Sophomore Project:
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Note: the information contained on this page gives an overview of the project. For up-to-date rubrics, documentation, outlines, groups, and due dates, please see resources contained in Google Classroom.
HOW TO ACCESS CLASSROOM MATERIALS
1. Know WCPSS email/password (required) 2. Be enrolled in the STEM cohort class (8c20lqj) 3. PROJECT MANAGER makes a copy of all documents and shares with groupmates via Drive 4. All materials submitted via Classroom for completion |
Overview
For this year’s culminating project, you and your group members will be responsible for selecting a contemporary global issue and enacting an advocacy campaign to help educate and bring awareness to problems affecting people in various parts of the world today. As part of your curriculum this year you have been studying numerous cultures throughout history and the way cultural ideals and concepts influence the way we interact in an increasingly globalized society. It is now time to take these studies and conceptualize ways that STEM can bring positive change.
Your job as a group will be to: select a global issue (human rights, health, environmental), research it & its connections to STEM, and ultimately come up with a small scale service project OR public service announcement to run on ATV. Once these first two components are completed, you will then be responsible for completing a poster detailing your accomplishments that will be presented by your group at the end-of-year culminating STEM symposium.
Part I: Position Paper
Part II: Public Service Announcement OR
Advocacy Campaign Service Project
Part III: Poster Presentation at STEM Symposium
Your job as a group will be to: select a global issue (human rights, health, environmental), research it & its connections to STEM, and ultimately come up with a small scale service project OR public service announcement to run on ATV. Once these first two components are completed, you will then be responsible for completing a poster detailing your accomplishments that will be presented by your group at the end-of-year culminating STEM symposium.
Part I: Position Paper
Part II: Public Service Announcement OR
Advocacy Campaign Service Project
Part III: Poster Presentation at STEM Symposium
Components
Part I: Global Issue Selection & Research Position Paper
The first thing your group needs to decide is what global issue you want to research and address. Using the suggested resources, select a problem facing individuals in the world today that you are passionate about and which you would like to affect change. Use the resources provided if you need guidance, but your own ingenuity and interest is highly suggested.
Once your issue is selected, you will be responsible for researching and writing a position paper using the model provided. Overall, this brief paper will outline the issue you have selected, provide an overview of what is being done, make connections to STEM, and suggest a small scale advocacy campaign that you and your peers can enact to increase awareness. This first part of the assignment is crucial because it will establish the foundations for the pieces that come after; be thoughtful and intentional with your selection and research.
Suggested Resources:
United Nations Global Issues: The UN is an intergovernmental organization that promotes international cooperation. The organization is financed by contributions from its member states. Its objectives include maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid.
The first thing your group needs to decide is what global issue you want to research and address. Using the suggested resources, select a problem facing individuals in the world today that you are passionate about and which you would like to affect change. Use the resources provided if you need guidance, but your own ingenuity and interest is highly suggested.
Once your issue is selected, you will be responsible for researching and writing a position paper using the model provided. Overall, this brief paper will outline the issue you have selected, provide an overview of what is being done, make connections to STEM, and suggest a small scale advocacy campaign that you and your peers can enact to increase awareness. This first part of the assignment is crucial because it will establish the foundations for the pieces that come after; be thoughtful and intentional with your selection and research.
Suggested Resources:
United Nations Global Issues: The UN is an intergovernmental organization that promotes international cooperation. The organization is financed by contributions from its member states. Its objectives include maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid.
Amnesty International: this is an organization focused on human rights with over 7 million members and supporters around the world. The stated objective of AI is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."
GlobalIssues.org: Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All
Part IIA: Public Service Announcement
Once your issue has been selected and thoroughly researched, you responsibility will be to create a PSA giving an overview of the problem and why it is a concern. Your group will need to write a brief script and film/edit a video that will be aired on ATV.
An effective PSA is:
A video PSA contains a combination of visual and audio elements (not necessarily all):
Some things worth noting…
Persuasion can be visually created through:
Once your issue has been selected and thoroughly researched, you responsibility will be to create a PSA giving an overview of the problem and why it is a concern. Your group will need to write a brief script and film/edit a video that will be aired on ATV.
An effective PSA is:
- approx. 30 seconds long or less
- 200 views
- grabs the viewers' attention
- makes one point concisely
- gives contact information
- gives accurate facts
A video PSA contains a combination of visual and audio elements (not necessarily all):
- an on-camera narration or voice over
- live action, animation, or still images
- text
- music
- ***if using a phone or tablet, make sure video is recorded in landscape***
Some things worth noting…
Persuasion can be visually created through:
- powerful images – video, photographs, artwork
- expressions on people’s faces
- use of color vs. black and white
- use of celebrities
- use of regular people
- clear calls to action
- play on words
- repetition
- humor
- imperative commands
- music to create tone
- lyrics that add to meaning and/or tone
- tone of actor/narrator’s voices
- silence
- MixBit (app)
- iMovie
- Windows Movie Maker
- YouTube
- StopMotion
- Adobe Voice
Part IIB: Advocacy Campaign
Now that you have researched, you and your group could begin to model change by actually participating in some form of advocacy campaign for your issue. This can be designed on your own or may be inspired by other service projects currently being implemented. This part of your project will be completed on your own timeline and can be used for service hours, so embrace the potential to really use your time/efforts to get something done. As you select/create/complete your project, it is encouraged that you collect evidence to add to your poster presentation in the spring.
Suggested Resources:
DoSomething.org: Do Something is a non-profit organization with the goal of motivating young people to take action around social changes through national campaigns and grants for projects that make an impact.
Now that you have researched, you and your group could begin to model change by actually participating in some form of advocacy campaign for your issue. This can be designed on your own or may be inspired by other service projects currently being implemented. This part of your project will be completed on your own timeline and can be used for service hours, so embrace the potential to really use your time/efforts to get something done. As you select/create/complete your project, it is encouraged that you collect evidence to add to your poster presentation in the spring.
Suggested Resources:
DoSomething.org: Do Something is a non-profit organization with the goal of motivating young people to take action around social changes through national campaigns and grants for projects that make an impact.
Points of Light: PofL is an international nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in the United States dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service.
All for Good: All for Good is a hub for volunteerism and community service on the Internet, and a service of Points of Light. We envision the site as a meeting place for organizations and individuals, providing a communal platform that allows people to see where change is needed, and makes it easy for them to engage. Powered by the largest online database of volunteer opportunities, All for Good is connecting Americans with nonprofits both large and small.
Part III: STEM End-of-Year Symposium
Once research has been completed, and your PSA has been recorded and aired/your advocacy campaign has been enacted, you will then create a poster outlining your whole process to present at the STEM symposium. All classes will be represented and your attendance will be required. Posters need to be ready for submission in early April. A template will be provided early March.
Once research has been completed, and your PSA has been recorded and aired/your advocacy campaign has been enacted, you will then create a poster outlining your whole process to present at the STEM symposium. All classes will be represented and your attendance will be required. Posters need to be ready for submission in early April. A template will be provided early March.