Arts Push Social Change
                                 By:  Cathy Engel

Project at a Glance :
   
The project is designed for English 10 and 11 students.  It will help connect the English standards to current events in our country and world along with social movements from the past. Students will answer the question "How do the arts help push social change?" This will allow them to connect the purpose of the play A Raisin in the Sun, with the way a variety of artists use their platforms and media to help push social changes. We want students to create and explain how they can also be a part of social changes using what they have learned during the project.  

Driving question:

How can we use the ARTS to change Society?                        

Standards:

• Writing stds:  11-12.1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
• Speaking/Listening stds:  11-12.2​

Team / Culture Building:​

• Values Cards Activity

• Entry Event:
•  Bring students to art museums in either GR or Chicago- specifically exhibits that use art as a medium for social change. 
• Have speakers (authors and artists) speak to students about their influences, how they share their beliefs with other. 
• Lastly, dive into different songs (‘This is America’ ‘Same Love’ ‘1-800-273-8255’ and many others) to show how people use platforms and art for change- or even try and fail to use art for change within society.​​

Stakeholders:

• Students
• School Administrators/Educators
• Lawmakers​

​Empathy Building:

• Stakeholder Map
• Interview stakeholders
• Empathy Map based off of stakeholders​

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Directed Storytelling - How to be an active listener. (the Who, What, Where, When)
•  Bug List 
• Break-Up/Love Letter 
• Need to Know List - How people make decisions based on their role? EX:   business vs. lawmakers vs. schools   How do certain groups organize and fund their movements?  How are they influenced as decision makers?

Incubation:
Students will develop ideas by creating

• Life Maps
• Sketch Notes
• Scattergories Style- Pick a letter- come up with ideas that start with that letter. 
• 3-12-3 protocol​
• Yes and Can It- Great for ELLs when also using Conga Line.​​

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Solution Building:

• $100 Test
• NUF Test
• Elevator Pitches with Poster Session 
• 6 Thinking Hats - for final decision making
• Students will choose the area of society they would want to see changed, and build an exhibit that highlights different art forms they have created to highlight those changes.

Critique and Revision: 

• Critical Friends 
• I Like, I Wish, I Wonder will be very helpful for  students to be able to see all the ways they can fine tune their solutions.​​

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Authentic Audience:

• Students
• School Administrators/Educators
• Lawmakers
• Community Members

Final Presentation:

• Invite community members to browse a gallery walk of student's exhibits or have students film their exhibit as a commercial for people to visit later.​

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Reflection and Feedback:

Click here for teacher's journey through Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:
Cathy Engel teaches English 11 and 12 at West Ottawa High School in Holland, MI.  

           "PBL helps me bridge the gap between curriculum and the real-world."