Peaceful Protesting in 'Brown Girl Dreaming'

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Peaceful Protesting in 'Brown Girl Dreaming'

Grade 7English5 days

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5.0 (1 rating)

Inspired by Jacqueline Woodson's 'Brown Girl Dreaming,' this Project-Based Learning experience guides seventh-grade students to explore and design campaigns that embody the essence of peaceful protesting and the pursuit of dreams. Through analyzing character interactions and settings in the book, students will connect these elements to real historical protests and create their initiatives based on the book's themes. The project encourages creativity and critical thinking, culminating in presentations and reflective discussions that deepen students' understanding of peaceful protest's historical and cultural significance.

Peaceful ProtestBrown Girl DreamingCharacter InteractionCampaign DesignDream PursuitHistorical ContextSeventh Grade English

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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we, inspired by 'Brown Girl Dreaming,' design a campaign or initiative that reflects the principles of peaceful protesting and the pursuit of dreams, considering the influence of setting and character interactions shown in the book?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.

What are the key elements of peaceful protesting as depicted in 'Brown Girl Dreaming'?
How does the concept of following one's dreams manifest in the characters and events of 'Brown Girl Dreaming'?
In what ways does the setting of 'Brown Girl Dreaming' influence the characters and their ability to follow their dreams?
How do the characters in 'Brown Girl Dreaming' interact with each other and their environment to pursue their dreams?
What can 'Brown Girl Dreaming' teach us about the historical and cultural significance of peaceful protest?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:

Students will analyze and describe how the setting of 'Brown Girl Dreaming' influences the characters and their pursuits.
Students will identify and explain the elements of peaceful protesting as depicted in the book.
Students will evaluate how the characters interact with their environment and each other to pursue their dreams.
Students will create a campaign or initiative that reflects the themes of the book, utilizing writing and collaborative skills.
Students will explore and discuss the historical and cultural significance of peaceful protesting inspired by the book.

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3

Primary

Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).Reason: This standard aligns with the project as students need to analyze how elements like setting and character interaction, as depicted in 'Brown Girl Dreaming,' relate to themes of peaceful protesting and following dreams.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1

Secondary

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.Reason: Students will need to construct essays or presentations to support their designed campaign or initiative, making arguments about the principles of peaceful protesting and dreaming.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1

Supporting

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.Reason: As students work on their campaigns or initiatives, they will engage in discussions reflecting on 'Brown Girl Dreaming' and its themes, enhancing their understanding through dialogue.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Dream Visualization Workshop

Facilitate a workshop where students brainstorm and map out their dreams and aspirations, just as Jacqueline Woodson did in 'Brown Girl Dreaming.' This exercise will encourage them to explore how their personal experiences and settings influence their ambitions and understand the book's narrative context.

Social Media Campaign Design

Challenge students to design a social media campaign that promotes awareness about an issue they care deeply about, drawing parallels to the character's journey in 'Brown Girl Dreaming.' They will assess the impact of digital settings on activism and storytelling.

Historical Protest Exploration

Present a virtual tour of significant peaceful protests in history through interactive media. By connecting these events to the settings in 'Brown Girl Dreaming,' students create inquiries about the book's historical context and its relevance today.

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Portfolio Activities

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

Activity 1

Protest Pathways Project

Students will investigate historical peaceful protests and create a pathway that showcases how these protests have shaped societal changes, drawing connections to 'Brown Girl Dreaming.'

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Research historical instances of peaceful protests through online resources and books.

2. Select one protest event to explore extensively and gather details about its setting, motivations, and outcomes.

3. Create a timeline or pathway that maps out the course of the protest and its impacts on society.

4. Draw parallels between the chosen protest and situations in 'Brown Girl Dreaming.'

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA detailed timeline or pathway of a historical protest with connected insights to the book.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 by examining how historical settings influenced peaceful protests and relating them to the book's themes.

Activity 2

Campaign Courage Challenge

Leveraging insights from 'Brown Girl Dreaming' and their understanding of peaceful protests, students will design a campaign that promotes a cause they are passionate about.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Discuss various social issues and select one that resonates personally with each student.

2. Design a campaign message that embodies peaceful protest principles learned from 'Brown Girl Dreaming.'

3. Develop campaign materials, such as flyers, posters, or social media content to advocate for the chosen cause.

4. Present the campaign to classmates and reflect on the process and message.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityAn advocacy campaign complete with promotional materials tackling a real-world issue.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 by preparing students to write and defend a campaign, and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1 for discussion and presentation components.

Activity 3

Dream Mapping Masterpiece

In this activity, students will create a visual representation of their dreams and aspirations, paralleling the dreams depicted in 'Brown Girl Dreaming.' They will analyze how their personal experiences and settings influence their dreams, just like the characters in the book.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Read selected passages from 'Brown Girl Dreaming' that discuss dreams and aspirations.

2. Reflect on personal experiences and list out dreams and aspirations.

3. Use art supplies to create a vision board or dream map that visually represents these aspirations.

4. Write a short explanatory paragraph that connects their dreams to their personal experiences and settings.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA vision board or dream map with an accompanying explanatory paragraph.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 by analyzing how the personal setting influences aspirations, inspired by the book.

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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Brown Girl Dreaming Project Rubric

Category 1

Analytical Skills

Assesses the student's ability to analyze text elements and historical contexts related to 'Brown Girl Dreaming.'

Criterion 1

Text Analysis

Analyze how setting and characters interact in 'Brown Girl Dreaming.'

Exemplary

4 Points

Offers in-depth analysis with specific examples that show how setting and characters interact and influence themes of peaceful protesting and dreams.

Proficient

3 Points

Provides a thorough analysis with relevant examples of character and setting interactions.

Developing

2 Points

Offers a basic analysis of character and setting interactions with limited examples.

Beginning

1 Points

Attempts to analyze text elements but lacks clarity and supporting examples.

Criterion 2

Historical Context

Relate historical instances of peaceful protests to themes in the book.

Exemplary

4 Points

Insightfully connects historical protests to book themes, highlighting both similarities and differences.

Proficient

3 Points

Effectively connects one or more historical protests to themes in 'Brown Girl Dreaming.'

Developing

2 Points

Makes limited connections between historical events and book themes.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles to connect historical instances with the themes in the book.

Category 2

Creativity and Design

Evaluates originality and effectiveness in creating campaign materials or visual representations of dreams.

Criterion 1

Creative Expression

Develop creative materials or visual projects that express personal or book-inspired themes.

Exemplary

4 Points

Shows exceptional creativity and originality in designing visually appealing and thematically relevant materials.

Proficient

3 Points

Demonstrates creativity in creating engaging and relevant materials.

Developing

2 Points

Shows emerging creativity with effort to connect themes visually.

Beginning

1 Points

Attempts to create visuals but lacks coherence and thematic connection.

Criterion 2

Campaign Design

Design effective campaign strategies promoting peaceful protest and community engagement.

Exemplary

4 Points

Develops a highly persuasive campaign with clear, innovative strategies aligned with peaceful protest principles.

Proficient

3 Points

Creates a persuasive campaign with sound strategies supporting peaceful protest ideals.

Developing

2 Points

Designs a basic campaign with some connection to protest ideals.

Beginning

1 Points

Develops a minimal campaign with unclear strategies.

Category 3

Collaboration and Communication

Assesses how effectively students work with peers and communicate their findings.

Criterion 1

Discussion Participation

Engage effectively in discussions about book themes and projects.

Exemplary

4 Points

Leads discussions, building on others' ideas and enhancing group understanding.

Proficient

3 Points

Actively participates and contributes to group discussions.

Developing

2 Points

Participates occasionally but contributes minimally to discussions.

Beginning

1 Points

Engages rarely or requires continual prompting to participate.

Criterion 2

Presentation Skills

Present campaign or project work to peers.

Exemplary

4 Points

Delivers clear, engaging, and well-structured presentations with confidence.

Proficient

3 Points

Presents research or projects clearly with good structure.

Developing

2 Points

Presents, but with limited clarity or organization.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles with presentation, lacking coherence and clarity.

Reflection Prompts

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

Question 1

Reflect on your chosen protest event in the Protest Pathways Project. How did examining the protest's setting deepen your understanding of the themes in 'Brown Girl Dreaming'?

Text

Required

Question 2

On a scale from 1 to 5, how effectively do you think your social media campaign utilized principles of peaceful protesting found in 'Brown Girl Dreaming'?

Scale

Required

Question 3

Which aspect of the Campaign Courage Challenge was most challenging for you, and how did you overcome it?

Text

Optional

Question 4

Reflect on your Dream Mapping Masterpiece. How did connecting your dreams to personal experiences help you understand the characters in 'Brown Girl Dreaming'?

Text

Required

Question 5

Considering your peers' presentations and campaigns, what new perspectives did you gain about peaceful protesting and pursuing dreams? Select all that apply.

Multiple choice

Optional

Options

Understanding the power of peaceful protest

Realizing the importance of setting in achieving dreams

Learning from others' creative expressions

Identifying common themes across different campaigns