Advocacy, Presentation and Project Templates

The old-school model of passively learning facts and reciting them out of context is no longer sufficient to prepare students to survive in today's world. Solving highly complex problems requires that students have both fundamental skills (reading, writing, and math) and 21st century skills (teamwork, problem solving, research gathering, time management, information synthesizing, utilizing high tech tools). With this combination of skills, students become directors and managers of their learning process, guided and mentored by a skilled teacher.

Helping Students to Plan a Project

An Australian teacher has designed a set of Google Slides that guides students to think through a Project Process. She describes the tool here. Click the slide template and make a copy to create your own customizable version.

The Student Project Planning Sheet shared here was developed by JustFacs. Click to make a copy.

Blog: 5 Templates to Use for Self-Directed Learning Projects

The Global Citizen.org site use the term Solution Fluency to describe how students become efficient problem solvers. They propose the 6Ds. Click here to learn more about their approach and project planner (requires free log in to their site).

Advocacy and Social Justice Projects

Edutopia Blog: Social Justice Projects in the Classroom

Cult of Pedagogy Blog: A Collection of Resources for Teaching Social Justice

ImagineAction - Working with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, TC² has developed a series of free resources outlining a framework for social action targeted at grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12. The short videos highlight sample projects that students have undertaken and the booklets provide a thumbnail summary of the steps in preparing students to thoughtfully plan and implement a social action project.

Service Projects - Learningtogive.org has developed a toolkit to guide the development of service learning projects at various grades.

Ontario developed a course for Gr 9-12 Students entitled Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice. This course description provides some big ideas and guiding questions that can guide student learning and inquiry around these issues.

Taking It Global.org

Empowers classrooms to understand and act collaboratively on the world's greatest challenges by supporting educators to utilize technology to create transformative learning experiences for students. Through this work, classrooms everywhere become actively engaged and connected in shaping a more inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable world. Key focus areas include Global Citizenship, Environemental Stewardship and Student Voice.

Visit this page to learn more about available resources on thematic issues such as tackling Mental Health, Ecological Footprints, Food Choices and Food Systems, Global Tobacco Industry, and Exploring the World by Cycle. See the Student project Planning Guide featured in the right margin - it could easily be adapted for planning any ambitious social justice student project.

Taking It Global has a range of projects on the go at any one time and they are often looking for collaborators.

deforestaction project planning guide.pdf

Project-Based Learning

Definition of Buck Institute:

Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing a public product or presentation for a real audience.

As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills in the context of doing an authentic, meaningful project. Project Based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among students and teachers.