Student Global Awareness Research Project

Objective: This research project will expose students to current global events that impact the
world around them. In conjunction with the unit, “War and Human Rights,” students will make
connections between these world events and literature read in class. Students will also
collaborate, plan, and set goals throughout this project.

Standards:
Reading Informational Text Standards Addressed:
RI 6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance
that point of view or purpose
RI 7. Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a
person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
RI 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and
the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.

Writing Standards Addressed:

W 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products,
taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and
dynamically
W 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated
question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the
subject, demonstrating an understanding of the subject under investigation.
W 8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Speaking and Listening Standards Addressed:

SL 1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-
led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful,
well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus,
taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as
needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader
themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and,
when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the
evidence and reasoning presented.

SL 2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively,
orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
SL 4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can
follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose,
audience, and task.
SL 5. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in
presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Assignment: Working in groups, students will collaborate with one another to research and
present a current global event.
Students will collaborate as a whole class by:
● Choosing members for each group.
● Choosing a topic for each group’s project. Each group must have a different topic.
● Choosing a due date for the final project.
Students will collaborate in groups by:
● Assigning group members’ roles and responsibilities.
● Setting checkpoint due dates for sections of the project.
● Creating group rules.
● Determining the format of the final product (i.e. Prezi, PowerPoint, a website, a
news clip, etc.).
● Getting teacher approval for the topic selected and final project format.
● Equally participating in the overall group effort.

Each project will:

● Present a current global event.
● Use at least 3 different sources to research the event.
● Present findings of background research - for example, research of the region impacted or
of the political groups involved.
● Include at least 2 sources for background research.
● Include a section showing the impact of this event - for example, how this impact other
countries, the rights of the people, or possible effects that will result from political action.
● Include a section for each group member’s personal reflection of the project.
● Include visual images and typed research, and all information will be organized and clear.
● Include in-text citations and works cited page for all sources. This includes, at a
minimum, the citations for the 5 required sources and a citation for all images.

Assessment: Students will receive a total of two test grades for this project.
● One grade is a group grade, and all members will receive the SAME grade for the group
project. It will include all components of the project, except for the personal reflection of
each member.
● One grade will be an individual grade, and each member will be scored independently of
his or her group members. For this grade, 60 points will be possible from the individual
reflection essay and the other 40 points will come from group member evaluations.
Requirements: While the majority of the planning for this project is student-selected, these are
the requirements for the:
Topic: To receive approval, the current event must be:
● Recent - nothing from before June 2014
● A World event - no current events from the U.S., because this is world
literature.
● Connected to the theme - “War and Human Rights”
● Be detailed enough to include additional research. Because of this, all
topics must be teacher approved.
● Located on a credible site.
Groups: For this project, there will be 3 groups of 3 students and 2 groups of 4 students.
Each group must:
● Unanimously agree on the topic.
● Complete a group contract.
● Select a project format and agree unanimously. The format must be
approved by the teacher.