Publishing & Sharing Research on a Community Issue | ELA Community Activism PBL (Lesson 5 of 6) | 6-8, 9-10, 11-12

Instructions

Materials Needed: 

• ELA Community Activism Project-Based Learning (PBL) Resources
• ELA Community Activism PBL Project Planning 

Instructions

This instructional idea is the fifth in a six-part set that provides 6-12 ELA teachers with sample procedures and resources for implementing a community activism project-based learning project addressing the ISTE Student Standards. Throughout these six instructional ideas, students will identify a local community issue and community stakeholders, conduct research, synthesize and publish their research for an authentic audience, and seek feedback on their final product. 

In this part (5 of 6) of the project, students will publish their original product for their community stakeholder audience in a form or platform that best suits their message. See parts 1 through 4 for scaffolding for this instructional idea. 

Step 1: Own It 

• Note: The below activity refers to work completed in part 4 of 5 of this instructional idea set. 
• Ask students to connect to the previous instructional activity by doing a Think-Pair-Share on the following questions:
  • Using rhetoric effectively when communicating to achieve a purpose requires you to choose the most effective platforms for sharing your message. Take a moment to review the product you created and discuss the following questions with a partner: 
    • Who is your audience? Why is the form your product takes most appropriate for that audience? 
    • Do a quick Google search for your stakeholder. On what communication platforms (social media, websites, etc.) are they active? 
    • Given what you know about your stakeholder, what do you think is the best communication platform on which your product (message) will be received? 
      • Tip: remember you are approaching this assignment through a community activist lens. This means your goal is to affect real positive change in your community. What platform will best allow for that? 

Step 2: Learn It

• Now that students have discussed ideas for sharing and publishing their products, it’s time to guide them through the sharing process. Consider sharing the resources/ideas below with students for this step: 
  •  Resources for Social Media 
    • 6 Simple Tips to Amplify Your Social Media Activism Campaigns (Additive) 
    • Student Guide to Online Activism: How to Advocate & Engage (Steps) 
  • Resources for Contacting Local Officials 
    • Contact Your Representative (National Priorities Project) 
      • Includes a tool for finding your representatives by inputting your address
    • Communicating with officials via social media (christopherreeve.org) 
    • Tips for Sending Effective E-mail to Elected Officials (APA)
    • How to Write a Letter to the School Board (Rethink Together) 
  • Resources for Contacting the Media 
    • Reach Out to the Media (Change.Org) 
    • How to Get a Story on the Local News (Fit Small Buisness) 
    • How to Write a Press Release (Forbes) 
  • Resources for Self-Publishing Student Work 
    • 4 Tips for Student-Created Digital Books (CommonSense.org) 
    • The 5 Best Free Tools for Publishing Student Work (eLearning Industry)
    • eBook Creation (Cool Tools for School) 

Step 3: Share It 

• Say: “Now that you’ve determined the best way(s) to share your final product with your community stakeholder, it’s time to put your plan into action.”
  • Ask students to follow through with sharing their final product with their stakeholder via their chosen communication platform. 
  • Note: Be sure to check if your school or district has any specific media policies for students sharing their work before this step. Some teachers might need to limit the options for available platforms based on these guidelines.