What can you do in your community?

Students learn to thoroughly research and analyze a real-world issue and apply our proven 6-step problem-solving method to develop a project plan and take action. In addition to increasing engagement in their communities, students gain more choice and voice in their own learning.

Step One - Project Proposal

The first required element of a competitive community project is the proposal. The proposal is a structured document in which students detail their initial thinking and plans for their project. In order to write the proposal, students engage in research and the 6-step problem-solving process. After you research the issue and community you have chosen, you will engage in the problem-solving process and document your thinking. We strongly encourage you to use the steps of the process to organize and build your community project proposal.

Problem Solving Process:

Area of Concern - Write a research-based look at the “before” of a project. An area of concern answers the questions: What is the issue? Which community is it impacting? Why is this issue important to me and the community stakeholders? We encourage you to include qualitative and quantitative information in your area of concern.

Challenges Identified - Now you consider your area of concern and identify challenges that might arise from the current state of the issue. You should consider different perspectives on the issue and how it might impact a variety of stakeholders. Challenges might address questions like: What might happen if no one addresses this issue? What might happen while trying to fix the problem? What issues could have caused this problem? There is not a set number of challenges required.

Underlying Problem - After analyzing the identified community’s challenges, you narrow your focus to an achievable size to address an important part of the area of concern. You complete the underlying problem step by clearly communicating the desired outcome and need for the project. An underlying problem is a structured statement indicating the project’s chosen action goal and the desired result of their project.

Underlying Problem Structure -
    Condition Phrase: Start with a concise rationale for pursuing your project’s goal.
    Key Verb Phrase: Then, include a well-defined primary action goal addressing an aspect of the area of concern.
    Purpose: Lastly, include a justification for accomplishing the goal. This is the desired result that should flow from accomplishing the action goal of the key verb phrase.

Solution Ideas - Generate ideas for solving the underlying problem. Solutions should show that you have considered different perspectives and stakeholders as they developed their ideas. While solutions do not have to be fully developed, you need to clearly explain your ideas.

They might include details like:
    • Who? – Might include team members or other stakeholders
    • What? – An action related to the key verb phrase
    • Why? – Connection to underlying problem should be clear
    • When? – Proposed phases, timelines, time frames are included in high-scoring action plans
    • Where? – Share when location is relevant or important
    • With? – Consider community stakeholders with whom you might partner

Determination of Plan - Employ an evaluation method, technique, or “thinking tool” of your choice to analyze and identify the most promising ideas for their project. you should thoughtfully reflect on how the use of their chosen method impacted the choices they make for their action plan.

Action Plan - Now that you have chosen the best solution(s) to implement, detail your intended plan of action. The plan should thoroughly explain how your activities address the underlying problem. Action plans include proposed timelines or time frames. During implementation, apply the problem-solving method and tools as you encounter challenges throughout their project. Adaptations and adjustments will be recorded in the project report.

Project Proposal Structure - You have up to 2,000 words to express your community concerns and your plan of action. Many proposals blend prose with tables and bulleted lists. For example, you do not have to fully develop your step four solutions and could write these in a list or table format. Excellent action plans have a proposed timeline or time frames; a table may be a useful way of organizing a complex plan.

Project Proposal Evaluation

Step 2 - Project Report

After completing the proposal, you write the project report, which can be up to 3.500 words, about the implementation and impact of the project. The report is evaluated on nine areas, each with multiple criteria, and an overall holistic assessment of clarity, ownership, and creativity. The project report should encompass the following things:

Relevance - how well the implemented action plan relates to the student’s identified underlying problem. A strong report will detail actions that have excellent relationships to the underlying problem, directly relate to the key verb phrase, and support the project’s purpose.

Organization - A strong report will show that you have used effective project management strategies, and that tasks and responsibilities are clearly and effectively delineated.

Resources - A strong report will show that you identified and utilized a variety of community connections and resources throughout the completion of their project. Resources may include agencies, organizations, experts, community leaders, references, and more.

Community Impact - A strong report will clearly show that you have made a positive impact for the future and that the situation has improved for the community as a whole.

Community Involvement - A strong report will demonstrate that strong community partnerships and relationships were established to both fulfill the objectives of the project and meet the needs of the community stakeholders.

Plan Effectiveness - In a strong report, students will show that their actions and activities were strongly connected to their underlying problem and thoroughly responded to, and improved, the area of concern.

Plan Adaptation - A strong report will show that students used effective problem-solving skills when needed and that thorough planning and responses to obstacles prevented students from further delays in their work.

Sustainability - A strong report will show that students have strategies in place for benefits of the project to continue within the community after the project’s conclusion.

Reflection - A strong report will show that students have conducted their own careful, honest assessment of their project actions, including objective analysis and thoughtful reflection.

Step 3 - Student Choice Project

Portfolio - 40 pages in any format you choose to document your problem and solution

Promotional Video - 3-5 minutes showcasing your problem and solution

Display - a physical display of your choice documenting your problem and solution

When you finish, your teacher will contact the RESTORE team for judging!

How will changing technologies and societal norms impact the treatment of animals in the future?

Background

Farmers, pet and animal owners, and scientific researchers have many different ways of treating animals in their care. Fewer than 30% of countries have animal welfare laws, and existing laws are not always enforced.

Context

Researchers assert that it is important to be able to use animals in research to test drugs and new medical procedures that can help both people and animals. Sometimes endangered animals are kept in captivity at a high cost in order to protect their limited populations. Animal shelters are often filled with feral animals or those that have been abandoned by their owners. Wild animals in many parts of the world come into conflict with human activity.

Challenge

• In the future, how might research impact human understanding and treatment of animals?

• Are zoos useful educational tools or unethical exhibitions?

• Are certain animals entitled to more rights than others based on cultural or intelligence differences?

• How can humans be better stewards in the treatment of animals?

• Who decides the appropriate treatment of animals and their role in society?

Challenge Requirements

Students learn to thoroughly research a real-world issue and then imagine possible outcomes of future actions or events. Writers develop a creative, futuristic narrative to entertain and inform readers. The Creative Writing program strives to help students enlarge, enrich, and make more accurate their image of the future, while refining their writing skills.

Evaluation

Tips and Tricks

Students whose stories receive the highest scores in creative thinking incorporate inventive approaches throughout their scenario.

• Inventive thinking

• Unusual approaches to plot development, novel characteristics of objects/characters, “out of the box” thinking, etc. 

• Unusual setting or characters 

• Surprise or novel beginning or ending 

• Elaborated sensory details as well as details of reflections, emotions, or thoughts 

A strong submission will include an understanding of how patterns and trends might evolve, specialized language related to the topic and story, and a strong portrayal of futuristic trends or predictions enhancing the story.

Students whose stories receive the highest scores incorporate futuristic approaches throughout the scenario.

• Ideas based on current trends/research

• Logical projections into the future

• Distinctions between futuristic trends/research as opposed to topic-related research

• Details that make ideas believable

• Futuristic ideas/terminology are relevant to the story and/or the topic

A strong submission will include complex ideas supported by rich, engaging, pertinent details, strong evidence of analysis, reflection, insight exploring different aspects of the topic, sophisticated organizational strategies, and will capture the reader’s attention.

Students whose stories receive the highest scores incorporate idea development throughout the scenario.

• Appropriate rising action and conflict resolution

• Note: resolution does not necessarily mean a solution

• Reflections/insights into the consequence of characters’ actions or challenges 

• Connections that engage the reader

• Positive societal effects

• Logical connection to the topic

• Believable explanations

• Cause/effect relationships that move the plot forward

• Sophisticated organizational strategies

• Natural transitions

Submissions with strong style/voice include clear, distinctive personal touch, use of literary techniques that makes text lively and engaging, unique stylistic nuances and elements, well-crafted, varied sentence structures, skillful use of vocabulary allowing reader to become emotionally involved, and motivates the reader to reflect on purpose and consequences.

Students whose stories score the highest include strong style/voice throughout the scenario.

• Writing techniques including simile/metaphor, idioms, sensory detail, symbolism, understatement, exaggeration, personification, foreshadowing, and allusion

• Well crafted, varied sentences

• Conscientious word choice, accounting for the writer’s age/division 

• Personal touch motivating the reader to consider consequences

• Skillful use of vocabulary

• Effective inclusion of dialogue and/or internal monologue

• Purposeful use of dialect through word choice, spelling, and punctuation

Submissions with strong character development will include authentic characters with dynamic natures enhancing the overall impact and effectiveness of the writing, characters who evoke emotional response, writing that provides insight, perspective, and empathy with characters, and a sense of involvement with the characters throughout the story.

Students whose stories score the highest develop characters throughout the scenario.

• Many facets of the characters’ personalities evident

• Characters showing emotional responses to situations/dialogue

• Characters that analyze, reflect, show insight, or problem solve

• Evolution of character(s) 

• Characters evoke emotional response

Strong submissions are clearly edited and include clear control of grammar and punctuation, creative use of conventions to enhance meaning, license intentionally taken with some conventions to make a point, and dialogue, dialect, slang, etc. 

Students whose stories score the highest demonstrate effective mechanics throughout the scenario.

• Employs conventions creatively for a purpose or to enhance meaning

• “Plays” with dialogue, dialect, or slang without detracting from story line

• Choices that enhance rather than detract from readability

Strong submissions artfully blend topic knowledge with the storyline and show knowledge of the topic, as well as an understanding of the topic’s futuristic trends.

Students whose stories score highest demonstration effective topic integration throughout the scenario.

• An understanding of cause/effect relationships concerning the topic

• Blending topic research and/or futuristic trends into the story line

• Inclusion of relevant terminology as well as a logical knowledge about the topic

Once you have your well-crafted story tell your teacher to alert the RESTORE team for evaluation!

The RESTORE Student Film Competition is designed to give young students an opportunity to tell their story about their hometown while discovering and enhancing their skills as filmmakers. Judged by an elite jury of professional filmmakers, the top three winners for each category of elementary, middle school, and high school will receive a prize, and have their films screened at the Battle of the Books Competition in May!

Students will have their voices heard through filmmaking! Creativity and ingenuity is highly encouraged. Winning films will be chosen on the basis of creativity and the ability to tell a story that leaves the audience better informed and/or moved about their hometown.

Subject Material

All subject matter must be related to your hometown. Hometown could be anything related to where you are from: your school, your town, your home, anything goes as long as it relates somehow to where you are from!

Criteria

Films will be scored based on the seven criteria listed below (listed in more detail in the 2023 Student Film Competition Rubric, which is divided into two main components: Content and Technical Aspects).

Content

• Storytelling
• Artistic/Visual Appeal
• Originality
• Creativity
• Technical Aspects - editing
• Technical Aspects - sound
• Technical Aspects - filming/lighting 

Eligibility Requirements

• The film must show some relationship to your hometown.

• Total running time of each film submission must be five minutes or less, including credits.

• All audio/film/graphic content must be original, copyright free or have written permission, and be properly documented.

• All of the production must be done by a student or group of students (capture, edit, produce).

• The competition is open only to currently enrolled elementary, middle school, and high school students.

• Films must be made entirely by a student or a group of students.

• Non-English films must have subtitles.

• Projects must be completed between August 2024 and April 2025.

• If music is used, it must be from a public domain or royalty-free. Copyrighted music is strictly prohibited.

• If video, images, or other content are used from another person, evidence of permission for use must be provided and acknowledged in the film credits. This will be strictly enforced.

• Teachers who use the competition as a class project must prequalify the top three films to be submitted. The students must complete the actual online submission process.

• Adult participation (teachers, parents, etc.) should be limited to coaching or acting in the film.

Problem

You have been hired as the youngest cinema designer for the next Hollywood blockbuster movie! The movie involves visiting many different fantasy planets. The movie director wants to create realistic plants and animals for their scenes on these planets during the movie. As a designer you have been asked to choose one of the fantasy planets, learn about its environment and habitat, use your knowledge of plant and animal life cycles, inherited traits, learned behaviors, food webs, and adaptations to create a producer and consumer that could survive in the planet's ecosystem. 

Once you have created your organisms, you and your team will collaborate and create a food web that utilizes your designs. This will be presented to the director for final approval so they can be used in the next Hollywood blockbuster!

The Planets

Raina

Raina has a very tropical climate, wet and hot. Most of the planet is covered by areas similar to our rainforests. Raina is a very flat planet that is covered in large acidic pools and lakes. Since it is constantly raining they never dry up! 

Most plants here are extremely poisonous to the touch. They grow very thickly on the ground and when touched by humans or animals that have not adapted to withstand the toxins, they quickly die. The vegetation is plentiful and includes many types of fruits and nuts. With the constant rain and poisonous vegetation, the plants and animals here make a beautiful, yet very dangerous mix. 

CHARACTERISTICS:

• Flat land 

• Acid pools & Acid Rain 

• Poisons in most foliage

• Hot and Humid

Tundrany

Tundrany is a dark and cold planet. Its beauty is in it's mountainous landscape. Snow is abundant and the only shelter on this dark planet are the extensive caves. You could spend hours exploring the caves here and still never find them all! The only plants that grow well have to be able to withstand long periods of darkness and a very cold climate. The images below can give you an idea of what this planet might look like. 

CHARACTERISTICS:

• Dark - only 4 hours of light in a day

• Cold - temperature range of -40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit

• Mountainous - very little flat land 90% of the land area is mountains

• Frozen - due to the low temperatures the water on the planet remains frozen for most of the year

• Cave Systems 

• Snow Storms

Destrant

Destrant is a very dry and hot planet. Most of the planet is flat but it does have a few towering cliffs to break up the flat landscape. The majority of the water is found underground. There are a few streams during its brief rainy period, but that only lasts temporarily. Plants must get they roots down into the water table to have a constant supply. The plants are edible, but have adapted some interesting ways to fend off the animals to ensure their survival. The animals must withstand long periods of dryness and lots of heat along with very little food and water. To ensure survival most have become very vicious and can defend their territory very well. 

The images below may give you a good idea of what it might be like on this hot and dry planet.

CHARACTERISTICS:

• Dry - little rain

• Flat land with scattered cliffs

• Water is located underground

• Protective edible plant life

• Viscous Animal life

• Long periods of dryness & heat

Oceanu

Oceanu is our very aquatic planet. With its constant rains and lack of large landmasses, plants and animals here must be able to survive in water. The water here is what we would consider saltwater, however the salt content is much higher than here on Earth. The water is interesting here because it remains very shallow on the majority of the planet. With the water staying shallow it does provide areas that seems similar to our coral reefs here on Earth.  

As for the plants they have a chemical composition that allows them to glow during the night and dark periods on this planet. They also must adapt their root systems to allow them to grow in sand or on top of rocks. 

Due to the night time glow the plants have, animal adaptations provide some unique ways to blend in and hide from the fierce predators. A few animals here have some adaptations that allow them to explore the sandbars that occur from time to time here. 

The wet and sandy terrain here provides a unique environment for this plants wildlife.

Steps & Checklist

• Read through each planet's description and choose which one you will focus on.

• Use the description and your background knowledge to brainstorm some basic traits, adaptations, and behaviors your organism will need. 

• Draw your organism.

• Create a diagram that provides description of the organism’s abilities.

• Create a model of your organism (optional).

• Write an expository paragraph for each organism. Include its adaptations and what they have adapted to withstand in the environment.

• Present your resources to the director - the RESTORE team. Your teacher will need to get your info back to us!

Good luck - have fun and let your creativity fly!