Before we begin studying Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson as a class, we will strengthen our context building and knowledge sharing skills. Students will collaboratively research, create, and present an informative project on themes relevant to the novel.
RESEARCH: As a group, you will write the who, what, when, why, and how questions related to your topic. Get questions approved by your teacher. Then use the Internet to answer those questions in a shared Google document. Since part of Internet safety and responsibility is attributing sources, your Google document should also include the credible places on the web where you found the information. Once you have information, you will create an interesting way to share it.
CREATE: After research, your group will create a simple project that you will use to teach your classmates about your topic when it emerges in the novel.
Project options:
- Google Presentation, using multi media
- Glogster Poster, using multi media
- Video using text, images, and music or voice overs
No matter what method your group chooses, the project content must include information you learned when answering your questions. Present the information in a way that will get your classmates thinking about the theme/topic in new ways.
As you develop your presentation:
- No question answer format; do not just copy and paste your information from your Google Doc into your presentation. Remake or reformat the information only to present it to peers.
- Don’t forget to add images, video clips, audio clips, or voice overs. At minimum, you need images that enhance your information.
- Length: 2-5 minutes Practice your presentation to get the timing right. If it is too short, think about what you can add.
- Slides? About 7-10 seems about right, but use what you need to fully tell your “story”
- Where does your list of resources go? Please put them in your planning doc. Label that section clearly. Don’t make a slide for your resources.
- Don’t forget to add media (images, etc.) to your presentation to enhance your message.
All projects are due on the same day, but not all groups will present their projects on the same day.
Important note:
Make sure all members in your group have the expertise needed to make your project a success. In other words, do not choose to create a video if no one in your group knows how to accomplish the task. It is also important that one person is not given the entire responsibility for the project. If Joe can make a video and no one else can, it is not okay to just have Joe do all the work.
PRESENT: Confirm that your google document is shared with all group members and your teacher. Also be sure you have shown your project to your teacher on the date due and be ready to present your your project to your class any time during the next few weeks.
Topics: (randomly assigned)
a) Participation in school organizations, clubs, and teams
b) Bullying
c) The First Amendment
d) Fine Arts Education
e) Xenophobia
f) Social Cliques
g) Community Service Projects
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Learning Targets:
- Collaborate to meet a research goal.
- Evaluate and select a text for further discussion.
COLLABORATE:
Day one: establish groups, draw topic at random, get one CB per team and start Gdoc and share it (with everyone in group and teacher). Call GDoc “your last names Speak project.” Create your questions. Do not create ordinary questions. Try to think beyond what everyone already knows. Get your questions approved by your teacher before moving on to the next step.
Day two: begin researching (finding answers to your questions and beyond). Keep careful notes and a list of your sources. Be sure to give credit for information, using attribution phrases. All of this work goes in your GDoc. Keep it well organized.
Day three: if you have not yet done so, quickly decide how you will present your information to the class. What type of project will you do. If you want to do a Glog, see your teacher. Start working on your project. As a group, summarize all of the things you learned and important information about your topic in an engaging presentation that will help your classmates think about your concept in new ways.
Day four: continue working on your project
Day five: finish your project and have it all set to go whenever you’ll be called on to present it to the class. Decide who will say what before/during/after your presentation. All members of your group must be fully involved. Leave no “unknowns” or problems for later. Solve them now.
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Grading Rubric (coming soon!)
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Thank you to Ms Kimberly Johnson for this lesson, adapted from her original plans.