Community Change Makers Campaign: Addressing Local Issues
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Community Change Makers Campaign: Addressing Local Issues

Grade 7Social StudiesEnglish4 days
The Community Change Makers Campaign invites 7th-grade students to design and implement campaigns to address local community issues by leveraging civic skills and critical analysis of information sources. Students engage in activities such as analyzing digital footprints, investigating community issues, understanding the evolution of citizenship, and developing campaign strategies. Through these experiences, learners gain vital skills in evaluating information for bias and validity, understanding civic responsibilities, and influencing community affairs. The project culminates in the creation and implementation of a real-world campaign, enhancing students' confidence and capability in civic engagement.
Civic EngagementCommunity CampaignsInformation EvaluationCitizenship EvolutionSocial InfluenceDigital Footprints
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we, as informed citizens, design and implement effective campaigns to address local community issues by analyzing current events, evaluating sources, and understanding our civic responsibilities?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What are the current issues affecting our local community, and how can we become informed about them?
  • How can analyzing different sources and forms of political persuasion help us understand local issues more deeply?
  • What criteria should we use to evaluate the validity and accuracy of information about local issues?
  • Why is it important to recognize emotional appeals, bias, and prejudice in the information we consume?
  • In what ways have citizenship processes and duties evolved over time, and how do they influence our role in the community today?
  • How can we effectively define and investigate a public policy issue in our community?
  • What steps are involved in developing and evaluating alternative solutions to a community issue?
  • How can we design a campaign or action plan to address a local issue effectively?
  • What civic skills are necessary to influence change in our community, and how can they be developed?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will rapidly acquire civic skills necessary to monitor and influence community affairs by designing campaigns.
  • Learners will develop the ability to critically evaluate and curate various sources of information for local issues, including assessing their validity and bias.
  • Students will gain an understanding of citizenship processes and how these relate to civic duties and responsibilities.
  • Participants will analyze and investigate public policy issues by crafting and implementing campaigns to address them effectively.
  • Students will enhance their skills in recognizing and addressing emotional appeals, bias, and prejudice within political information.
  • Learners will demonstrate their ability to engage with community issues in a proactive and informed manner.

State Standards

9.1.1.1
Primary
Demonstrate civic skills that enable people to be informed on current issues in order to monitor and influence state, local, tribal, national or international affairs.Reason: This standard emphasizes the development of civic skills necessary to influence change, which is central to students designing campaigns for local issues.
9.1.1.3
Primary
Curate and evaluate various sources of information and forms of political persuasion, including digital, for validity, accuracy, ideology, emotional appeals, bias and prejudice.Reason: The project involves analyzing different sources and forms of political persuasion, which directly aligns with this standard.
9.1.3.7
Secondary
Explain how citizenship processes, requirements and duties are established by law. Evaluate the struggle for citizenship since the founding period.Reason: Understanding the evolution of citizenship processes and duties is crucial to the project's aim of recognizing civic responsibilities.
9.1.5.3
Primary
Examine a public policy issue by defining the problem, developing alternative courses of action, evaluating the consequences of each alternative, selecting a course of action and designing a plan to implement the action and resolve the problem.Reason: Students will be defining issues, developing action plans, and implementing solutions as integral parts of the project, making this standard a perfect fit.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Digital Footprints Challenge

Organize a game where students analyze digital footprints left by hypothetical community influencers. Using social media posts, speeches, and news articles, students draw connections to how these influencers have shaped public opinion and driven change, thus introducing them to the power of digital persuasion and civic engagement.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Digital Footprints Detective

Students will explore the concept of digital footprints by analyzing the online presence of hypothetical community influencers. This will help them understand how digital engagement can shape public opinion and drive change.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce students to the concept of digital footprints with examples of social media posts and digital interactions.
2. Divide students into groups and assign each group a hypothetical community influencer with a digital presence to analyze.
3. Students will use a worksheet to note down how each digital interaction may have influenced public opinion or initiated community changes.
4. Groups present their findings, discussing the impacts and potential bias in each influencer's digital footprint.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA presentation analyzing a digital footprint of a community influencer and its effects on public opinion.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with Standard 9.1.1.3 by helping students evaluate digital sources for validity, persuasion, and potential bias.
Activity 2

Community Issue Investigators

This activity guides students in identifying current issues facing their local community, and equips them with the tools to gather and evaluate information from a variety of sources.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Facilitate a brainstorming session where students list potential local issues impacting their community.
2. Assign students to small groups, each selecting a different community issue to investigate.
3. Instruct students on how to use local news, community bulletins, and social media to gather information about their chosen issue.
4. Students evaluate the validity and accuracy of their sources, identifying any bias or prejudice present.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA well-researched report on a local issue, detailing sources and evaluating the information for credibility.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsTargets Standards 9.1.1.3 and 9.1.5.3 by addressing source evaluation and understanding public policy issues.
Activity 3

Citizenship Timeline Explorers

Students will create a timeline illustrating the evolution of citizenship processes and duties in their community, helping them understand their civic responsibilities today.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Research historical changes in citizenship laws and processes in the local area or at the national level.
2. Identify key events or laws that have shaped the current understanding of citizenship and civic duties.
3. Use digital tools to create a visual timeline showcasing these developments.
4. Share timelines with the class, highlighting major shifts and ongoing struggles in citizenship rights.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA digital timeline that presents the evolution of citizenship processes and civic duties.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports Standard 9.1.3.7 by exploring historical and modern citizenship processes.
Activity 4

Campaign Creators Club

In this activity, students will design and implement a campaign to address a selected local issue, using their skills from previous activities.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Choose a local issue to address, using insights and data gathered from earlier activities.
2. Develop a campaign plan, including goals, key messages, target audiences, and methods of engagement.
3. Create campaign materials such as flyers, social media posts, or informational videos.
4. Implement the campaign within the community, gathering feedback and measuring impact.
5. Reflect on the campaign process, discussing successes, challenges, and lessons learned.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityAn implemented community campaign addressing a local issue, complete with materials and impact analysis.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsDirectly ties to Standard 9.1.5.3 by guiding students to define issues, develop actions, and implement solutions.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Community Change Makers Assessment Rubric

Category 1

Digital Footprint Analysis

Assessment of students' ability to critically analyze the digital presence of hypothetical community influencers and the impact on public opinion.
Criterion 1

Critical Evaluation of Digital Footprints

Evaluates students' skills in analyzing digital interactions for influence on public opinion and potential bias.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides a comprehensive analysis of digital footprints, clearly articulating influences on public opinion and identifying subtle biases with supporting examples.

Proficient
3 Points

Offers a thorough analysis with clear examples of influence on public opinion and apparent biases.

Developing
2 Points

Provides a basic analysis, identifying obvious influences and some biases with limited examples.

Beginning
1 Points

Gives a minimal description of digital footprints with little understanding of their influence or identification of bias.

Category 2

Community Issue Investigation

Evaluation of students’ ability to research and critically analyze local community issues using multiple sources.
Criterion 1

Research and Source Evaluation

Measures the quality of research conducted on community issues and the evaluation of sources for validity and bias.

Exemplary
4 Points

Conducts extensive research with a wide range of sources, thoroughly evaluating validity, accuracy, and bias.

Proficient
3 Points

Conducts solid research using a good range of sources, evaluating validity, accuracy, and identifying bias.

Developing
2 Points

Conducts basic research with limited sources, partially evaluating some aspects of validity and bias.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows little research effort with few or unreliable sources, minimal evaluation for validity or bias.

Category 3

Understanding Citizenship Evolution

Assessment of students' understanding of the evolution of citizenship processes and its impact on civic duties.
Criterion 1

Historical Research and Timeline Creation

Evaluates the depth of historical understanding and effectiveness of timeline construction to illustrate citizenship evolution.

Exemplary
4 Points

Creates a highly detailed and clear timeline, demonstrating deep historical understanding and significant revelations about citizenship evolution.

Proficient
3 Points

Constructs a clear timeline with a solid historical basis and evident understanding of citizenship evolution.

Developing
2 Points

Produces a simplistic timeline with fundamental historical details, showing limited understanding of citizenship evolution.

Beginning
1 Points

Presents an incomplete or unclear timeline with little historical content or understanding of citizenship processes.

Category 4

Campaign Development and Implementation

Evaluation of students' ability to design, develop, and implement a campaign addressing a community issue.
Criterion 1

Campaign Planning and Execution

Measures effectiveness in developing campaign strategies, designing materials, and implementing community action.

Exemplary
4 Points

Develops and implements an innovative campaign with clear objectives, engaging materials, and effective community impact.

Proficient
3 Points

Creates a well-organized campaign with clear objectives and materials, achieving good community engagement and impact.

Developing
2 Points

Plans a basic campaign with some clear objectives and materials, achieving limited community engagement.

Beginning
1 Points

Develops an unclear or poorly organized campaign with inadequate materials and minimal community impact.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

Reflecting on the entire 'Community Change Makers' project, how do you feel your understanding of civic skills and their application in influencing community affairs has developed?

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Question 2

On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident are you now in evaluating sources of information for validity, bias, and emotional appeal after participating in this project?

Scale
Required
Question 3

Which part of the project did you find most challenging, and what strategies did you use to overcome these challenges?

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Question 4

How has your perception of citizenship and civic duties changed after investigating historical and modern processes?

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Required
Question 5

In your opinion, what was the most impactful aspect of implementing a real community campaign, and what did you learn from this experience?

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Question 6

Reflecting on your group dynamics, how well did your team collaborate, and what could be improved for future projects?

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