Advocating for Health in Our School Community
By: Erin Carmody

Project at a Glance:

This project is for a middle school or high school Health class learning the Seven Health Skills (Accessing Information, Advocacy, Analyzing Influences, Communication, Decision Making, Goal Setting, and Self-Management).  Students will learn about the seven health skills through investigating potential solutions to advocate for within their school community.  ​
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​Driving Question:

How could we create more fun and excitement at lunch?            

Standards:

• Standard 8: Advocacy 1.10 Advocate for nutritional food choices and physical activity at school.​
• Skills4Success: Communication and Time Management
  

Team / Culture Building:

• Values Cards​

• Hopes, Fears, and Norms
• Creative Sequence DNA 

Entry Event:

• ​Teams were randomly assigned various games (Uno, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Dutch Blitz, Sushi Go, Jenga, Catch Phrase, and Sequence) to play for a class period. The goal was to build  teamwork, learn how to handle new challenges, conflict, collaborate, and have fun together. 

Stakeholders:

• Students
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Parents

Empathy Building:

• Stakeholder Map​

• Empathy Map
• Interviews

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Speedboat protocol

• The Five Whys​ 
• Create a Need to Know list

Incubation:

• Idea Quota​​

• Saturate and Group​
• Dot Voting
• NUFF test​​​

Checking in:

• Turn and Talk
• Entry/Exit Ticket
• Check-ins will happen almost daily
• Top 10 List

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Solution Building:

• Poster Session
• Dot Voting
• Elevator Pitch followed by Panel feedback.​

Critique and Revision: ​

• I Like, I Wish, I Wonder
• Critical Friends

Authentic Audience:

• Tyler McKee - Food Program Director at Tri-Cities YMCA
• Scott Grimes - Superintendent of Grand Haven Area Public Schools
• Jason Reinecke - Assistant Superintendent of Grand Haven Area Public Schools
• Mary Jane Evink - Curriculum Director for Grand Haven Area Public Schools
• Amanda Sorrelle - Principal at Lakeshore Middle School
• Aaron Dean - Assistant Principal at Lakeshore Middle School
• Derik Smith - Student at Hope College/Field Placement

Final Presentation:

• Students created a Google Slideshow presentation of their final solution. Their presentation skills focused on showing passion for the solution, clear communication, and increasing the audience's awareness of the issue. ​

Click here​ for teacher's full plan.

​Reflection and Feedback:

• Pluses and Deltas
• Fireside Chat
• Panel feedback

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

Meet the Educator:

Erin Carmody teaches 7th and 8th grade Physical Education at Lakeshore Middle School in Grand Haven, MI. 

     "The creative sequence allows for creativity to flourish and reach beyond typical ideas.  Each protocol helps build, challenge, and expand upon learning!  It truly helps learners dig into what they’re doing and showcase all the possibilities.