BreakingDownBarriers&BuildingBridges

Author:GregoryShaffer
Datecreated:07/21/201410:30PMEDTDatemodified:07/22/20141:12AMEDT
BasicInformation
Summary
Thisparticularprojectistobreakdownstereotypesandpreconceivedbiaseswhileempoweringstudentstobecome
morefamiliarwithstudentsfromotherschooldistricts.Thisprojectwillconsistoftwodifferentschooldistricts
collaboratingwitheachothertoultimatelycomposeagrouppresentationregardinghowtoovercomestereotypingand
preconceivedbiases.TheschoolswillutilizeSkypeandGoogleDocstocommunicatewitheachothertocompletethe
finalproject.
Grade/Level Grade7
TimeFrame
Thisparticularprojectwillconsistofsevenclassperiods:
1. ClassOne:MeetingviaSkype.
2. ClassTwoandThree:CollaborativewritingviaGoogleDocs.
3. ClassFourandFive:GroupPresentations.
4. ClassSixandSeven:Classwatchesdiversityvideo.
Subject(s) LanguageArts(English),Library/InformationSciences,LifeSkills,MediaStudies,Research,Technology
Topic(s)
Utilizingcollaborativetechnologyinovercomingstereotypingandpreconceivedbiaseswhilegainingknowledgeand
appreciationofothers.
Notes
StandardsAndKeyConcepts
Standards
MIMichiganGradeLevelContentExpectations
Subject:ENGLISHLANGUAGEARTS
Grade:SEVENTHGRADE
Strand:READING
Topic:NarrativeText
Expectation:R.NT.07.04Analyzeauthorscraft(e.g.,theme,antagonists,protagonists,overand
understatement,exaggeration).
Strand:WRITING
Topic:WritingProcess
Expectation:W.PR.07.01Setapurpose,consideraudience,andreplicateauthorsstylesandpatternswhen
writingnarrativeorinformationaltext.
Expectation:W.PR.07.02Applyavarietyofprewritingstrategiesfornarrative(e.g.,storymapsthatare
designedtodepictrolesofantagonistandprotagonist,internalandexternalconflict)andinformationaltext(e.g.,
positionstatementandsupportingevidence,problemstatementandsolution,,compare/contrast).
Expectation:W.PR.07.03Revisetheirwritingtoreflectdifferentperspectivesformultiplepurposes.
Expectation:W.PR.07.04Selectandusetitles,leads,andendingstoachieveaspecificpurposeforspecific
audiences.(revisewritingtoensurethatcontent,structure,elementsofstyleandvoice,literarydevices,and
textualfeaturesareconsistent).
Expectation:W.PR.07.05Edittheirwritingusingproofreaderschecklistsbothindividuallyandinpeerediting
groups.
Strand:SPEAKING
Topic:Conventions
Expectation:S.CN.07.01Usespecializedlanguagerelatedtoatopicandselectwordscarefullytoachieve
precisemeaningwhenpresenting.
Expectation:S.CN.07.02Useslang,dialect,andcolloquiallanguagesuitablytocreateinterestanddramawhen
presenting.
Expectation:S.CN.07.03PresenttheirworkinstandardAmericanEnglishifitistheirfirstlanguage(students
whosesecondlanguageisEnglishwillpresenttheirworkintheirdevelopingversionofstandardAmerican
English).
Strand:LISTENING&VIEWING
Topic:Conventions
Expectation:L.CN.07.01Distinguishfactsfromopinionsandquestiontheirvalidityduringspeeches
andpresentationsdeliveredbypeers.
Expectation:L.CN.07.02Demonstratetheappropriatesocialskillsofaudiencebehavior(e.g.,eyecontact,quiet
andstill,attentive,supportive)duringspeechesandpresentations.
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USAISTE:NationalEducationalTechnologyStandardsforStudents:TheNextGeneration
Standard:1.CreativityandInnovationStudentsdemonstratecreativethinking,constructknowledge,anddevelopinnovative
productsandprocessesusingtechnology.
Indicator:Students:a.applyexistingknowledgetogeneratenewideas,products,orprocesses.
Indicator:Students:b.createoriginalworksasameansofpersonalorgroupexpression.
Standard:2.CommunicationandCollaborationStudentsusedigitalmediaandenvironmentstocommunicateandwork
collaboratively,includingatadistance,tosupportindividuallearningandcontributetothelearningofothers.
Indicator:Students:a.interact,collaborate,andpublishwithpeers,expertsorothersemployingavarietyofdigital
environmentsandmedia.
Indicator:Students:b.communicateinformationandideaseffectivelytomultipleaudiencesusingavarietyofmediaand
formats.
Indicator:Students:c.developculturalunderstandingandglobalawarenessbyengagingwithlearnersofothercultures.
Indicator:Students:d.contributetoprojectteamstoproduceoriginalworksorsolveproblems.
Standard:3.ResearchandInformationFluencyStudentsapplydigitaltoolstogather,evaluate,anduseinformation.
Indicator:Students:a.planstrategiestoguideinquiry.
Indicator:Students:b.locate,organize,analyze,evaluate,synthesize,andethicallyuseinformationfromavarietyof
sourcesandmedia.
Indicator:Students:c.evaluateandselectinformationsourcesanddigitaltoolsbasedontheappropriatenesstospecific
tasks.
Standard:5.DigitalCitizenshipStudentsunderstandhuman,cultural,andsocietalissuesrelatedtotechnologyandpractice
legalandethicalbehavior.
Indicator:Students:a.advocateandpracticesafe,legal,andresponsibleuseofinformationandtechnology.
Indicator:Students:b.exhibitapositiveattitudetowardusingtechnologythatsupportscollaboration,learning,and
productivity.
Indicator:Students:c.demonstratepersonalresponsibilityforlifelonglearning.
Understandings
Itistheintentofthiscollaborativeprojectthatstudentsfromeachschoolwillacknowledgethatalthoughothersmaybe
differenttheyarestillverysimilar.Theideaof"don'tjudgeabookbyit'scover"willbeilluminated.
EssentialQuestions Suggestedquestionstoexplore:
1. Askoneschooltodescribetheotherschoolusingstereotypingtypesresponses.(Thesecanbefunnyoroffensive
asthisisatimetoexplore)
2. Thenhavebothschoolsdescribewhichdescriptionstheyfeltwerethemosthurtfulandnotfunny.
3. Thenhavebothschoolsdescribethemselvestotheotherschoolastowhattheywouldliketheotherschoolto
knowaboutthemwhatisimportanttothemintheirownwords.
4. WhatdidIlearnfromtheotherschool?
5. WhatdidIlearnaboutmyself?
KnowledgeandSkills
1. Whatyouthinkyouknowaboutothersmaynotbetrue.
2. Whatyouthinkaboutotherswithoutknowledgemayhurtothers.
3. Youcanlearnmuchaboutothersbylisteningtothem.
4. Youcanlearnmuchaboutyourselftoo.
5. Youmayfindanewfriendortwo.
PerformanceTasksAndAssessment
PerformanceTask
ClassOne:
Studentsfromeachschoolwilldivideintogroupsoftwotothreestudentspercomputerateachschool.
Thesizeforeachgroupfrombothschoolstogetherwillbeapproximatelyfourtosixstudentspergroup.
EachgroupwillcommunicatewithotherschoolviaSkype.
Studentsaregiventheentireclassperiodtogettoknoweachotherandgooversuggestedquestions.
GroupswilltakenotesviaGoogleDocswhileengagingwiththeotherschool.
ClassTwo:
StudentswillthenreviewtheirnotesfromGoogleDocs.
Whenreviewingtheirnotesstudentswillworkoncomposingtheir10minutepresentationwiththeotherschool.
Studentswillberequiredtoreviewandincorporateinformationfromoneoftheattachedlinksondiversity.

ClassThree:
StudentswillcontinuetoworkonpresentationscollaborativelyviaSkypeandGoogleDocs.
Studentswillcompletetheir10minutepresentations.
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ClassFourandFive:
GroupswilldopresentationswithotherschoolviaSkypeinfrontofclass.
Skypefeedwillbeonlargeprojector.
ClassSixandSeven:
Classwillwatchmovieondiversity.
PerformancePrompt
Studentswillbegradedonthefollowing:
EngagementinSkypeconversation.
Usingatleastoneresourcefromattachedlinks.
Grammarandspellingofpresentation.
Presentationskillsandworkingcollaboratively.
Assessment/Rubrics Rubrics:
1. CollaborationPresentation
LearningExperiencesAndResources
SequenceofActivities
ClassOne:MeetingviaSkype.
ClassTwoandThree:CollaborativewritingviaGoogleDocs.
ClassFourandFive:GroupPresentations.
ClassSixandSeven:Classwatchesdiversityvideo.
DifferentiatedInstruction
Largermonitorscreensizesareavailableforstudentswithvisualdifficultiesalongwithavailabletabletsthatmaybe
usedforindividualsthatcannotuseamonitorcomfortably.Inaddition,GoogleTranslateisavailabletostudentswho
arenotnativeEnglishspeaking.
Resources
Technologyresources:
IEExplorer,Word,GoogleDocs,Skype
Thenumberofcomputersrequiredis1per2students.
Links:
1. AfricanAmericanHistoryFacts
2. AsianAmericanHistoryFacts
3. JewishAmericanHistoryFacts
4. LGBTQHistoryFacts
5. MexicanAmericanHistoryFacts
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