Social Action Papers
- Any writing assignment that connects learning targets with real issues in the community
- Uses:
- Develop research and persuasive writing skills
- Develop citizenship values and skills
- Student learn how to use textbooks as reference tools
- Play by play
- Guide student to brainstorm topics that tie real issues to learning targets
- Provide writing support. Related articles
- Provide milestone deadlines and in class feedback
- Have students reflect upon the connections they’re discovering in their project, their challenges, their strategies, and next steps
- Caveats:
- Students may choose a topic / project whose scope is too big or too small
- can resolve with feedback on proposals
- Students can procrastinate
- can resolve with milestone deadlines, in-class supported work time
- Students may choose a topic / project whose scope is too big or too small
Social action papers can tie content to real issues. The real relevance can make project more engaging to students. Incorporating a real audience into the project can also raise the stakes and interest level of the project.
Preparation Steps
- Find real audiences
- Recruit a local partner as a resource or client for the project – they could be clients and/or sources of expertise
- Identify connections to potential topics that can make students’ friends and families viable audiences
- Research and gather resources that relate to genre of social action paper
- Design resources / activities to help students select topics:
- Design essential questions that can trigger many products and questions
- Design activity that helps students brainstorm topics that relate to learning targets
- Research and prepare resources for scaffolding writing. Related articles
- Design a project calendar that includes:
- Time to brainstorm, select, vet, and refine topic / product choices
- Research time
- Time to scaffold writing and related content
- Milestone deadlines for writing stages
- (if possible) Time to interact with real audience
- Multiple reflection times
- Critique & feedback lessons
- Time to present to real audience
Early Implementation Steps
- Implement resources prepped above.
- Be flexible with students who are working with real clients / experts because their time lines may not match school time lines
- Provide a lot of formative feedback and in class work time throughout the project
- Schedule time to meet with and present to real clients
Advanced Implementation Steps
- Build sustaining relationships with local organizations so that multiple cohorts of students can work for real local organizations
- Use tools like Nepris or Ignite by DiscoverSTEAM to connect students with real clients / experts.
- Scaffold students through a design process to create products that client really needs. See Design Process articles.
