bring about necessary change? This project requires students to deeply research and consider the status quo, current laws and the reality of particular issues in the world today. Furthermore, it requires students to develop a solution for their issue to bring about change, which is central to all revolutions. Lastly, students are challenged to utilize their creativity to construct and execute "Special Report" newscasts that model real newscasts. Additionally, when they turn in their paper, each student has an "oral defense," in which I ask each of them three or four challenging questions about their writing. This gives them an opportunity to actually talk about their own writing and reflect on the process.
To what extent was there integration across disciplines in your class through this project?
This project is interdisciplinary in nature in that it incorporated persuasive and research-based writing, studying media and using it and active research.
Which Habits of Heart and Mind (HoHM) and Design Principles were utilized in this project?
Evidence
Refinement
Mindfulness
Cooperation
Perspective
How did you incorporate refinement through this project?
This project incorporates refinement in both the writing and newscast portion. Through the writing process, students refine their work as they engage in peer, self and multiple teacher/tutor revises. They actively engage in the process of writing, with reflection and multiple revises, so that they are able to, in their final draft, submit a refined piece of beautiful writing. In the creation of the newscast, the students in their groups go through a process of refinement as well. They submit story boards, offer feedback to each other's groups, edit their visual work, so that they are able to eventually submit a newscast that has been carefully refined throughout the whole process.