This multidisciplinary project engages middle school-aged youth in a study of
community behavior, then guides groups in designing and documenting their own
service learning project. In the process, participants build literacy skills,
practice scientific inquiry, and improve their photography technique.
What young people will learn and do:
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Discuss the ways that narrative and vivid illustrations combine in a picture
book to advance social justice issues
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Build understanding of community behavior by researching penguins and
reflecting on the roles people play in their own communities
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Design and carry out a service learning project, taking photographs to document
the experience
This project opens with a read-aloud story, A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B.
Williams, raising social justice and other issues that impact community health
and prosperity. After group discussion, participants undertake an investigation
of penguin behavior to learn how they interact with each other. The next step
is for youth to analyze their own communities, thinking about the ways that
people are interdependent and identifying community needs. As a culminating
activity, groups of young people design and carry out a community service
project, taking photographs to document their work. They should set aside time
for group and individual reflection, and share what they've learned with peers,
parents, and members of the community.
Themes of social justice and empowerment anchor these project activities, and
represent compelling issues for youth to explore in afterschool. Participants
develop critical thinking skills as they research and discuss complex social
issues from various perspectives. Drawing on resources from different
Thinkfinity content partners, this project promotes visual literacy, artistic
expression, collaborative learning, and, especially, community engagement.
Project Duration: From 3 to 6 weeks (assuming multiple sessions per week),
depending on the extent of interest in the research component and the time
needed for the service learning project.
Materials needed:
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Computer with Internet access
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Still cameras
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Poster board or other display for exhibiting photographs
Career fields highlighted:
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Community development
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Biology/anthropology
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Photography
Academic standards addressed:
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IRA/NCTE Standards: Standard 1 - Students read a wide range of print and
nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the
cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to
respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal
fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and
contemporary works; Standard 7 - Students conduct research on issues and
interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They
gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print
and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways
that suit their purpose and audience; Standard 8 - Students use a variety of
technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer
networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and
communicate knowledge.
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National Geography Standards: Standard 10 - The characteristics, distribution,
and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics