service learning curriculum_8_27_15

Service Learning ProgramV 4.0 2015

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ShareChange's Service Learning Program (SLP) provides high school students the knowledge, structure, and support to develop and execute comprehensive Service Learning Projects. The SLP promotes student engagement and collaboration through a facil itated process where students reach consensus on each of our f ive "Steps to Action": Community Vision, Community Issue, Root Problems, Act ionable Opt ions, and Act ion Plan. The Service Learning Program integrates community input and participation in order to maximize the quality, scope, and impact of Service Learning Projects.

The following SLP Curriculum is intended to guide our trained Teachers and Program Facilitators as they run the Service Learning Program in pre-screened high school classrooms. The SLP Curriculum includes 10 Modules, where each can meet the constraints of a typical 50 minute class period (or continue as multi-day lessons). The Modules can be integrated into high school courses and expand upon important class themes and concepts.

Serv ice Learn ing Prog ram

Note: The above graphic is a tentative schedule

for our SLP, as project-based learning is very dynamic and adjustments may be needed.

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- Community Vision: a statement that describes the ideal state of your

community.

- Community Issue: a general problem that, if solved, brings the community

closer to our Community Vision.

- Root Causes: the causes of the Community Issue that, when solved,

signif icantly impact the issue.

- Act ionable Opt ions: potential options for feasible projects that, if executed,

would address the Root Causes.

- Act ion Plan: a plan that outlines and assigns the tasks necessary to

complete the Service Learning Project.

ShareChange's "Steps to Act ion":

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Module 1:

Class reaches Consensus on a Community Vision

- HW: Students administer ?Community Input Survey? to four individuals (Due by Module 2 to be used in Module 3)

Module 2:

Introduction to "ShareChange's Steps to Action" and our Consensus Method

- In-class: Apply Consensus Method in a consensus building activity

Module 3:

Class reaches Consensus on a Community Issue

- In-class: Class reviews analysis of completed ?Community Input Surveys?

Module 4:

Identify Stakeholders and build context of Community Issue

- In-class: Students complete "Instructional Survey" - HW: Internet research on an aspect of the Community Issue

Module 5:

Create a ?Stakeholder Input Survey? focused on the Community Issue

- Review completed ?Instructional Surveys?: questions, analysis, and f indings (analysis and presentation provided by Program Facilitators)

- In-class: Develop ?Stakeholder Input Survey"- HW: Internet research on Stakeholders for Community Issue

Serv ice Learn ing Prog ram : Curr icu lum Overv iew

5

Module 6:

Understanding "Methods of Research" and Source Credibil ity

- In-class: evaluate student research with "Source Credibil ity Handout"- Introduce "Methods of Research" and effective ways for collecting

additional information

Module 7:

Class reaches Consensus on Root Causes

Module 8:

Majora Carter Case Study: ?Greening the Ghetto?

- In-class: students evaluate case study of a community project with Community Development concepts

- HW: Stakeholder followups to increase community participation (tailored to need)

Module 9:

Class reaches consensus on Act ionable Opt ions and Objectives

- In-class: students evaluate Objectives with ?SMART Criteria? (Specif ic, Measurable, Achievable, Responsible, and Time-Oriented)

Module 10:

Finalize Act ion Plan for the Service Learning Project

- In-class: students complete ?One-Month Accountability Plan? - Introduce "Project Review": to be f il led-out by students after the project

is completed

6 Module 1

M ODULE 1 :

St ep t o Act ion: Com m uni t y Vision

Module Overview:

Students use the concept of a School-Community to create their Community Vision and evaluate how a Service Learning Project can improve the strengths and weaknesses of their community.

Learning Object ives:

1. Students will learn about the importance of all individuals in the creation of a Movement.

2. Students will be learn and apply the concepts of Service Learning and School-Community to create their ideal Community Vision.

Concepts:

School-Community; Vision Statement ; Movement ; Service Learning, Sustainable

Materials:

Facilitators? guiding questions; Chart paper; Markers; Overhead of the "School Community Semantic Map"

Handouts:

Handout # 1: ShareChange's Definit ion of Service Learning

Handout # 2: School-Community Map

Handout # 3: Community Input Survey

7 Module 1

Purpose:

To discuss and question common assumptions about the roles of ?leaders? and ?followers? in Movements and evaluate ways of effectively using Service Learning as a tool for creating change.

Essent ial Quest ion:

How do you organize a group of people to work together to create change?

Steps:

1) Define the concept of a Movement :

A group of people working together to advance a common polit ical, social, or artistic idea.

2) Prompt discussion by asking the students if they can provide any examples of Movements (could be historical or present day). Ask the students how they would go about starting a Movement? for what purpose?

3) Play Derek Sivers? Ted Talk ?How to Start a Movement? (3 min)

4) Discuss students? responses with respect to the key points of the Ted Talk

Act ivity One:

Facil i tator Points for Discussion:

- We often focus on a designated leader and forget about the group

- ?Leadership is over glorif ied? and ?Followers? are misunderstood

and under-appreciated

- As more people join a Movement, participating becomes less risky

or costly (in this example, there is less fear of embarrassment)

- At a certain point, the perceived cost of participating can become

lower than the perceived cost of not participating

8 Module 1

5) Refer to "Handout # 1: ShareChange's Definit ion of Service Learning" and define Service Learning:

A process where students collaborate to research the needs of their community and develop and execute a project that addresses a community issue in a sustainable manner.

6) Brief ly highlight the relevance and importance of the italicized words and the role of how Service Learning can mobilize people with effective projects.

Facil i tator Points of Emphasis:

- Collaborate: students work together as a classroom and with the community

- Research: students apply a variety of research methods to understand community needs

- Community: students research more than the their school (which will be discussed next activity)

- Develop: students are involved in generating every aspect of the project

- Execute: students work with the community and receive support throughout the completion of the project

- Community Issue: projects focus on a single community issue - Sustainable: projects are responsible and create a large, long-lasting

impact

9 Module 1

Purpose:

The purpose of this activity is demonstrate how Service Learning can make a meaningful dif ference in their School-Community and to develop and reach consensus on their ideal Community Vision.


What are the strengths of your School-Community and how can we build upon those strengths to improve upon its weaknesses?

Steps:

1) Introduce and define School-Community:

The geographical region and group of people that are directly involved in the students? everyday lives.

(This includes relevant neighborhoods, businesses, school grounds, other students, faculty, and staff . The notion of a School-Community should be somewhat vague, as this will create some f lexibil ity when determining if a problem is actionable.)

2) Provide students with copies of "Handout # 2: School-Community Map." (Note: this handout will be used as a reference for discussion in Module 4.)

3) Explain that when we refer to their "Community" throughout the program, we are referring to their School-Community.

Important Note: for the remainder of the SLP Curriculum we refer to the concept of "School-Community" as the students' "Community"

Act ivity Two:

10 Module 1

4) Have students brainstorm people and organizations in their community and record them on the semantic maps.

Teacher/Facil i tator Quest ions:

- Who are the members of your community? - What organizations or businesses are part of your community?

5) Compile a list of the students' responses on the board and brief ly discuss the role each member plays in their community.

6) Pass out "Handout # 3: Community Input Survey" and have students f il l out the survey to the best of their ability. (This Handout is intended to get the students to begin to think crit ically about their Community. It will also introduce them to the actually "Community Input Survey" they will administer to Community Members.)

7) As a class compile a list of the "strengths" and "weaknesses"

8) Define Community Vision:

A statement of the ideal or perfect state of your community.

(Note: A Vision Statement is a tool for creating a starting point for discussions. It focuses on a positive, desired state of their community, rather than limiting the discussion to community problems. Students create a Vision Statement of their ideal community, which becomes their Community Vision.)

9) Facilitate a Brainstorm and reach Consensus on the Community Vision:

Example of a Community Vision:

?Our school community is a clean and safe environment. Community members and organizations actively collaborate and support each other to foster equity and opportunity.?

10) Refer back to the ?School-Community Semantic Map? and have students f il l in additional members that were not originally included.

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Steps

for

Act ion (RoadMap)

Module 1

Homework: Community-Input Survey

1) Pass out and review the ?Community-Input Survey?

questions.

2) Ask each student to administer the ?Community-Input

Survey? (in Appendix B) to one teacher/ staff member, one

student, and two members of their Community. Tell the

students that its important that the respondents circle the

group that are aff il iated (so we know the dif ferent

perspectives). The goal is to have the surveys completed by

Module 2 (to be discussed in Module 3). When returned

collect and staple the surveys under the student's name so

they get credit, but we preserve the respondents anonymity.

Teacher/Facil i tator recommendat ions and precaut ions:

- Safety, as always, is the highest priority. Students

should be directed to inform their teacher of any

potential safety concerns.

- Students should return their completed surveys

by the following Module, because their data will

be discussed in subsequent Modules.

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Module Overview:

Students are introduced to a systematic approach to problem solving and intra-group communication. Students learn how ShareChange's Steps to Act ion structure the development of community projects and apply a communication method to reach Consensus on a sample problem.


1. Students will learn about the importance of group participation and communication and our systematic approach for effective problem solving.

2. Students will be introduced to a structured process for reaching group Consensus and apply the process to a sample problem.

Concepts:

Steps to Act ion; Consensus; Consensus Method

Materials:

Facilitators? guiding questions; Chart paper; Markers; Overhead of the "School Community Semantic Map"

Handouts:

Handout # 4: ShareChange's Steps to Action

Handout # 5: The Consensus Method

M ODULE 2 :

Work ing Tog et her in Serv ice Learn ing

Module 2

13 Module 2

Purpose:

To introduce the concept of Ownership and show how our Steps to Act ion util ize ownership to effectively create and execute an actionable project.


How do ShareChange's Steps to Act ion increase Ownership and guide students through effective community projects?

Steps:

1) Define Ownership:

The sense of belonging or caring that is created by valued participation

2) Define Consensus:

The ability of group members to support a decision (it does not mean that every group member prefers the decision)

3) Ask: Why is Ownership important in creating change? How does Consensus increase Ownership?

4) Introduce "ShareChange's Principles of Ownership" and connect them to important themes of the discussion on Consensus and Ownership. (5 min.)

ShareChange's Principles of Ownership

- People care more when they participate and believe that their participation is valued

- The earlier people participate in something, the more they care about it- Collaboration strengthens group solidarity and will ingness to participate- Greater participation leads to greater motivation to ensure success

Act ivity One:

14 Module 2

5) Pass out Handout # 4: ShareChange's Steps to Action." Brief ly introduce our Steps to Act ion (which provides the essential steps that structure and guide students through a responsible and effective service learning project). This is simply to highlight that the students will reach consensus before proceeding to each of the next steps of the project.

- Community Vision: a statement that describes the ideal state of your

community.

- Community Issue: a general problem that, if solved, brings the community

closer to our Community Vision.

- Root Causes: the causes of the Community Issue that, when solved,

signif icantly impact the issue.

- Actionable Options: potential options for feasible projects that, if executed,

would address the Root Causes.

- Action Plan: a plan that outlines and assigns the tasks necessary to

complete the Service Learning Project.

ShareChange's Steps to Act ion:

15 Module 2

Purpose:

Students apply our Consensus Method in a simulation exercise called the "Ice

Cream Agenda."


How did the Consensus Method increase individual participation and help the class reach group consensus in the "Ice Cream Agenda" exercise?

Steps:

1) Brief ly def ine the Consensus Method:

A system of processes used to increase participation of group members and the quality of meetings (Consensus Method adapted from Michael Doyle?s ?How to make Meetings work: the new Interaction Method.?)

2) Review our ?Handout # 5: The Consensus Method.? Students will not need to memorize the method, but they should understand that there is a process. Here are short summaries:

- Brainstorm Tools: to increase participation; generate and clarify ideas - Priorit izing Tools: to order and eliminate options- Deciding Tools: to bring students to consensus on their desired outcome

3) Introduce the "Ice Cream Agenda" scenario:

Students are asked to give an ice cream mixer for the 9 th grade class. They are being asked to decide on 2 ice cream choices. The students must reach Consensus on the ice cream choices.

Act ivity Two:

16 Module 2

4) Teacher/Facilitator?s guide the process of consensus building through the implementation of the following steps:

1. Define the group: Who are we? (ex. Senior class members)

2. Define the issue: What is the issue? (ex. What kind of ice cream should we serve?)

3. Define the desired outcome: What is the desired outcome? (ex. Decision on two ice cream f lavors for a 9 th grade mixer)

4. Use the Consensus Method to reach Consensus on choices that satisfy the desired outcome.

5) Debrief the activity with the class.

Debrief ing quest ions may include:

- What factors impacted the ability of the group to come to consensus?

- How dif f icult was it to reach consensus?- What behavior was important in making sure that

everyone was heard?

(All voices need to be heard and opinions valued. Remember, the choice may not be your favorite but all members need to be able to agree with moving forward with the decision.)

REMINDER: completed "Community Input Surveys" must be col lected by next Module.

Steps

for

Act ion (RoadMap)

17 Module 3

M ODULE 3 :

St ep t o Act ion: Com m uni t y Issue

Module Overview:

Students use the Consensus Method to reach Consensus on issues facing their Community, and narrow down the Community Issue for their Service Learning Project .


1. Students will apply the concepts of Consensus, and Vision to identify their Community Issue.

2. Students will gain a greater understanding of how structured group dialogue and participation can increase group participation and decision making.

Concepts:

Community Issue; Consensus; Vision Statement; Service Learning Project

Materials:A large copy of the Community Vision f rom Module 1

Completed "Community Input Surveys"

Handouts:

N/A

18 Module 3

Act ivity One:

Purpose:

To review ?Handout # 3: Community-Input Survey? results and revise the Community Vision (if needed). As a reminder, the Community Vision provides the point from which we begin dialogue and reach Consensus on the Community Issue for the Service Learning Project .


How do our survey data relate to our Community Vision?

Steps:

1) Present a compiled list of the "Strengths" and "Weaknesses" from the completed

"Community-Input Surveys" in Module 1.

Note: The list can also be generated from an activity where students orally share their survey data and add to the list generated in Module 1. A Program Facilitator can also compile and analyze these data prior to class.

2) Review the Community Vision f rom Module 1. If needed, make revisions with the Consensus Method (listed for convenience):

a) Brainstorm: List Ideas; Clarity Check b) Priorit ize: Discard Doubles; Vote; Focus Interestc) Decide: Consensus Check; Combine; Modify

19 Module 3

Purpose:

To reach classroom Consensus on their Community Issue for their Service

Learning Project .


What Community Issue can we meaningfully address in a way that brings our

community closer to our Community Vision?

Steps:

1) Define Community Issue:

A general problem that, if solved, brings the community closer to our Community Vision.

2) Have students use the information generated from the completed Community-Input Surveys to brainstorm important issues in their community. List them on the board. (10 min)

Teacher/Facil i tator quest ions:

- What do you consider strengths of your Community? (What?s working well in your Community?)

- What do you consider weaknesses of your Community? (What?s not working well in the Community?)

- In what ways are these weaknesses preventing your Community from reaching the Community Vision?

3) Use the Consensus Method to reach Consensus on a Community Issue that students want to continue investigating for their Service Learning Project.

Act ivity Two:

20 Module 4

M ODULE 4 :

St ak eholders and Cont ex t Bui ld ing

Module Overview:

Students build the context for their Community Issue by identifying important Stakeholders and their interests.

Learning Object ive:

1. Students will evaluate Stakeholders for their Community Issue and gain a greater understanding of its context.

Concepts:

Stakeholder; Ownership; Context Building; Interviews; Surveys; Observat ion,

Data-Analysis

Materials:

Handout # 2: School-Community Maps (completed in Module 1 )

Copy of Community Issue

Handouts:

Handout # 6: Stakeholders and Context Building

Handout # 7: Instructional Survey

Handout # 8: Research Article Breakdown

21 Module 4

Purpose:

The purpose of this activity is to gain a better understanding of the community members, organizations, and overall context for their Community Issue in order to identify and acquire information on important Stakeholders.


Who are the Stakeholders for this issue and what additional information can we learn about the context of the Community Issue?

Steps:

1) Define Stakeholder:

Any person or organization with an interest in an issue.

2) Distribute "Handout # 6: Stakeholders and Context Building." Have students break into small groups (2 to 4 students) to f il l out the Handout. Help the students as needed.

3) As a class, compile a list of Stakeholders. For each Stakeholder, discuss with the class the following questions on the Community Issue:

- Why might it be important to talk to this Stakeholder?

- What important information may the Stakeholder be able to provide?

- Do the stakeholders have any relationship to other Stakeholders? (Such

as partnerships, alignments etc? )

- What are their interests? How might their interests impact their views?

Act ivity One:

22 Module 4

Purpose:

To Introduce "Methods of Research" and how they complement each other in

gathering information on their Community Issue and important Stakeholders.


What methods can we use to access additional information about our Community Issue and key Stakeholders?

Steps:

1) Ask students: If you were asked to do research about a topic, what are some ways you would f ind the information you need? List the answers on the board.

2) Introduce four "Methods of Research" (Interviews, Surveys, Observat ion,

Data-Analysis):

Interviews: information acquired by formally asking someone a question (written notes or audio/ video recording usually necessary).

Surveys: information acquired by asking people to f il l out previously written questions. They can include multiple choice; scales (e.g. 1-5); and free response.

Observat ion: information acquired by actually observing something (could be in person, or audio/ video recordings)

Data-Analysis: information acquired by analyzing data collected from other sources (meaning, the information was not collected by you). It is always important to know who collected the data set, and details of how the data set was collected.

Act ivity Two:

23 Module 4

3) Discuss the students' l ist from Step 1 with respect to these four categories of research and the benefits and limitations of each.

4) Complete "Handout # 7: Instructional Survey"

Note: (Before passing out the survey, instruct students to complete the survey without talking and to write any questions or comments they have on the survey. Let the students know that the survey contains dif ferent kinds of questions and we will discuss the surveys the following week when we look at the kinds of questions we can use to develop our own surveys.)

Homework: "Research Art icle Breakdown"

Pass out "Handout # 8: Research Article Breakdown." Have the students f ind an article that provides relevant information on some aspect of the Community Issue. Students are to complete the handout by Module 5.

Program Facil i tator Reminder:

Data from the ?Instructional Surveys? must be analyzed to create a presentation of the f indings and questions for the presentation in Module 5.

Steps

for

Act ion (RoadMap)

24 Module 5

M ODULE 5 :

Develop ing a St ak eholder Survey

Module Overview:

Students are introduced to the complexity of surveys through a presentation of their data and f indings from the ?Instructional Survey? (from Module 4). Students then develop as a class a ?Stakeholder Input Survey? for important Stakeholders


1. Students will understand the characteristics of a good survey and the limitations of surveys.

2. Students will understand important concepts for analyzing data and apply them to create a ?Stakeholder Input Survey.?

Concepts:

Stakeholder; Data; Conclusions; Findings; Causat ion; Correlat ion; Representat ive Sampl ing

Materials:

Completed "Handout # 6: Stakeholders and Context Building"Program Facilitator's analysis of ?Handout # 7: Instructional Survey? dataCompleted "Handout # 7: Instructional Surveys"

Handouts:

Handout # 8: Research Article BreakdownHandout # 9: Common Question Types for Surveys

25 Module 5

Purpose:

Students will use the information from ?Handout # 7: Instructional Survey? (from Module 4), to evaluate survey questions and the information which we were able to extract in order to develop a ?Stakeholder Input Survey.?


How can we formulate questions that will provide accurate and meaningful information in order to learn about our Community Issue?

Steps:

1) Discuss and evaluate the questions and f indings from the ?Instructional Survey.?

Possible Teacher and Facil i tator quest ions:

- What information were we able to gather from the survey? - Did you f ind some questions harder to answer than others? Why?- What ways could we improve the questions? - How did the questions limit the quality of the information we

collected?- What conclusions can we make from these f indings?- Do our conclusions follow from these data?

2) Distribute "Handout # 9: Common Question Types for Surveys" and review the Handout as a guide to help students build effective survey questions.

Act ivity One:

26 Module 5

Facil i tator Notes (opt ional informat ion):

A. Numbers are symbols that should accurately represent whatever you are specifically t rying to measure.

Example: You are a P.E. Coach and you ask a student to go and count how many ?balls? there are in the storage room, which contains 4 basketballs and 4 footballs. The student returns and tells you there are eight balls in the storage room. If you want to play 8 basketball games simultaneously, the answer ?eight balls? does not represent what you truly wanted, which is the number of basketballs in the storage room.

B. Conclusions must be supported by the data f indings and research methods.

Example: You are a teacher and you have been given the task of choosing the location for the senior class' Prom. Wanting the input of students, you have your class write the location of their choice on a piece of paper. You collect and count all the students? responses, and all 30 of your students wrote ?Disneyland.? Therefore, may think your class data represent the views of all seniors at the school. You then conclude that the school must want their Prom to be at Disneyland. However, your class is not representative of the opinions of the hundreds of students in the senior class. Without additional data collection from the entire senior class, you can only conclude that the f indings represent the opinion of your specif ic class.

C. Correlat ion does not equal Causat ion.

Just because two things or events may frequently happen around the same time, it does not mean that one caused the other to happen. Vox.com has compiled many fun examples that you can discuss in class. In one example, the consumption of whole milk is strongly correlated with the marriage rates in Mississippi in the last ten years. Despite this correlation, you cannot conclude that an increase in whole milk consumption increases the likelihood that you will get married (www.Vox.com).

http://www.vox.com/2014/5/13/5710874/the-best-illustration-youll-see-that-correlation-doesnt-equal

























































27 Module 5

Purpose:

The purpose of this activity is to guide students through the process of developing

a ?Stakeholder Input Survey? that they will administer to community members.

The survey is intended to provide important perspectives on their Community

Issue and how it should be addressed.


What important insight and information may our Stakeholders provide for our

Community Issue?

Steps:

1) As a class or in small groups, ask students to brainstorm questions for the

Stakeholders that will help them learn more about the Community Issue. Students

should use the list of Stakeholders from Module 4 and their responses to

?Handout # 6: Stakeholders and Context Building,"

2) As a class, l ist the questions on the board, Priorit ize a set of Key Stakeholders

and important questions

3) Break students into groups and assign a Stakeholder to each group. Have the students create a draft of a "Stakeholder Input Survey."

Teacher/Facil i tator notes:

Creating surveys for each Key Stakeholder may require a few days. It may be more practical to Priorit ize a few Stakeholders for the activity (such as, students and parents). Program Facilitators will l ikely need to edit the drafts to create the f inal surveys for the Stakeholders.

Act ivity Two:

28 Module 5

Teacher/Facil i tator recommendat ions and precaut ions:

After the "Stakeholder Input Surveys" are completed, assign students to Stakeholders based on interest and practicality. Try to have the students administer the survey to dif ferent community Stakeholders in order to get a better representation of perspectives.

Safety, as always, is the highest priority. Students should be directed to inform their teacher of any potential safety concerns and survey only Stakeholders that are approved by the teacher.

Homework: Internet Research on Stakeholders

Research 1- 3 sources to gather information on the Stakeholders for the Community Issue. Information can include addresses of important businesses, local government representatives' names, off ice addresses, etc. For each source have the students f il l out "Handout # 8: Research Article Breakdown." Distribute the number of Handouts per student that equals the number of assigned sources. The Handouts should be completed and returned by Module 6.

Steps

for

Act ion (RoadMap)

29 Module 6

M ODULE 6 :

Evaluat ing Research and Source Cred ib i l i t y

Module Overview:

Students explore Subject ivity, Object ivity, and Source Credibi l i ty by evaluating news media headlines and analyzing the f indings of their internet research homework (assigned in Module 4).


1. To analyze the inf luence of Source Credibil i ty and Bias on research content.

2.To discuss the dif ference between Subject ive and Object ive information and how they relate to Source Credibi l i ty.

Concepts:

Subject ive; Object ive; Bias; Source Credibi l i ty

Materials:

Examples of current events from (www.allsides.com)

Prepared Example of a Completed ?Research Article Breakdown? (from Module 4)

Students Completed "Research Article Breakdowns" from Module 4 and Module 5

Handouts:

Handout # 10: Source Credibil ity Check

http://www.allsides.com

http://www.allsides.com

30 Module 6

*This activity is optional based upon time constraints.

Purpose:

To teach students how to dif ferentiate between Subject ive and Object ive information and understand the importance of being aware of Bias when conducting research. Students then apply this knowledge in their analysis of the credibil ity of news media.


How does the media and media Bias inf luence the information that we frequently receive?

Steps:

1) Ask students to list media sources from which people get information about the world and rank what they believe to be the inf luence of each media source on American cit izens (e.g. magazines, television, movies, etc... Encourage students to choose specif ic sources)

2) Discuss the sources of information available to students, the sources from which the students get their information, the sources the students? believe have the most inf luence on people, and which sources they trust.

3) Pass out "Handout # 10: Source Credibil ity Check" and use the Handout to evaluate the sources.

3) Define Subject ive, Object ive, and Bias:

- Subject ive: any information that includes an individual's perspective

or opinion.

- Object ive: any information NOT inf luenced by an individual's

perspective or opinion.

- Bias: preconceived opinion in favor of or against ideas, things, people,

or groups.

Act ivity One: *

31 Module 6

4) Use the pre-chosen examples from the website www.allsides.com to juxtapose headlines from current news from three news networks (ideally from dif ferent polit ical perspectives). Dissect the news headlines, highlighting words that indicate Subjectivity. Extrapolate Objective information about the news story.

5) Discuss the similarity and dif ferences in the language and content of the headlines.

Teacher/Facil i tator quest ions may include:

- Are there any similarit ies/dif ferences among the networks in the

language they use to describe their top headlines?

- Are there any similarit ies/dif ferences among the networks in the

content displayed by the networks?

- Why do you think these similarit ies or dif ferences exist?

- Do some media sources seem more objective than others?

- How could we f ind out about potential media bias?

32 Module 6

Purpose:

To review and evaluate the internet research "Research Article Breakdown" assignment in Module 4, as well as analyze additional research synthesized and compiled by Program Facil i tators or students.

Essent ial Quest ions:

How can each research method provide unique information and help you understand a dif ferent perspective on the Community Issue?

Steps:

1) Review the definit ions of the four types of research methods that were discussed in Module 4 (for reference):

Interviews: information acquired by formally asking someone a question (written notes or audio/ video recording usually necessary).

Surveys: information acquired by asking people to f il l out previously written questions. They can include (but are not l imited to) multiple choice; scales (e.g. 1-5); and free response.

Observat ion: information acquired by actually observing something (could be in person, or audio/ video recordings)

Data- Analysis: information acquired by analyzing data collected from other sources (meaning, the information was not collected by you). It is always important to know who collected these data, and details of how these data were collected.

Act ivity Two:

33 Module 6

2) Discuss additional information that we need to know about Community Issue. Determine the type of research method needed to get that information

3) Refer back to "Handout # 10: Source Credibil ity Check." Present the prepared example of a ?Research Article Breakdown.? Ask the students questions to apply relevant concepts (such as, Subjectivity, Objectivity, Bias, and Source Credibil ity) and evaluate whether the article source passes the "Source Credibil ity Check."

Teacher or Program Facil i tator quest ions may include:

- What type of research does the article include?- Who/What is the source of the research?- Who/what organization funds this source?- Does the source have a known polit ical, social, or

cultural bias?

Important : "Stakeholder Input Surveys" should be completed by Stakeholders as soon as possible and

returned for analysis

Steps

for

Act ion (RoadMap)

34 Module 7

M ODULE 7 :

St ep t o Act ion: Root Causes

Module Overview:

Students are introduced to the definit ions of Root Causes and Symptoms of problems. Students then analyze the factors that create and sustain their Community Issue, and reach Consensus on its Root Causes.


1. Students will be able to dif ferentiate between a Symptom and a Root Cause.

2. Students will extrapolate Root Causes of the Community Issue by analyzing the

factors that contribute to the Community Issue.

Concepts:

Cause; Symptom; Consensus Method

Materials:

Materials to applying Consensus Method (Facilitation Materials)

Completed "Handout # 6: Stakeholders and Context Building"

Handouts:

Handout # 10: Root Cause Tree

35 Module 7

Purpose:

To organize and analyze data from the "Stakeholder Input Surveys" and integrate the information into our compiled research on the Community Issue


What information have we gathered from our "Stakeholder Input Surveys" that will help us f ind and evaluate Root Causes?

Steps:

1) Give students copies of the completed ?Stakeholder Input Surveys.? Each student should have multiple completed surveys in front of them.

Program Facilitators could tally data by having students raise the respective number of f ingers (if they have multiple surveys) for the answers to each multiple choice question. (For example, ?For question one, how many respondents answered A??; if the student has two respondents who chose ?A,? the student would raise two f ingers)

2) Highlight f indings that provide important insight and discuss important patterns that emerge.

3) Discuss how the f indings f it within the broader context of the compiled research

(A synthesis of the research by the Program Facilitators and supporting ShareChange

stuff of the information gathered by the students, community members, and

Program Facilitators)

For example: If ?Stakeholder Input Surveys? suggests that students do not eat

school food on campus. What has research found about the quality of school

food and student eating habits on campus?

Act ivity One:

36 Module 7

5) Begin to explore Causes and relationships to see what additional information

the Stakeholders can provide or potential opportunities for collaboration

6) Assess what additional information is needed and what research methods may be required to understand or verify assumptions we may be currently forced to make

37 Module 7

Purpose:

To dif ferentiate a Root Cause f rom a Symptom and to apply the Consensus Method to reach Consensus on the Root Causes of their Community Issue.


What are the Root Causes of the Community Issue and what Root Cause do the

students' want to address for their Service Learning Projects?

Steps:

1) Post the student's written-out Community Issue in a location accessible to all

students.

2) Define Symptom:

Something that is caused by something else (A Symptom could be anything that is caused by the Community Issue)

3) Define Root Cause:

The contributing factors to the Community Issue that, when solved, eliminate the causes of the Community Issue and its Symptoms.

4)Break the students into small groups to use "Handout # 11: Root Cause Tree" as an analytical tool for dif ferentiating Root Causes f rom Symptoms.

5) List the students possible Root Causes of the Community Issue and evaluate the responses to determine whether they are Root Causes or a Symptoms. (For each potential Root Cause on the list, ask: ?If this issue was addressed, would all the symptoms disappear??)*

Act ivity Two:

38 Module 7

*some potential causes that the students say in the Brainstorm may be Symptoms of the Community Issue so we need to dif ferentiate causes of the Community Issue f rom the Symptoms (that result from it) through the facil itation process.

5) Build context in order to analyze the Root Causes (facil itated process):

1. Review the Community Vision and Community Issue.2. Brainstorm and list Findings (including their

experiences and research) for the Community Issue and Root Causes.

3. Brainstorm and list Assumptions underlying Findings 4. Use the Findings and Assumptions to evaluate the list

of the potential Root Causes.

6) Review list of Root Causes and Priorit ize the top Root Cause that will be investigated in future Modules.

7) Divide the class into groups, corresponding to the number of Root Causes. Have the students in each group look up 1-3 articles that relate to their respective Root Cause. Students should look for dif ferent ways in which the respective Root Cause was addressed in similar contexts. (Program Facilitators might need to provide these contexts in the form of case studies).

For example:

- What did other schools see as the Root Cause of uneaten and wasted food (unhealthy, taste, funding)?

- How did other schools address the Issue?

Steps

for

Act ion (RoadMap)

39 Module 8

M ODULE 8 :

Par t icipat ion, Ow nership , and Prob lem Solv ing

Module Overview:

Students use Majora Carter?s ?Greening the Ghetto? TED Talk as a case study for evaluating one individual?s project developing a community park. Students explore the complexity of problem solving and the importance of Stakeholders, community participation, and Ownership.


1. Students learn that it is possible for ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

2. Students understand the importance of community Ownership of a project, if it is to be effective, responsible, and sustainable.

3. Students determine factors that inf luence community Ownership

Concepts:

Sustainabil i ty; Ownership;

Materials:Majora Carter TED Talk ?Greening the Ghetto.?

Handouts:

N/A

40 Module 8

Purpose:

To discuss community-development projects and apply the concept of Ownership through the analysis of a thought experiment involving the development of an unused community space.


How can individuals motivate community members to take ownership of community projects in order to promote sustainability and improve quality of l ife?

Steps:

1) Display an image of a dilapidated, unused, public space in the community. Discuss with the following questions with the students:

- What could the space be used for?- Who could you get to help you?- How would you motivate them to help you?

2) Have students share and discuss their responses.

Teacher/Facil i tator quest ions may include:

- What is the Community issue? (ex. Lack of green space for the community to enjoy)

- This is a possible Symptom of what Root Cause? - Do you think Community Members would want to help you?

Why/why not?

Act ivity One:

41 Module 8

3) Reintroduce the definit ion of Ownership:

The sense of belonging or caring that is created by valued participation

4) Ask students:

- How could we create community Ownership of our projects and their environment?

- If everyone in the community wanted a park, do you think they would help clean it? Why or Why not?

- If more people get involved in the cleanup effort, would you be more will ing to help?

42 Module 8

Purpose:

The purpose of the activity is to use Majora Carter's Ted Talk, "Greening the Ghetto" as a case study to evaluate a real world project with concepts introduced throughout the program, including our Steps to Act ion, Community participation, and Ownership.


1. What concepts from our SLP Program can help us understand why Majora Carter?s community project was successful? and Why?

Steps:

1) Play Majora Carter?s Ted Talk ?Greening the Ghetto? (segment 0:00-9:00) In this f irst segment of the video, Majora Carter discusses her background, historical background of the South Bronx, and the evolution of the Greenway movement.

Important points of the video segment (sl ide with points # 10):

a. Inequity exists in the distribution of public facil it ies:

South Bronx handles 40 percent of NY City?s waste, 100 percent of the Bronx waste, had numerous sewage treatment plants, and one of the lowest park to people ratios in the city.

b. Impact of the perception of others on the community?s perception of itself :

?The common perception was that only pimps and pushers and prostitutes were from the South Bronx. And if you are told from your earliest days that nothing good is going to come from your community, that it is bad and ugly, how could it not ref lect on you??

c. Majora defined an actionable project which resulted in her major

Act ivity Two:

43 Module 8

accomplishments.

She found an abandoned park, and through community support, leveraged a $10,000 grant into a 3 mill ion dollar park.

d. Conclusion: Even though it is very dif f icult to mobilize people for a common cause, it is possible for ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

2) Discuss and evaluate the TED talk with important program concepts:

Teacher/ facil i tator quest ions may include:

- What do you think is Majora Carter?s Community Vision?- What were the issues in her community?- What were the important Stakeholders in the Community?- What were the Root Causes of the Community Issue?- What were some ways Majora Carter fostered Community Ownership of

the park development project?- Can you think of ways she could have better involved her Community?- What actions to address the Root Cause did Major Carter undertake? - Can you think of any other approaches to the Root Causes?

(OPTIONAL)

3) Skip forward to segment (13:24-15:47). In this segment, Majora Carter discusses the urban planning policies of Enrique Penalosa Londono, Mayor of the Colombian city, Bagota, and subsequent impact of these policies on the city.

Important points f rom the segment:

- Transportation infrastructure benefited drivers, a minority population Unsafe and dirty conditions before implementing policies

- Mayor Londono wanted to reduce the amount of car lanes, and make the city

44 Module 8

more friendly for bikes and pedestrians- Policies were fought by the cit izens and he was almost

impeached- The reforms increased bike ridership and pedestrian

transportation, creating a sense of ownership, that resulted in cleaner and safer environments

Highl ight f rom video segment:

The more people frequented their environment, the greater their will ingness to take care of their environment. Ideally we want community members to be involved in the development of solutions to their community problems, which will lead to greater ownership and motivation to execute and sustain efforts that address the Community Issue. The community members also provide invaluable insight. We cannot assume that we know what the community members want or need.

4) Share 2-3 examples of projects designed and executed by high school students that signif icantly impacted their communities.

Homework: Stakeholder Fol lowups to Increase Community Involvement (as needed)

Review ?Stakeholder Input Survey? analysis and previous research and discuss important stakeholders and ways you can increase their involvement in the project. Make a plan to follow up discussions or create questions for Stakeholders regarding possible ways of addressing the Root Causes.

Steps

for

Act ion (RoadMap)

45 Module 9

M ODULE 9 :

St ep t o Act ion: Act ionab le Op t ions

Module Overview:

To reach consensus on an Act ionable Opt ion to the Root Causes, create a Project from the Act ionable Opt ion, and define SMART (Specif ic, Measurable, Achievable, Responsible, Timely) Object ives of the project.


1. To evaluate Act ionable Opt ions to the Root Causes, and various approaches to working towards those Act ionable Opt ions.

2. To learn about "SMART Criteria" and learn how to apply them to evaluate dif ferent Object ives for possible projects.

Concepts:

Vision; Goals; Object ives; Smart Criteria

Materials:

Chart paper; markers; Community Vision, Root Problem, and Community Issue; Large Project Planning Template (PPT)

Handouts:

Handout # 12: Project Planning Checklist

Handout # 13: Creating SMART Objectives

46 Module 9

Purpose:

To Brainstorm and reach Consensus on an Act ionable Opt ion and create a Vision Statement for the Service Learning Project .


What Act ionable Opt ion will become the SLP Project the students execute to address the Root Causes?

Steps:

Helpful Context :

This SLP Curriculum develops and organizes our SLP Projects in a culminating Act ion Plan that includes important components of the project, such as the Vision Statement, Desired Outcomes (D.O.'s), Objectives, and Potential Obstacles. The Act ion Plan is then broken down into "One-Month Plans" that assign the time-sensitive Tasks and track progress and accountability throughout the completion of the project. The Act ion Plan then becomes a tool for helping Students, Teachers, and Program Facilitators stay focused and visualize how their Tasks contribute to the success of the project.

For this Module:

Students reach Consensus on an Act ionable Opt ion, reach Consensus on a Vision Statement for the Service Learning Project, and formulate the Objectives necessary for the Project's success.

Act ivity One:

47 Module 9

(As a class)

1) Review the Root Cause of the Community Issue (keep them posted where they are visible for the entire Module

2) Define Act ionable Opt ions (5 min):

The possible feasible approaches (Policy, Programs, Individual or Collective Action) that would address the Root Causes

3) Create a Vision Statement for the Ideal Act ionable Opt ion

4) Brainstorm and list potential Act ionable Opt ions

5) Apply the Consensus Method to reach Consensus on a single Act ionable Opt ion that would address the Root Cause. This will become the Service Learning Project.

6) Using the Consensus Method, develop a Vision Statement for the Act ionable Opt ion.

7) From the Vision Statement extrapolate and list the student's Goals for the project.

48 Module 9

Purpose:

Students apply the "Handout # 13: SMART Objectives" criteria to evaluate and priorit ize Object ives .


How do the ?SMART Criteria? help us compare and evaluate whether projects are actionable, responsible, and effective?

Steps:

1) Define Object ives:

Actions that can be completed and have a specif ic outcome necessary for the project to succeed.

For example:

Object ive: to increase the volume of the school?s recycled items by 50% by May 30 th, 2020

2) Brainstorm Object ives that will be necessary to complete the project.

3) Provide ?SMART Criteria Handout,? and introduce each criterion in SMART (Specif ic, Measurable, Achievable, Responsible, Time-Oriented).

- SPECIFIC ? Is the Objective precise about what the team hopes to achieve?

- MEASURABLE ? Is the Objective measurable? Will you know whether your actions

have resulted in improvement? How?

- ACHIEVABLE ? Is this Objective able to be accomplished? Are you attempting to do

too much? Could you do more?Do you have the resources needed (people, t ime,

Act ivity Two:

49 Module 9

support)?

- RESPONSIBLE ? Does the community support the Objective? Does

the Object ive include community Participation? Who would the

Object ive benefit and who would it cost? How?

- TIME-ORIENTED ?Do you have the time to complete the Objective?

Can you identify a time-line for important steps of the Object ive?

4) Guide students through the questions in Handout # 13 : Creating Smart Objectives," evaluating the Objectives against the ?SMART Criteria.? Modify Objectives to meet the SMART criteria.

Steps

for

Act ion (RoadMap)

50 Module 10

M ODULE 1 0 :

Act ion Plan

Module Overview:

Students use their work from previous modules to develop an Act ion Plan and establish their Standards for Success for their project. Students then break down the Act ion Plan into "One-Month Accountability plans" for project execution.


1. To learn a method for organizing important aspects of a project in a way that connects actions to desired outcomes.

2. To learn about project accountability, and how to delineate and organize necessary steps to maximize time, energy, and resources.

Concepts:

Crit ical Factors for Success; Resources; Potent ial Obstacles; Tasks; Project Accountabil i ty

Materials:

Materials for facil itation; Project Planning Template, including vision, object ives (Project Facil i tators do this in prep time).

Handouts:

Handout # 14: One-Month Accountability Plan

51 Module 10

Purpose:

To guide students through a structured, facil itated process of identifying important aspects of their Project and building a comprehensive Act ion Plan.

Essent ial Quest ions:

How does enumerating and organizing the various facets of your project help you understand how to accomplish your Desired Outcome?

Steps:

1) Brief ly review the student's Act ionable Opt ion, Vision Statement, and Objectives

2) Define and Brainstorm Resources:

Anything that your project may need to reach your Objectives, include materials, funding sources, other organizations and people.

3) Define, Brainstorm, and Priorit ize 5 Crit ical Factors for Success:

The factors most vital to your Project?s success. (An example may be will ing and committed volunteers. )

4) Brainstorm Potent ial Obstacles:

Using the Consensus Method, Program Facilitators assist the group in coming up with f ive factors most vital to your project?s success. An example may be will ing and committed volunteers.

Act ivity One:

52 Module 10

5) Define and Brainstorm Tasks:

The actions necessary to accomplish the Project?s Objectives.

(In this section, you get down to the specif ics, ult imately assigning responsibil ity to necessary Tasks. The group must determine what needs to get done, by when, and assign Tasks to group members.)

8) Develop the Act ion Plan by combining all of the components in a Project Planning Template (which will be created by the Program Facilitators to meet the needs and interests of the students).

53 Module 10

Purpose:

To break down the Action Plan into a "One-Month Accountability Plan," establish next steps, and assign tasks.


What Tasks do we need to accomplish our Object ives, when do the Tasks need to be done, and who is going take responsibil ity for the Tasks?

Steps:

1) Introduce the "Handout: One-Month Accountability Plan" as a tool for organizing and tracking the progress of the project to ensure that necessary steps are accomplished on-time.

2) Review each category on the Template:

- Task: actions that are necessary to reach the Project?s Objective. (This

includes who will participate and a specif ied deadline)

- Desired Outcome: what was the task intended to complete or accomplish

- By Whom: who is responsible for completing the task

- By When: what date should the task be completed

- Done: was the Desired Outcome of the Task completed? If the Task was

completed, simply mark ?Yes? or place a check mark

3) Guide students throughout the process of f il l ing out "Handout # 14 : One-Month Accountability Plan."

Additional One-Month Accountability Plans are available for extended programs

Handout # 15 Project Evaluation will be handed out at the end of the Project

Act ivity Two:

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