Bringing a Global Perspective
​By:  Karen Rowe

Project at a Glance :

English 10 students conduct research on human rights violations, and this project will allow them to approach their research with empathy and cultural understanding as they work to build community focused on human rights.  
       
 
Driving Question:

How can we learn from the history of human rights violations to build empathy and a global perspective in our own community?    

Standards:

• Skills for Success - Technology Literacy, Collaboration, Global Thinking, Ethical Citizenship, and Communication​

Team / Culture Building:

• Research teams:  group students according to similar research topics.
• Accountability teams:  group students with different research topics.

Entry Event:

• CAP Flex courses - community experts/human rights activists  
• Teacher videos - How would you define human rights? What human rights topics make you passionate for change?  
• Past Student Panel  - Current Juniors, advice for 10th graders 
• Hopes, Fears, & Norms Protocol - What do they hope to gain from this? What are they afraid of throughout the process? ​​

Stakeholders:

• BRPS high school students & teachers
• Local human rights  organizations

Empathy Building:

• Create Empathy Maps - Thread Storyline - understand a personal story from research and Victims vs. Perpetrators of human rights violations  
• Innovator’s Compass Map (move forward in any challenge) and Storyboarding.

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Topic Selection - (Pre-Part I) - 50 Ideas X 5 Minutes 
• Research Teams - establish right after topic selection 
• Building Curiosity - (Part I) Need to Know Protocol → Developing Research “Interview” Questions 
• Explore “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” - Why was this document needed?  (Introduction Video & PSA Videos) ​
• Model Different Types of Research Sources - News articles, memoirs, documentaries, graphic memoirs, photographs, etc.
• Identify Reliable Research - CRAAP Test, library databases
• Conduct Research! 
• Include Personal Interviews - (Part III) Local experts 
• Cite Research - MLA Format (practice template) ​

Incubation:

• Modeling Research Sources: Documentary, article, essay, memoir, graphic memoir, photographs, etc. 
• Brainstorm using the Idea Quota protocol 50 Ideas in 5 Minutes  - generating human rights research topics; generating research questions to pursue.
• Mood Board- Help students visualize their topic and select a thread storyline or image from research → Gallery Walk & Pluses + Deltas.​
• Storyboard - Potential Solutions → How can we apply what we’ve learned to improve the human rights topic? ​

• 3-12-3 Protocol - Looking at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - partner with students looking at similar articles.​​

---

Solution Building:

•  Brainstorming Topic Ideas - 50 Ideas in 5 Minutes → Affinity Mapping into similar topics (Use for research groups) → Dot Voting Protocol for students to identify top three topics of interest 
• Creating Timeline Infographic →  A Walk through History from Two Perspectives 
• NUF Test: Is it New? Useful? Feasible? →   Identifying Potential Solutions 
• Storyboarding Protocol → What is your actionable plan for implementing solutions?

Critique and Revision: 

• Mini Charette Conference → Pitch out Human Rights Violations - Receive Feedback on Impacts   

---

Authentic Audience:

•  BRPS high school community​​

Final Presentation:

• Pecha Kucha Presentation - CAP Flex classes 
• Instagram/Canva Posts 
• Podcasts - Anchor App 
• PSA Videos  
• Letters to the editor/government officials ​

Final Product:

• Research Paper: Peer-editing and adult editing requirements before submitting final draft​​​.

​​

---

Resources:

• Click here for teacher's full plan.

Reflection and Feedback:

• Click here for Human Rights Research rubric.
• Click here for ACT Writing Rubric.

Meet the Educator:
Karen Rowe teaches English 8, English 10, and Creative Writing at Black River Public School in Holland, MI.  
​
  "Training in PBL and Design Thinking has allowed me to approach      learning in creative ways, which allows me to reach students who        otherwise don't express interest in a topic. Teaching this way makes      each day new and exciting!" ~ K. Rowe