Human Rights:  Connecting Global Issues to Local Communities
By:  Jamie McCool

Project at a Glance:

This project is for a 10th grade ELA class. Students will learn about global human rights issues and then explore the human rights issues within our own community. Each class will have the opportunity to partner with a different local business and become actively involved in creating equality in their own backyard. 
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Driving Question:

How can we better serve marginalized people in our community? ​           

Standards:

• Skills for Success - Technology Literacy, Collaboration, Global Thinking, Ethical Citizenship, and Communication​. 
• Comprehension and Collaboration: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

• Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Team / Culture Building:

• Hopes, Fears, Norms
• Values Cards
• Creative Sequence DNA
• Collaboration Tower
• Inner Heros
• Spider Diagram
• Raft
  

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Entry Event:

•  Visit a local business that supports the marginalized community.  Possibly the Human Relations Commission in Holland. Once students have a better idea of what human rights are and explore the global aspect, they will have a better understanding of what the business may do.

Stakeholders:

•  Local human rights business partners, community members, marginalized members of the community

Empathy Building:

• Stakeholder Map
• Re-mixed metaphors
• Empathy Map
• Pain/Gain Map
• Directed Storytelling
• Chalk Talk
• Barometer Test
• Big Paper
• Journey Map
  

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Students will begin the school year researching human rights issues globally. This will help students develop empathy for these people before we look at human rights issues within our community.
  
• The Five Whys
• AEIOU
• Interviews
• Shadowing
• Outside Inspiration​

Incubation:

• Idea Quota
• Anti-Problem
• Brainwriting
• Elevator Pitch
• Yes, and can it…?

Checking in:

• The students will engage in daily recaps of what they learned. This allows for students who may have missed something to hear what they missed and allows for students to ask clarifying questions. It also allows the teacher to assess where students are and what gaps might exist.
  
• Student Survey
• Aha! Moments
• Exit Tickets
• Rewind/Do Over​

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Solution Building:

• Poster Session
• Elevator Pitch
• Affinity Mapping
• Metaphor Making
• Seeking Skeptics

Critique and Revision: 

• $100 Test
• Nuff Test
• Critique & Revision
• Charrette
• Tuning Protocol
• Review, Reflect, Revise
• Present to administrators for feedback prior to final presentations.
  

Authentic Audience:
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Final Presentation:

• Invite the business partner to final presentation.  
  
• Students will choose how they present their final solution ideas.​

Click here for teacher's full plan.

​Reflection and Feedback:

•  Use the following methods for reflection and feedback:  SWOT Analysis & I Like, I Wonder, I Have an Idea
• Start, Stop, Continue
• How Might We . . .
• Fireside Chat
• Group/Self-reflection survey
• Pluses/Deltas​

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:

Jaime McCool teaches English 10, Psychology, and AP Psychology at Black River High School in Holland, MI. 


     "PBL allows for a creative and engaging approach to learning while giving students the opportunity to make real world connections!"