Teaching For Socially Active Students

Socially active students : Social Action Projects in the Classroom

 

Essential Question:

How do we prepare our students to become aware of social justice issues within society?

 

Guiding Questions:

How can students represent their knowledge of social justice issues through art and language arts?

What tools or resources can we use to engage our students in social justice issues?

How can we incorporate technology into developing socially active students?

 

Outcomes and Indicators:

Outcome: CR5.1

Analyze and respond to a variety of grade-level texts (including contemporary and traditional visual, oral, written,and multimedia texts) that address identity (e.g., Exploring Heritage), community (e.g., Teamwork), social responsibility (e.g. What is Fair?).

Indicator A:

View, listen to, read and respond to a variety of visual, multimedia, oral, and print texts that examine the diverse range of personal identities, perspectives, and backgrounds (e.g., appearance, culture, socio-economic status, abilities, age, gender, sexual orientation, language, career path) including First Nations and Métis texts.

 

Outcome: CC5.1

Compose and create a range of visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts that explore, identity (e.g., What Should I Do), community (e.g., This is Our Planet), social responsibility (e.g. Teamwork) and express personal thoughts shaped through inquiry. 

Indicator A:

Create spoken, written, and other representations that include:

• a clear and specific message

• a logical and coherent organization of ideas

• a competent use of language and conventions

 

Outcome: CH5.1

Examine perspectives on contemporary life as expressed by artists in pop culture and mass media (e.g., representations of young people in ads, sitcoms, animations, and music videos). 

Indicator B:

Create arts expressions in response to research and personal opinions about the influence of social issues.

Outcome: TR5.1

Examine the concepts of colonization and decolonization and analyze their effects.

Indicator B:

Examine effects of racism on relationships among Saskatchewan people.

 

Instructional Strategies:

Brainstorming:

Students will have to work together to create a mind web of everything they know about Social Justice issues. Students will write their ideas on the board.

 

Create:

Students will collaboratively create a representation that portrays ideas about how they can change the world to become socially just. They can choose to write words, or draw pictures - whichever represents their ideas best. They will create this on a piece of graffiti paper that will later be displayed in the classroom.

 

Video:

Students will watch and analyze the chosen videos. They will then respond to how the videos made them feel and discuss questions they have about the material.

 

Adaptive dimensions:

For students who are unable to physically write on the mural or brainstorming sheets, we would have them type on moourl.com so all of the students can view their ideas.

 

Material Required:

• Laptop

• Screen projector

• Blackboard and chalk or White Board and marker

• Mural paper

• Drawing materials

• Video links 

• Internet

• Webspace

 

Set: 8 minutes

Video:

Children React To Cheerios Commercial (3:15): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ncHRmXb7Bs 

 

This video introduces students to one social justice issue in particular. It will allow them to expand on other social justice issues in the next activity. Guide your students in thinking about other social justice issues by posing the following question: Did you notice the mixed race family at the beginning of the video?

 

Web:

Students will come up with their own ideas of what they consider social justice issues in society. Students will take turns coming up to the board and adding their ideas to the web.

 

Development: 15 minutes

Video:

How to Change the World by Kid President (3:44): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z7gDsSKUmU

 

This video will allow for students to become aware of issues in society and what everyday people or children can do to help change the world to make it a better place. Kid President stresses that you do not need power or fame to make a difference because we are all people with the capability of making a positive change.

 

Mural:

Students will use the ideas from the web to visually represent the issues through drawing and writing. We will lay out paper and give students the chance to draw or write an idea from the web on the paper which we will then hang up in the classroom. 

 

Closure: 3 minutes

As students finish up the mural make them aware that for next class they will choose a social justice issue that was discussed in today’s class and brainstorm ideas they can use to create a comic strip for next class.

As a final question to leave the students with ask them the following question: Why do you think we still have so many controversial issues in today's society?

 

Assessment:

Have students explain what they have drawn or written on the mural to gain our understanding of the students knowledge. Have students respond to questions after the video at the end of class, such as: Did you notice the difference between the parents in the video? Why do you think people reacted negatively towards the mixed race family?

 

Assignments:

Comic Strip

Have the students complete an online comic strip. They are able to choose any topic that has to do with Social Justice (e.g., any Social Justice issue that has been discussed (or a new idea), a way you could potentially change the issue, what they plan to do personally to solve an issue, etc.).

Here is a great website to introduce to the students to help them get started on their strips! http://bitstrips.com/create/comic/

Here is an example of a grading rubric for this assignment: http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=Q3B328&sp=true

 

 

For Further Exploration...

Extending from Treaty Outcome TR5.1:

Examine the concepts of colonization and decolonization and their effects.

Indicator A: Recognize the impact of colonization and assimilation policies of the Canadian government on First Nation and Métis societies.

Improvizations

After going over the treaty information, "Canada's First People" (link provided on the resources page), divide into six groups and assign one information bullet per group. Have each group come up with a quick (1-2 min.) skit that illustrates what is happening in their bullet. Have the students present their skits in the order in which the events happen. Have a post discussion about what the class defines a treaty to be and examine what effects the treaties might have had on the First Nation culture while displaying the importance of awareness.