Synthesizing Research on a Community Issue | ELA Community Activism PBL (Lesson 4 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 
• A digital device for each student or small group of students

Instructions

This instructional idea is the fourth 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 (4 of 6) of the project, students will synthesize information from the sources they research in part 3 to create an original product for their chosen community stakeholder. This instructional idea will provide students with resources to develop a variety of products such as infographics, instructional videos, podcasts, narrated slide decks, etc.

For Teachers — Before the Lesson: 

• This lesson requires students to synthesize information to create a product of their choosing. While the instructional ideas below do not explicitly outline an essay task, teachers may choose to include a synthesis essay task as a form of scaffolding or differentiation before students create the final product. See the linked resources about synthesis writing below for more information about this writing form. 

Step 1: Own-It

• Ask students to connect to the previous instructional activity by doing a Think-Pair-Share on the following questions:
  • An “elevator pitch” is a short speech about an idea or topic that is short enough to present during a brief elevator ride. Think about your research from the previous lesson and deliver an “elevator pitch” to your partner that answers the following questions in 2 minutes or less: 
    • What is your community topic/issue and why is it important?
    • Who does your community topic/issue affect?
    • What is one interesting thing about your community topic/issue that you learned through your research? 
    • Who did you select as a community stakeholder? How are they impacted by your topic/issue?
    • What final product form did you select for your research? Why is this form well-suited for your community stakeholder? 
  • Students should refer to the information they recorded in ELA Community Activism PBL Project Planning to help answer these questions. 

Step 2: Learn It 

• Say: “Now that you’ve conducted research about your community topic/issue, it’s time to synthesize that information into your own analysis and product. Synthesizing is different from summarizing in that synthesis refers to combining multiple sources and ideas to create something new, whereas summarizing is simply restating the ideas in your own words. Let’s look at some examples of synthesis before you create your final product.”  
  • Ask students to review one or more of the below resources to develop their understanding of a synthesis task: 
    • What is synthesis? (University of Arizona Global Campus)
    • Synthesizing Sources (Purdue Online Writing Lab) 
    • Synthesis Introduction (Lumen Writing 102)
  • This project asks students to “think outside the box” when choosing a product form for this lesson. Consider sharing the below resources related to different product options with students as they develop their own original work. Provide some in-class time for students to explore these resources: 
    • How to Write and Format a Formal Letter (Scribendi) 
    • A 5-Step Guide to Making Your Own Instructional Videos (Edutopia) 
    • How to Make an Infographic: The Ultimate Guide (Visme) 
    • Free Infographic Maker by Canva
    • Prezi: Virtual Presentation Software
    • How to Create a Narrated PowerPoint Presentation (GWU) 
    • Starting Your Podcast: A Guide for Students (NPR)
  • For more ideas on ed tech students can use to complete this activity, visit the Ed Tech Glossary on this website.

Step 3: Create It 

• Say: “Now that we’ve clarified the synthesis task, it’s time to create your final product. Remember: the form of this product should align with the message you are sending to your community stakeholder. Ask yourself: what is the best or most effective way to convey my information to my community stakeholder?” 
  • Note: timing for this section of the instructional idea will vary. Use the knowledge of your own students to determine the amount of time they need to create an original product for this task.