PBL Unit: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Group: Kayla Feather, Jennifer Herrera

Theme: 16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at

all levels OR 16.B: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable
development

Enduring Understanding: Students will be able to understand that there are many implications
when it comes to running an equitable government. The cost of projects/laws, income for the
projects/laws, how projects/laws are maintained, and how they are created are some of the many
financial decisions that a strong government must consider before implementing any law or
project.

Essential Questions: How do budgets and financial plans impact the quality of life, social
justice for individuals and communities, and create a strong balanced government? How are
demographics impacted by social injustices?

Product Name: Creating a Social Justice Project Proposal for a local, city, county, state, or
federal government with either a budget or who this will impact data.

Standards & Objectives

Content Standards:
● Math: 8.SP.A Investigate patterns of association in bivariate data.
● Math: 6.SP.1 Recognize a statistical question as one that anticipates variability in the data
related to the question and accounts for it in the answers. For example, “How old am I?” is not
a statistical question, but “How old are the students in my school?” is a statistical question
because one anticipates variability in students’ ages.
● History: 8.2 Students analyze the political principles underlying the U.S. Constitution and
compare the enumerated and implied powers of the federal government.

Content Objective: After completing the project, students will be able to investigate patterns in
diagrams (like bivariate data) and analyze the political principles found in the U.S. Constitution
and federal government by addressing a social justice issue of their choice at the local, state, or
federal level through a project or law proposal citing evidence to support the relevance and
budget for monetary feasibility.

ELD Standards: (Bridging) 11.a. Justifying/arguing: Justify opinions or persuade others by

providing detailed and relevant textual evidence or relevant background knowledge, with light
support.
ELD Objective: After writing their proposal, students will be to justify and persuade others of
the importance of their social justice proposal by providing evidence and background
knowledge.

Social Justice Standards: Action 20.: Students will plan and carry out collective action against
bias and injustice in the world and will evaluate what strategies are most effective

Technology Standards: 1.3.a. Knowledge Contractor: Students plan and employ effective
research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative
pursuits.

Arts: 8.MA:Cr1: Generate ideas, goals, and solutions for original media artworks through
application of focused creative processes, such as divergent thinking and experimenting.

Social Justice, Technology, and Arts Objective: After deciding on their social justice issue,
students will be able to employ effective research strategies to generate ideas, goals, and
solutions for their social justice proposal by evaluating effective strategies to address the issue
through a creative media solution (like a video, animation, infographic, or other media artwork).

Student Friendly Instructions

For this project you will be…

● Researching a Social Justice Issue of your choice

○ Should be at the local, city, county, state, or federal level within the U.S.
● Creating a proposal to either solve or bring awareness of this issue
● Producing a media product of your choice to highlight your proposed solution and social
justice issue.
○ You can create a video, infographic, social media campaign, etc.

Standard Object
Content Standards: After completing the
project, students will be
● Math: 8.SP.A able to investigate
Investigate patterns patterns in diagrams (like
bivariate data) and
● Math: 6.SP.1 analyze the political
Recognize a principles found in the
statistical question U.S. Constitution and
federal government by
● History: 8.2 addressing a social
Students analyze justice issue of their
choice at the local, state,
the political
or federal level through a
principles
project or law proposal
citing evidence to
support the relevance and
budget for monetary
feasibility or relevance
and statistical groups
impacted.
ELD Standard: After writing their
(Bridging) 11.a. proposal, students will be
Justifying/arguing: to justify and persuade
others of the importance
of their social justice
proposal by providing
evidence and background
knowledge.
Action 20.: Students After researching on their
will plan and carry social justice issue,
out collective action students will be able to
research and write social
justice proposals with a
1.3.a. Knowledge
clear goal, evidence of
Contractor: Students currency, relevance,
plan and employ authority, accuracy,
effective research purpose, and media
artwork.
8.MA:Cr1: Generate
ideas, goals, and
solutions for original
media artworks
Rubric & Assessments
Exceeds Meets Approaching
Clearly states what the Somewhat clear what Unclear what the social
social justice issue is the social justice issue justice issue is and/or
and what level of is and what level of what level of
government being government being government is being
addressed addressed addressed
Clearly explains what Explains the social Does not explain the
the social justice issue justice issue, but not social justice issue
is relevant. why it is relevant or and/or does not explain
does not completely the relevance.
Has 1-2 graphs (or explain the issue.
more) to support Does not have a graph
proposal Has 1 graph to support with the proposal or
does not represent the
Has a clear and feasible Has a somewhat clear issue being addressed.
budgetary plan and feasible budgetary
plan. Has an unfeasible or no
budget
Student justified the Student somewhat Students were not able
importance of the justified the to justify the importance
social justice proposal importance of the of the social justice
social justice proposal proposal
Provided sufficient
evidence and Provided somewhat Did not provide
background knowledge sufficient evidence sufficient evidence and
to convince the and background background knowledge
audience about the knowledge to to convince the audience
social justice issue convince the audience about the social justice
about the social justice issue
issue
Have 3 (or more) Has 2-3 pieces of Has only 1 piece of
pieces of trustworthy trustworthy and trustworthy and
and scholarly evidence scholarly evidence that scholarly evidence that
that passes the passes the C.R.A.A.P. passes the C.R.A.A.P.
C.R.A.A.P. test. test. test, OR has evidence
that does not pass the
Clear social justice Somewhat clear social C.R.A.A.P. test
goals/solutions. justice goals/solutions
Does not have clear
Creative mixed media Has a somewhat social justice
that highlight the issue, creative mixed media goals/solutions
the goal/solution, and that highlight the
why this topic is issue, the Does not have a creative
relevant. goal/solution, and why mixed media that
this topic is relevant. highlights the issue, the
goal/solution, and why
this topic is relevant.
 Peer & Self-Assessments
Students will fill out the Peer and Self Assessment(8th grade Peer & Self Assessment) once they have
finished their proposal and final product.

Directions and Calendar

Periods are an hour-long
Calendar Materials Activities Standards

Day 1 Project Slides Lesson Title: Introducing the Project and Picking Topics Standards:
-History
8th Grade Graphic SWBAT: Students will be able to identify a social justice issue standard 8.2,
Organizer they will be working on for this project.
-Arts standard
6th Grade Version Anticipatory Set: Students will fill out the first part of the 8.MA:Cr1
Graphic Organizer graphic organizer. They will list as many social justice issues as
they can think of. Do a minute of thinking and 2 minutes of
Resources writing before doing an all-class share-out.
Exit Ticket Activities:
● Introduce the topic with the presentation and give time
for students to explore and select their social justice
issue
● Have students fill out the exploring graphic organizer
to begin to think about this proposal
● Introduce CRAAP test for students as they research for
their topic

Closure: Exit Ticket During the last 5 minutes of class students

will fill out the exit ticket about the issue they will be creating
their proposal for.

Assessment/s: Graphic Organizer, Exit Ticket

UDLs:
● ENGAGEMENT - Recruiting Interest 7.1 Optimize
individual Choice & Autonomy - Students choose the
topic of their presentation.
● REPRESENTATION- Comprehension 3.2 Highlight
patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships -
The provided graphic organizer emphasizes the big
idea of the project as well as the relationship between
the level of government and social justice issue being
chosen.
● ACTION & EXPRESSION - Executive Functions 6.3
Facilitate managing information and resources -
Students are provided a graphic organizer to collect
data and organize information.

Day 2 Project Slides Lesson Title: Using C.R.A.A.P Test To Verify Our Sources Standards:
-Technology
Daily Project Goals SWBAT: Students will be able to verify their sources using the standard 1.3.a.
C.R.A.A.P.. test. Knowledge
8th Grade: Scholarly Contractor
Anticipatory Set: What Does Social Justice Mean to You?
 Evidence Doc Video. Have a small discussion about what social justice looks
like. Then have students fill out the Daily Project Goals form.
6th Grade: Scholarly
Evidence Doc Activities:
● Daily Project Goals
8th Grade: Proposal ● Scholarly Evidence Doc use this doc as the find
Doc sources for their proposal
● So students who have found their sources, will use 8th
6th Grade: Proposal Grade: Proposal Doc to start writing up and planning
Doc their solution
Exit Ticket Closure: Exit Ticket

Assessment/s: Scholarly Evidence Doc, Proposal Doc, Exit

Ticket

UDLs:
● ENGAGEMENT - Recruiting Interest 7.2 Optimize
relevance, value, and authenticity - The students will
be tasked with finding at least three scholarly
articles/sources in order to support their proposal. This
activity allows students to view sources of information
that are socially and/or culturally relevant.
● REPRESENTATION- Comprehension 3.3 Guide
information processing and visualization - The
Scholarly Evidence Doc provides students with explicit
prompts to help them determine what will be
considered scholarly or not.
● ACTION & EXPRESSION - Executive Functions 6.1
Guide appropriate goal-setting- Students will see the
goal of the day on the presentation slides. Students will
also make goals for the day through the Daily Project
Goals. Students will also check off if they have
reached that goal in the Exit Ticket.

Day 3 Project Slides Lesson Title: Starting A Proposal Standards:

-Math standard
Daily Project Goals SWBAT: Students will be able to gather information to turn it 8.SP.A
into a proposal.
8th Grade: Proposal -Math standard
Doc Anticipatory Set: That Little Voice Video. Have a short 6.SP.1
discussion about the importance of using your voice to speak
6th Grade: Proposal up and out about the issue they are picking. Students will then
Doc -ELD
fill out the Daily Project Goals form. Justifying/
Exit Ticket Activities: Arguing
● Daily Project Goals Standard
● Scholarly Evidence Doc use this doc as the find
sources for their proposal
● Students will use 8th Grade: Proposal Doc or 6th
Grade: Proposal Doc to start writing up and planning
their solution

Closure: Exit Ticket

Assessment/s: Proposal Doc, Exit Ticket

 UDLs:
● ENGAGEMENT - Recruiting Interest 7.1 Optimize
individual Choice & Autonomy - Students will now
choose their final topic of the presentation using the
Proposal Doc.
● REPRESENTATION- Comprehension 3.3 Guide
information processing and visualization- The Proposal
Doc “chunks” the project proposal into smaller
elements that students will fill out.
● ACTION & EXPRESSION - Executive Functions 6.3
Facilitate managing information and resources -
Students are provided a graphic organizer in the form
of Proposal Doc that allows students to organize all the
information collected about their proposal.

Day 4 Project Slides Lesson Title: Polishing Our Proposal Standards:

-Social Justice
Daily Project Goals SWBAT: Students will be able to create a solution for their Standard:
social justice topic by filling out their proposal and starting to Action 20
8th Grade: Proposal create the creative component of their project.
Doc
Anticipatory Set: Daily Project Goals
6th Grade: Proposal
Doc Activities:
● Students will be finishing the Proposal Doc(8th Grade
Exit Ticket & 6th Grade)
● Once finished they can start working on the creative
component of this project

Closure: Exit Ticket

Assessment/s: Proposal Doc, Exit Ticket

UDLs:
● ENGAGEMENT - Recruiting Interest 7.2 Optimize
relevance, value, and authenticity - Students will be
able to pick which media product their proposal will be
presented as. This allows for active participation,
exploration, and experimentation about different media
formats.
● REPRESENTATION- Comprehension 3.4 Maximize
transfer and generalization - Students will finish the
graphic organizer Proposal Doc, which supports
students' note-taking and brainstorming of their
proposal.
● ACTION & EXPRESSION - Expressions &
Communication 5.1 Use multiple media for
communication - Students will produce a media
product of their choice to highlight their proposed
solution and social justice issue.

Day 5 Project Slides Lesson Title: How to Peer & Self-Assess Standards:
-Social Justice
SWBAT: Students will be able to use peer and standard
Daily Project Goals self-assessments to improve their project. Action 20

Proposal Doc Anticipatory Set: Daily Project Goals

6th Grade: Proposal Activities: Students will be given another 20 minutes to do any
Doc finishing touches for their projects. Then we will use the Self &
Peer Assessment for students to see where they are and what
Self & Peer they can improve on for this project. This will take about 5-15
Assessment minutes.
Extra Credit Option Closure: What’s My Next Step?

Assessment/s: Self & Peer Assessments, What’s My Next Step

Google Form

UDLs:
● ENGAGEMENT - Sustaining Effort & Persistence 8.4
Increase mastery-oriented feedback- The Self & Peer
Assessment provides feedback that is timely and
specific. This feedback will help the students improve
the final draft of their presentation.
● REPRESENTATION- Comprehension 3.3 Guide
information processing and visualization - We will be
progressively releasing information in regards to the
day’s activities to allow the students to not overwhelm
them while they finish their project with the Self &
Peer assessment and extra credit option.
● ACTION & EXPRESSION - Expressions &
Communication 5.1 Use multiple media for
communication - Students will finish producing a
media product of their choice to highlight their
proposed solution and social justice issue.
 Rationale
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Families,

We are ecstatic to be sharing with you the week-long project-based learning unit based on the UN
Sustainability goal of Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. According to research, project-based
learning increases students' engagement, emphasizes problem-solving and collaboration skills, while
boosting motivations to engage in learning. The goal is to comprehend a real-world problem using factual
evidence to create a clear proposal for addressing this issue. This will be guided by student inquiry with
them selecting a social justice issue of their choice within the United States. Your student will decide on
the product's issue, what level of government they will address their topic, a multimedia final product to
showcase the proposal, and who their target audience for the project is.

The unit will engage your student since it will give their voice and choice power how the project
is being implemented. Students will create a variety of written components and a creative component of
whether a photo essay, infographic, or video to represent their proposal. Their selection will be how they
will demonstrate their knowledge.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Thank you for supporting your students and their
learning through this project.

Best,
Jennifer Herra and Kayla Feather
Math Teaching Candidates with CSUSM