Communities Make a Difference
​By:  Alyssa Bellers

Project at a Glance :

This project is for a 9th grade ELA class reading To Kill a Mockingbird. It explores how different communities help each other and allows the chance for the class to partner with a community program and help them address a local problem. Additionally, the project focuses on a variety of  English standards including reading, writing, and speaking standards. This unit is roughly 8 weeks. 
​ 
Driving Question:

How can we meet a need of someone in our community?                

Standards:

• Reading Literature Stds: 9-10.2, &  3
• Speaking & Listening Stds:  9-10.1 

Team / Culture Building:

• Scenario Activity (If you were stranded...)
• True Heroes
•  Hopes, Fears, Norms board ​​​

Entry Event:

• Invite community partners to share relevant problems in our community. ​

Stakeholders:

• Business owners
• Parents
• Educators
• Students
• Consumers
• Religious Leaders

Empathy Building:​​

• Save the Last Word: Read and annotate an article that discusses an aspect of community. Each student will highlight a portion and then run this discussion to see what stuck out to each student.​ ​

Inquiry/Need to Knows:

• Students will work in groups to write down everything that they already know about the discussion question; then, students will create a separate list with everything that they need to know in order to solve the problem. 
•  Students will interview members of the Chamber of Commerce and various  business owners - such as:  DJs Pizza, 317 Coffee, etc.
• AEIOU or 4 C’s protocols: Will help students break down the question in order to see where they need to investigate. ​​

Incubation:

•  Writing Prompts/Journals
• Think-Pair-Share 
• Idea Quota - Generate 100 solution ideas in 10 minutes 
• 3-12-3: Help students come up with ideas by having them brainstorm individually, choosing three ideas as a group, and creating an elevator pitch to show their idea. Do this with either half of the group and they pitch to each other or a full group and pitch to another group.
• Mind Mapping: Have groups create a mind map to think about possible solutions.
• How Would _______ Solve This? (Apple, Walmart, doctors, etc.)​

---

Solution Building:

• Group and Saturate 100 ideas followed by the $100 Test. 
•  Gallery Walk or Dot Voting to narrow ideas
• NUF Test - students will use the NUF test to narrow their solutions while considering all stakeholders 

Critique and Revision: 

• Pluses and Deltas OR Mini Charrette
• Seeking a Skeptic

Authentic Audience:

• Authentic Audience: panel of experts (community members and Chamber of Commerce.

Final Presentation:

• Round 1 Presentations: in front of class/feedback/grade
• Round 2 Presentations: “winner” and feedback from panel (possibly change grades based on this final presentation?)​

Click here to view the teacher's full plan.

Reflection and Feedback:

• Reflection Journal: Students will reflect on the project, content, and team dynamics. This will be on their own.
• Fishbowl discussion following presentations.​

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

Meet the Educator:
Alyssa Bellers teaches English 9 at the Hudsonville Freshman Campus.  

    "I love that students can use PBL units to learn more about their community. I also love that they are able to connect content to their world and learn valuable life skills through the PBL unit!" ​