Unit Plan

Be the Change

Katie Donner & Erika Reyes

Design Thinking

Old Method: Students are briefly introduced to a few world problems chosen by the teacher/school/textbook publisher's current agenda for the year and may write reports or summaries of current events. This is a typical approach where students become aware of real world issues but are not taught nor encouraged to take action to find solutions to alleviate harmful/dangerous effects or fix problems. Students are usually viewed as consumers of information and not as empowered collaborators who can contribute to the betterment of the world.

Overview: This unit of study emphasizes the role of students as global collaborators. After exploring the Sustainable Development Goals, developed by the United Nations, students select a real world problem that ignites a passion, interest, or sparks a connection for them. They work with like-minded students researching and developing ideas to improve circumstances, or propose solutions for the betterment/protection of people and/or our planet. Students then select unique ways to publish/present/share their discoveries and proposals to others.

This unit of study is co-designed to be implemented collaboratively by a classroom teacher and teacher librarian as a learner-directed online learning experience.

Goals & Objectives

Goals and Objectives:

Content Objectives:

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.


Process Objectives:

Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.

Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.

Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

Students explore local and global issues and use collaborative technologies to work with others to investigate solutions.


Co-Assessments:

  • P.A.R.T.S. Journal

P = Product Idea (Annotated Sketch, Outline, etc..)

A = Audience

R = Role(s)

T = Tasks (Project Management)

S = Solution(s)

  • Google Forms

  • Flipgrid Video Submissions

  • Big Think Activity

  • Published Product


Other Objectives to Watch:

Learner Competencies

  • Empathize with others

  • Engage in sustained inquiry

  • Recognize a need and develop a plan

  • Develop and exhibit a growth mindset

  • Practice and exhibit digital citizenship skills

  • Develop confidence in taking academic risks

  • Recognize learning as a shared responsibility

  • Use a variety of communication tools and resources

  • Develop new understandings through real-world connections

  • Demonstrate creativity and adeptness in using technology as a learning tool

*NOTE: Being that this unit is designed for 11th/12th graders, many of the instructional activities will be considered review as it is assumed that by this time they have had multiple and varied experiences and background with research, citing and evaluating sources, note-taking, and using technology for learning/creation.

Essential Question

What does it mean to be a global citizen?

Graphical/Flow Chart

Learning Activities

Step 1: Students reflect on the following questions using a Google Form in preparation for a class Zoom meeting:

Think about the large scale problems people around the world are facing today. Which ones affect you the most? Do you wish you could do something to change it so nobody else, including yourself, has to deal with that problem ever again?

Teachers collaboratively review and extract answers from the Google Form to use as an introductory activity where the class gets to see some of the ideas their peers shared through a Slides Presentation. This activity provides the teachers with learner profiles that will help them anticipate and prepare for potential partners/small group configurations based on interest.

Step 2: Teachers begin the class Zoom meeting with a Slide Show showing the responses students shared about the issues facing the world today and those that impact them the most from the Google Form (without identifying the responder/student). The teachers introduce the essential question and guide a discussion about the power of creating change. They encourage students to remember that we all can use our time, passions, and talents to make a difference in the world.

Teachers create breakout rooms, splitting the class in half. They each facilitate a brainstorming session where students examine how media, inventions, communications, etc... influence/impact people, life, and the world. They discuss tools/mediums that can be used to influence change/impact people. The teacher in each breakout room shares their screen and takes notes on a Google Doc about what the students discuss. After a set time, the class reconvenes and each group shares their points of discussion with the class. The teachers then ask students to name some of the resources/tools they have access to that help them plan, learn, collaborate, communicate, and create. Then they discuss the potential uses of these tools to reach a broader audience.

Step 3: Card Sort Activity: Students work on a Google Doc and sort images of the 17 sustainable development goals. The instructions are simply to organize them in any order they think they should go. There are no wrong answers for this activity as it is meant to narrow down potential areas of interest/connection/passion and to personalize learning according to the prioritization reflected in their sort. Students share a screenshot of their Google Doc on Padlet and identify similarities and differences in the sorts.

Students form groups with peers who share similar groupings in their top 3 rated Sustainable Development Goals. They use the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) in breakout rooms to facilitate a discussion on one agreed-upon goal they want to explore in-depth. It is assumed that the students have previous experience with QFT and so the teachers roam the breakout rooms to listen in, monitor participation and offer guidance if needed. The goal is for students to develop essential questions by sharing ideas/focus areas that will guide their self-directed learning and design. Students are left with the task of evaluating the final questions they generated in the QFT process and determining which ones they can use to guide their research and lead to the development of a concept/product.

Step 4: In the next Zoom class meeting, the teachers will introduce the P.A.R.T.S. journal and discuss the need for research. The teacher librarian then provides instruction on navigating well-suited databases for this project and review using Boolean operators to optimize efficacy, and the classroom teacher also provides students with a checklist for review and support with evaluating sources and a list of reputable sources that students can refer to/explore during their research.

Students then use the Background and Get Started Rooms to work with their partners/teams in developing their plan of action. The teachers will roam the breakout rooms to monitor and provide support in the process.

The P.A.R.T.S. journal includes an introductory page where the partners/teams describe the problem associated with the Sustainable Developmental Goal (SDG) and why they selected this specific SDG. Then, they will list the essential/guiding question that the teachers proposed and the ones they generated during the QFT discussion.

P = Product idea - Write notes, sketch, create a visual representation of what your project idea is. The teachers will provide some examples (advertisement campaign, TED Talk, community improvement proposal, blog, vlog, a partnering project with another school (such as creating and teaching a lesson for a local middle/elementary school, documentary, building a model of an invention that can improve the SDG condition, digital "game" that raises awareness or demonstrates impact of not taking action and the results of taking actionable steps for improvement, Movie, etc...) and ask students to share some of their preliminary ideas to help initiate this thinking. Teachers also review the voice typing tool in Google Docs with students to remind them that they can narrate their ideas as they sketch or design their concept.

A = Audience - Select an audience for your product/concept idea/proposal. Why did you select this audience? (the teachers use this information to prepare support for publishing to a broader audience i.e. talking with administration regarding issues of student privacy, contacting organizations for mentorship support and/or guidance, using the school's website or school district's social media platforms for advocacy, etc...

R = Roles - What roles are you and your team taking on in the development process and the sharing/publishing stage?

T = Tasks - Outline a plan of action and list the tasks that will be required. Develop a project management plan that will help your team ensure that all tasks are defined and so that everyone knows what steps to work on so that the project can move along toward completion.

S = Solution(s) - Explain how your product helps to solve/alleviate/improve the problem associated with the Sustainable Development Goal.

This journal will also include a reflection piece at the end of the project that will reveal what the learning journey was like for each student which will be the preparation for their Flipgrid video reflection.

The students will share the P.A.R.T.S. journal Google Doc with both teachers and the teachers will divide the number of teams in half. Each teacher will provide feedback in the Google Doc for the teams they are responsible for.

The teachers will conduct a brief check-in Zoom class meeting sharing positive comments about what they noticed in the P.A.R.T.S. journals and will remind the students that this journal is a work in progress. The P.A.R.T.S. journal will be formatted using the Table of Contents and Heading features in Google Docs to organize their ideas and thinking process. This means that students will be able to add additional pages to take notes on any revisions/changes/new ideations that arise during the process. Students will be instructed to begin their research and be reminded of how to sign up for appointments for consultations/concerns/questions during Office Hours using Google Calendar. The teachers will add that researching local efforts to support attaining their SDG is also a viable path for research. Students may ask teachers for support if they would like to contact an existing agency/organization for more information.

Students will add research notes and source citation information in their shared P.A.R.T.S. Google Doc journal. Meanwhile, the teachers will continue to monitor and provide feedback in the P.A.R.T.S. journal Google Doc and reach out to students/teams who may need more support/guidance. Students will also submit an individual reflection entry documenting their experiences using the different databases and their internet searches as well as the process they used and how it ties into the design thinking process.

Step 5: Both teachers will organize small group/team Zoom class sessions for the groups they are monitoring to report on their findings thus far, discuss project management tasks, and any re-workings that may need to take place over the next two weeks. Teachers will meet with all groups once a week to support this critical stage in the project. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions about their projects and research. Each teacher will scaffold or facilitate reflection for further considerations to the project and clarify the next steps. Students will also have time to meet with their partner/team and collaborate during the video conferencing session. Teachers will highly encourage students to meet with their partners outside of designated class times and to utilize the comment feature in shared files as a form of communication and collaboration. They may also still sign up for more support by signing up for Office Hour appointments in Google Calendar. The classroom teacher and teacher librarian communicate about the progress made and the roadblocks students have encountered and determine, develop, and implement further interventions.

Step 6: After a two-week period of research and ideation, the class meets again as a whole in a Zoom class session. One of the teachers shares their screen using a Google Doc and takes notes while the other teacher facilitates a discussion with the class. Each team gives a quick summary of their SDG and share their concept for their product to improve conditions related to the SDG. The teacher notes their responses on a chart in the Google Doc. Students provide feedback for each team's plan via a Google Form organized into sections by project. Students respond to the following questions for each team, including their own:

  • What are some thoughts you have about Project X? What did you notice? What stands out about this project?

  • What are some questions you have about this project?

  • What are some epiphanies you had as you listened to this team share their project?

The teachers ask students to think about the different ideas shared by the teams and inform them that they will receive a link to view the ratings and rationales after the teachers have reviewed them. In the next Zoom class session, teams meet in breakout rooms to discuss the responses for their concept idea and then re-evaluate and revise, if consensus is achieved. Students develop and create their product. As always, the classroom teacher and teacher librarian make themselves available to answer any questions/concerns students may have and check in with each team by scheduling small group Zoom meetings to monitor progress.

The teachers consult with each other and then pair teams up for a mock presentation of their product. Zoom class sessions with two teams are organized to allow them to take turns and do a run through of their creation in a safe place with one other team. Each team receives and notes constructive feedback and then prepares for their final published project in breakout rooms during the Zoom video conferencing class session and follow up with collaborative work. Each teacher oversees the work for one of the groups during this time, mentoring and helping students push forward toward finalization.

Step 7: Each team shares their product in a Zoom class session and shares how and where their product will be published to reach a broader audience. Teachers support the student teams they are overseeing with the publishing/sharing of their products with the outside world. They also send emails/phone messages to students and their family acknowledging and celebrating their work and perseverance.

Step 8: Students are asked to submit a Flipgrid video reflection of the design thinking process and tell about the accomplishment of their final product. The teachers create a video showcasing the learning journey by capturing screenshots of document comments, journal pages of their research, ideations and revisions, Google Form responses, and snippets of the Flipgrid submissions and their published products to view as a culminating class celebration. This will be shared with parents/families, other educators and administrators.

Step 9: Big Think Activity - The teachers facilitate an active discussion where they guide reflection on the following questions:

  • How can we be global citizens? What did you learn from this experience?

Students are arranged into random groups of equal/similar size and select one of the SDG's that was represented in one of our class' design thinking projects. They discuss and reflect on the SDG they select and the design thinking process using De Bono's Six Thinking Hats. After this work time, they then reconvene with the entire class and share their ideas and new questions/considerations for the future.

*NOTE: Teachers make sure to follow up with the published forms periodically to further celebrate impact and recognize any follow-up efforts.

Defense

Design thinking is a pathway toward student empowerment. Rather than consuming information, students become creators of information and live the impact of their creations. Instructional activities steer away from student compliance based on authoritative expectations from teachers and shift toward a humanizing shared learning experience that is based on a partnership between teacher mentorship and personalized student investment. Motivation is enhanced naturally through self-directed learning that is strengthened by student connection, passion, and talent. This in turn increases student accountability and affirms their role as contributors to the world at large.