Social Media History: Promote and Evaluate a Historical Book
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Social Media History: Promote and Evaluate a Historical Book

Grade 7English5 days
This project engages 7th-grade students in designing a social media campaign to promote a historical book, focusing on understanding and integrating historical, social, cultural, and political contexts. Through activities involving strategic planning, in-depth research, content creation, and multimedia integration, students learn to gather and assess information from various sources, organize their findings, and effectively communicate through social media. The project culminates in launching a social media campaign, allowing students to present and reflect on their learning and marketing strategies.
Social MediaHistorical ContextCampaign PlanningContent CreationMultimedia IntegrationResearch Skills
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we design an engaging social media campaign to effectively promote a historical book while exploring its historical, social, cultural, or political contexts?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What are the essential components of an effective social media campaign?
  • How can understanding historical, social, cultural, or political contexts enhance the promotion of a historical book?
  • What are the best strategies for gathering and evaluating information from a variety of sources to ensure a well-informed campaign?
  • How can organizing and categorizing information enhance the effectiveness of a social media campaign?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will develop a strategic plan for a social media campaign to promote a historical book, showcasing an understanding of marketing and historical contexts.
  • Students will explore and analyze the historical, social, cultural, or political contexts of a historical book to inform their campaign.
  • Students will gather and critically evaluate information from primary and secondary sources, ensuring the credibility and relevance of their campaign content.
  • Students will organize and categorize information effectively to enhance the presentation of their social media campaign.
  • Students will utilize informative writing and multimedia elements to communicate clearly and engage audiences through their social media campaign.

Teacher-Specified Standards

3.1
Primary
Develop a plan of action using appropriate discipline-specific strategies.Reason: Students will create a strategic plan for a social media campaign, which requires discipline-specific strategies related to marketing and historical context.
3.2
Primary
Examine historical, social, cultural, or political context to broaden inquiry.Reason: The project focuses on exploring contexts to effectively promote a historical book, aligning directly with this standard.
3.3
Primary
Gather information from a variety of primary and secondary sources and evaluate sources for perspective, validity, and bias.Reason: Students will engage in research to support their campaign, requiring them to gather and evaluate information from diverse sources.
3.4
Primary
Organize and categorize important information, revise ideas, and report relevant findingsReason: Organizing and categorizing information is central to creating an effective social media campaign, making this standard highly relevant.

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2
Secondary
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.Reason: Creating content for a social media campaign involves informative writing to convey ideas and analysis of the book and its historical context.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5
Secondary
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.Reason: A social media campaign will require the use of multimedia components to effectively communicate and engage an audience.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Kick-off with a Mystery Box

Begin with a locked mystery box in the classroom that contains clues about the historical book—maps, old photographs, letters, and artifacts. Invite students to solve the puzzles to unlock the box, sparking curiosity about the book’s historical setting and the real-life stories behind it.
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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

Social Media Blueprint: Plan Your Campaign

Students will develop a comprehensive plan for their social media campaign with a focus on marketing strategies and historical context. This activity builds the foundation for creating engaging content that effectively promotes the historical book.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce the concept of social media marketing and explain its key components, such as target audience, messaging, and platform selection.
2. Have students choose the historical book that will be the focal point of their campaign.
3. Guide students in researching the book's background to understand its historical context and potential angles for promotion.
4. Facilitate brainstorming sessions where students identify their target audience and the platforms best suited for reaching them.
5. Students create a detailed campaign plan, including goals, key messages, and a content calendar.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA strategic social media campaign plan, including target audiences, chosen platforms, messaging strategies, and a content calendar.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with standard 3.1 and 3.2 as students develop a plan using discipline-specific strategies and examine historical contexts.
Activity 2

Historical Context Deep Dive

Students will conduct in-depth research into the historical, social, cultural, or political contexts of their chosen historical book. This activity is aimed at gathering substantial background information to support the campaign.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce methods for researching historical, social, cultural, and political contexts, highlighting reliable sources.
2. Students form research teams and divide tasks to explore different aspects of the book's context.
3. Provide students with a variety of primary and secondary sources, both digital and print, to aid their investigation.
4. Instruct students to evaluate each source for perspective, validity, and bias, and collect pertinent information.
5. Have students compile their findings into a shared document that outlines the important contexts related to their book.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA comprehensive research document detailing the historical, social, cultural, and political contexts of the book.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsMeets standard 3.3 through gathering and evaluating diverse sources for perspective, validity, and bias.
Activity 3

Evidence & Information Organizer

In this activity, students organize and categorize their gathered information, making revisions to enhance the clarity and impact of their campaign.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce tools and techniques for organizing information, such as graphic organizers or digital apps.
2. Students review their research document, identifying key information to be categorized for their campaign.
3. Guide students in creating a visual organizer, mapping out how each piece of information will support their social media posts.
4. Facilitate peer reviews where students offer critiques and suggest revisions for clarity and engagement.
5. Students finalize their organized content, ensuring it aligns with their overall campaign strategy.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityAn organized and categorized collection of information ready to be used in the social media campaign.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsTargets 3.4 by focusing on organizing, revising, and preparing information for public presentation.
Activity 4

Content Creators' Workshop

Students will work on creating content for their social media campaign, combining informative writing with multimedia elements to enhance audience engagement.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Discuss effective writing techniques for informative content, emphasizing clarity and engagement.
2. Students draft various forms of content, including blog posts, tweets, and infographics, based on their research.
3. Introduce multimedia creation tools and guide students in integrating visuals such as photos, videos, and graphics.
4. Organize peer feedback sessions to critique the clarity and appeal of the content.
5. Students revise and finalize their social media posts, ensuring that written and visual elements complement each other.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA portfolio of written and multimedia content pieces ready to be deployed in the social media campaign.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsConnects with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2 and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5 by emphasizing the creation of informative texts and the use of multimedia components.
Activity 5

Social Media Campaign Launch

The culmination of the project where students launch their fully developed social media campaign to the class or a wider audience, showcasing their understanding and application of all previous activities.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Set up a virtual or physical event where students can present their finalized social media campaigns.
2. Students prepare a brief presentation outlining their campaign strategy and its alignment with the historical context of the book.
3. Allow students to walk the audience through their campaign, highlighting platform selection, key messages, and content pieces.
4. Encourage feedback from peers and instructors, focusing on the effectiveness of communication and engagement.
5. Reflect on the campaign's overarching impact and discuss future improvements or expansions.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA published social media campaign involving student presentations and audience engagement.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with multiple standards including 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5 by integrating campaign planning, historical context understanding, and multimedia presentations.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Social Media Campaign for Historical Book

Category 1

Research and Contextual Understanding

Assesses the depth and accuracy of students' research into historical, social, cultural, and political contexts.
Criterion 1

Depth of Research

Evaluates the comprehensiveness and depth of the research conducted.

Exemplary
4 Points

Research is extensive and highly detailed, providing rich insights into all relevant contexts.

Proficient
3 Points

Research is thorough and covers most relevant contexts sufficiently.

Developing
2 Points

Research is basic, with some relevant contexts missing or underdeveloped.

Beginning
1 Points

Research is minimal and lacks depth, with many pertinent contexts missing.

Criterion 2

Source Evaluation

Assesses the ability to evaluate sources for perspective, validity, and bias.

Exemplary
4 Points

All sources are critically evaluated for perspective, validity, and bias, demonstrating nuanced understanding.

Proficient
3 Points

Most sources are evaluated effectively, showing clear understanding of their perspectives, validity, and biases.

Developing
2 Points

Some sources are evaluated, but evaluations are inconsistent or superficial.

Beginning
1 Points

Few or no sources are evaluated for perspective, validity, or bias.

Category 2

Strategic Campaign Planning

Evaluates the strategic planning process of the social media campaign.
Criterion 1

Campaign Goals and Audience

Assesses the clarity and appropriateness of the campaign goals and target audience identification.

Exemplary
4 Points

Campaign goals are clear and highly appropriate, with a precisely identified and well-understood target audience.

Proficient
3 Points

Campaign goals are clear, with an identified and understood target audience.

Developing
2 Points

Campaign goals are somewhat clear but lack precision, with a vaguely identified target audience.

Beginning
1 Points

Campaign goals are unclear, and the target audience is poorly defined or misunderstood.

Criterion 2

Content Calendar and Platforms

Assesses the planning of content release and platform selection for the campaign.

Exemplary
4 Points

Content calendar is detailed and well-organized, with platforms meticulously chosen to maximize impact.

Proficient
3 Points

Content calendar is organized, with well-chosen platforms that suit the campaign.

Developing
2 Points

Content calendar is somewhat organized, with platform choices that are not always optimal.

Beginning
1 Points

Content calendar is poorly organized, with poorly chosen platforms yielding minimal impact.

Category 3

Content Creation and Multimedia Integration

Evaluates the quality and effectiveness of the content created for the campaign.
Criterion 1

Informative Writing

Assesses the clarity, accuracy, and engagement level of the written content.

Exemplary
4 Points

Written content is clear, accurate, highly engaging, and fully meets the objectives of the campaign.

Proficient
3 Points

Written content is clear, accurate, and engaging, effectively meeting most campaign objectives.

Developing
2 Points

Written content is partially clear or accurate, with some engaging elements but not fully meeting objectives.

Beginning
1 Points

Written content lacks clarity and accuracy, with little engagement, failing to meet campaign objectives.

Criterion 2

Multimedia Components

Assesses the effective use of multimedia elements to enhance campaign impact.

Exemplary
4 Points

Multimedia elements are creatively and seamlessly integrated, enhancing the overall impact of the campaign significantly.

Proficient
3 Points

Multimedia elements are integrated effectively, improving the campaign's engagement.

Developing
2 Points

Some multimedia elements are used, but their integration is inconsistent or less impactful.

Beginning
1 Points

Multimedia elements are minimally used or poorly integrated, providing little enhancement to the campaign.

Category 4

Presentation and Reflection

Assesses students' ability to present their campaign and reflect on its effectiveness.
Criterion 1

Presentation Effectiveness

Evaluates the clarity, engagement, and coherence of the campaign presentation.

Exemplary
4 Points

Presentation is exceptionally clear, highly engaging, and coherent, effectively communicating the campaign's objectives.

Proficient
3 Points

Presentation is clear, engaging, and coherent, successfully communicating the campaign's objectives.

Developing
2 Points

Presentation is somewhat clear and engaging but lacks coherence or focus at times.

Beginning
1 Points

Presentation is unclear, minimally engaging, and lacks coherence, failing to communicate objectives effectively.

Criterion 2

Reflective Analysis

Assesses students' ability to reflect on their campaign and identify areas for improvement.

Exemplary
4 Points

Reflection is insightful and thorough, clearly identifying strengths and specific areas for future improvement.

Proficient
3 Points

Reflection is strong, identifying most strengths and areas for improvement.

Developing
2 Points

Reflection identifies some strengths and areas for improvement but lacks depth.

Beginning
1 Points

Reflection is superficial, with few strengths or areas for improvement identified.

Reflection Prompts

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

Reflect on how your understanding of social media marketing has evolved throughout this project. Which aspects of designing a campaign were most challenging, and how did you overcome these challenges?

Text
Required
Question 2

How effectively did your team leverage historical, social, cultural, or political contexts to enhance your social media campaign?

Scale
Required
Question 3

What strategies did you find most useful when gathering and evaluating information from a variety of sources?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Collaborating with team members
Using digital archives and libraries
Cross-referencing multiple sources
Conducting interviews with experts
Question 4

In what ways did organizing and categorizing information contribute to the success of your campaign?

Text
Required
Question 5

How did the use of multimedia and informative writing enhance the clarity and engagement of your social media posts?

Text
Optional
Question 6

Looking back at the project, what do you think were the strongest aspects of your social media campaign, and what areas could be improved for future projects?

Text
Required