SA Summary of Project and Project Impact 1

SA Summary of Project and Project Impact

Wesley Nelson

Arizona State University

SA Summary of Project and Project Impact 2

Abstract

This paper will be used as a way to describe the summary of my signature assignment and how

the project will impact students, teachers, and the community. I will be doing my project on the

pre civil war era, as I feel it is important in learning where hate stems from, and is very under

taught. The students will be better people earning where hate stems from and how they must

watch what they say and be mindful of hate in today’s time.

Key Words: Today’s time, hate, pre civil war, engagement

SA Summary of Project and Project Impact 3

My project will be focused on the time period leading up to the civil war, this will allow for

students to learn why the civil war began, and where much of the hate stems from. At the

conclusion of analyzing the material, the students will be debating North versus South on the

issues leading up to the civil war and why they believe their side is correct. The groups will be

decided at the beginning of the project. One of the major themes of the eighth grade curriculum

is civil rights and civil engagement. So they topic, “Why do people hate?” is a great question to

ask your students. Much of the civil rights movement stems from the decisions made during the

time leading up to and including the civil war. This is a very under talked about part of American

history that I feel like has to be brought up more; this would be why I choose this topic. This

question of, “Why do people hate?” can be used as a predecessor again during many time periods

in history; eventually leading into the civil rights movement and today’s time. It is important for

the students to realize where the hate in today’s time stems from. With so much hate in the world

today, students will benefit learning to watch what they say, and calling out hate as they see it. A

few of the project based learning activities that the students will participate in will involve using

the computers as well as primary source documents printed out. These students will be given

video summaries on the specific topics that I choose to include in the weekly timeline. They also

will be looking at testimonials from the specific sides of the war, and those on either side’s

opinions on the topic and people on the other side. Finally, the primary source documents such as

newspapers, the acts, and political cartoons from the time period will be analyzed. At the

beginning of the two week project, I will be splitting the class into two sides, North and South,

and using what they learned, they will be debating on the final two days of the project why their

side was right for each event leading up to war. Students will not only be learning the material,

but also about the circumstances that drive hate in today’s time. This is an under taught subject in
SA Summary of Project and Project Impact 4

my opinion, and one all students should be learning. They will be engaged because they will be

having fun being split up into two opposing sides of the war, in which they get to debate their

friends following the conclusion of analyzing the circumstances that led to war.

Students will be impacted long after they leave the classroom form this lesson. Learning

where hate stems from is very important in becoming more open minded. The students will

become more watchful of what they say and do, as they now have the knowledge of what these

people who are the target of racism have gone through. Initially they will not only learn what

events led up to the civil war, but also why they were the important in the future. This is a project

that students will not forgot, as a debate where you get to act as someone in the past is very fun

and memorable. The activities will not only hold and engage the students, but also be

informative for the future of their learning. Teacher impact will be doing something fun for the

students that actually have a purpose in the real world and school applications. The students will

learn the content they are required to, in a fun and informative ay, and take their knowledge into

the real world. The teacher will have a project that kids will look forward to doing each year they

come into the class. I expect the project to make me, and other teachers look at the way they

teach, and implement more project based learning. The community will be impacted in that they

will have better informed citizens and people living in them. With the knowledge of why hate

spread, and where it came from, the students will better watch what they say and do. They also

will be well versed in seeing hate when they see it, and have the ability to call it out.