Study Island



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|Title: Secret Investigative Report |Author: Kristen P. |State: New Jersey |

|Grade Span: 6-8, HS |Subject: Reading/Language Arts, Science, Social| |

| |Studies, History, Biology, Geography | |

|Assignment Type: Individual/Small Group/Whole Group |

|Recommended Time Frame: 4-5 weeks, including a week for presentations |

Summary of Project

Our middle school has a “Do the Right Thing” Unit, during which we will study the Holocaust and Civil Rights era. In the Holocaust portion of this unit, we will reflect on the plight of Jews and other victims in the Holocaust and on the lessons this period of history holds for future generations. In the Civil Rights portion of this unit, students will consider historical precedents and the on-going struggle as Americans attempt to define exactly what those civil rights are and who is entitled to them. While learning about these tragic periods in our world’s history, students will discover that genocide and racial discrimination still occur in our world today (for example, Africa).

Materials and Resources Needed:

|Whole class |Per Group |Per Student |

|Computers with Internet access | |Introduction to Project Page |

|Current Event Web sites | |Rubric |

|Movie Making program | |Research Page |

| | |Movie planning page |

Key Vocabulary

|Precedent |Genocide |Atrocities |

|Civil rights |Discrimination |Segregation |

|Integration |Moral responsibility | |

Engaging Questions:

1. Who were some of the individuals who resisted societal pressures to participate in the Holocaust, genocide, and other discriminatory practices? How and why did they resist?

2. How did prejudice and propaganda influence attitude and actions during the Holocaust and in the struggle for civil rights in America?

3. What can citizens do today to prevent genocide and persecution?

4. What were the racial, political, and economic issues central to the Civil Rights Era?

Implementing the Activity

1. Discuss the Holocaust and the Civil Rights era after having taught these periods in history in class.

2. Brainstorm a list of events that reveal times in our past when our world acted unjustly.

3. Explain to students some of the realities in Africa’s current history regarding racial segregation and genocide.

4. Introduce students to their Secret Investigative Report project.

5. Students spend time each class gathering information for their topic. Cite all sources.

6. Students use the provided graphic organizers to guide their research, organize their movie, and begin their project.

7. Students create their movie.

End Result

The final project will be presented using a movie-making program. It will be a Public Service Announcement that exposes the issue they were researching. Students can seek help about the ins and outs of this program by working with Technology Leaders in the classroom. Assign this role to three students at the beginning of the project and explain to them that it is their responsibility to help students in need.

Rubric

|Secret Investigation Report: Student Name: |

| |

|Group Country: ___________________________________________ |

| |

|CATEGORY |Over the top |You are there |Needs some TLC |Let’s revisit this |

|Teamwork |The workload is divided |The workload is divided |The workload was divided,|The workload was not |

| |and shared equally by all |and shared fairly by all |but one person in the |divided OR several people |

| |team members. Each team |team members, though |group is viewed as not |in the group are viewed as|

| |member understands his/her|workloads may vary from |doing his/her fair share |not doing their fair share|

| |responsibilities. |person to person depending|of the work. |of the work. |

| | |on area of expertise. | | |

|Titles, Subtitles |Covers topic in-depth with|Covers topic with details |Topic is covered but with|Content is minimal OR |

|(Evidence of Research) |details and examples. |and examples. Includes 4 |missing/ inaccurate |there are several factual |

| |Includes 5-7 fact titles |fact titles or subtitles. |information. Includes 3 |errors. Lacking |

| |or subtitles. Specific |Information provided about|fact titles or subtitles.|information about how to |

| |information about how |how people can help. |Some information provided|help. |

| |people can help and follow| |about how to help. | |

| |up steps for an action | | | |

| |plan. | | | |

|Transitions and Appearance|Makes excellent use of |Makes use of font, color, |Makes use of font, color,|Makes little use of font, |

| |font, color, graphics, |graphics, effects, etc. to|graphics, effects, etc. |color, graphics, |

| |effects, etc. to enhance |enhance to presentation. |but the use is not |effects-only 1-2 examples.|

| |the presentation. At least|Video includes |consistent throughout the|There is no music or |

| |one example on each slide.|audio/music. |video. Video includes |audio. |

| |Video includes audio/music| |audio/music. | |

| |that connects to the | | | |

| |story. Two songs are used.| | | |

|Opening and Closing |An opening and closing |An opening and closing |An opening or closing |Missing an opening and |

| |slide are present. They |slide are present. They |slides are present. |closing slide. |

| |give a message, include |give a message and include|Opening has a title. | |

| |title, and set up a |title. Closing slide |Bibliography is present. | |

| |framework for your video. |includes a bibliography | | |

| |Closing slide includes a |with at least 3 citations.| | |

| |bibliography with at least| | | |

| |5 citations. | | | |

|Images |Pictures are selected that|Pictures are selected that|Pictures are selected |Pictures are select that |

| |tell a story and relate to|tell a story and relate to|that tell a story. At |tell a story. At least 4 |

| |your topic. At least 12 |your topic. At least 9 |least 7 pictures are |pictures are included. |

| |pictures included. |pictures are included. |included. | |

For Differentiated Instruction

• Provide project checklist to break the project down into mini steps.

• Use higher-level Bloom’s taxonomy questions for advanced students.

• Provide topics for struggling students that will have a multitude of information when doing research.

• Guide project using Graphic Organizers – sequencing, Cause/effect, etc.

• Plan the outline of the movie using the 5 W’s questions – who is involved, what happened, when did it happen, why is it important, what is/was the impact on our country?

• Modify the grading/rubric

Additional Notes

Notes to the Teacher: Following the Road Map

1. Begin with the end in mind. Begin by introducing the driving question from the unit of study. Each day during this unit your lesson will build on ideas that will help your students answer these questions and make connections to the time period. Tell students that they will be coming up with the answer to the driving question through the completion of this PBL.

2. The informational product. Students must use higher-level Bloom’s Taxonomy skills to locate and more importantly use the information they find for this PBL. Interdisciplinary standards are addressed in language arts and technology as mentioned in the following sections. In this case of this PBL, the informational product will be organized into a movie, but embedded in this video will be information that directly answers the driving questions and provides the viewer with facts about a specific African country.

3. The physical product. The final product will be presented using Windows Movie Maker. Students can seek help about the ins and outs of this program by working with Technology Leaders in the classroom. Assign this role to three students at the beginning of the PBL and explain to them that it is their responsibility to help students in need.

4. The Rubric. The rubric explains to students how and why they will be graded on this PBL.

5. Research. Students will works towards mastery of various research proficiencies such as creating a thesis statement, making citations, keeping a bibliography, making an outline, using varied book and Internet sources, etc. Use the checklist to guide you through this step. Create graphic organizers and small check-in assignments to ensure that students understand how to complete this step correctly.

Project Checklist

□ Individual research on assigned climate (either social, economic or political) in your country-you MUST cite your resources

o You must use provided graphic organizers to guide and organize your research. NOTE: You must use two primary documents.

□ Plan your public service announcement by using the commercial layout graphic organizer.

□ Script for commercial-How will you include facts, notes, and information? What should be said?

□ Did you answer the driving questions? How is your current topic similar to the Holocaust/Civil Rights movement? What patterns do you see?

□ Locate and Save pictures that are appropriate and will tell your story.

□ Design your commercial using Windows Movie Maker or any other software program you are familiar with. Consider trying .

o Ask the assigned Tech Supervisors for help when needed.

□ Add transitions, effects, and music.

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Current Issue

Who are the players? (people involved) What are their careers?

Current Events-what are we doing today in America to address each? issue

Background Information

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