Primary-Social+Studies+Community


 * __Group Members:__** Thelma, Melissa P, Jacqueline G


 * __Title of Critical Challenge:__** A Good Community


 * __Type of Critical Challenge:__** Judge the Better/Best and Design to Specs


 * __Intended Grade and Topic:__** Primary/Social Studies

__**Critical Questions and Summative Task:**__

Critical question: What makes a good community? Summative task: Design an effective poster that persuades someone to live in your community.

__**Assessment for Learning - Formative Assessment**:__


 * __Overview:__**

In this challenge, students will brainstorm the qualities to be found in a good community and the services and facilities that best provide for these qualities. Students then design an effective poster that persuades someone to live in their community. Students explain how the desired qualities are reflected in the poster.


 * __Objectives:__**

Key Learning/ "Big Idea" : A good community meets the needs of the people who live in it.

__**Overall Expectations Evaluated:**__

Recognize that communities consist of various physical features and community facilities that meet human needs. Use a variety of resources and tools to gather, process, and communicate information about the distinguishing physical features and community facilities in their area. Describe how people in the community interact with each other and the physical environment to meet human needs. Explain how the environment affects people’s lives and the ways in which their needs are met. Explain how communities interact with each other and the environment to meet human needs. Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. Generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience. Create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques.

__**Specific Expectations Addressed:**__

Use illustrations, key words, and simple sentences to sort, classify, and record information about their local community. Use appropriate vocabulary to communicate the results of inquiries and observations about their local community. Sort and classify information using more than one criterion. Describe similarities and differences in the ways communities meet their needs. Sort and classify information about communities to identify issues and solve problems. Use media works, oral presentations, written notes and descriptions, drawings, tables, charts, maps, and graphs to communicate information about urban and rural communities. Use one or more appropriate visual aids to support or enhance oral presentations. Use some appropriate elements of effective presentation in the finished product, such as print, different fonts, graphics, and layout. Produce some short media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using a few simple media forms and appropriate conventions and techniques.

__**Requisite Tools:**__

Background Knowledge: -knowledge of the facilities and services provided by a city or other community -knowledge of contributions in the community -features of a poster -persuasive writing -what are basic human needs


 * __Criteria for Judgement:__**

-criteria for design of an ideal community -criteria for an effective poster -criteria for a good community


 * __Critical Thinking Vocabulary:__**

-evidence -evaluation -justify -conclusion


 * __Thinking Strategies:__**

-information chart -T-chart -planning guide -information webbing -recording evidenc -checklist of criteria -brainstorming


 * __Habits of Mind:__**

-critically minded -attention to detail


 * __Pre-planning:__**

This project is based on the assumption that this assignment is near the end of the unit in Social Studies that relates to communities. Gather several posters that illustrate effective visual techniques. For example, travel posters, library posters, and fitness posters. Gather a selection of advertisements from magazines or have the students bring in advertisements.


 * __Session 1:__**

Begin by asking students if their community is a "good" place to live. Ask students for reasons for their opinion. As a way of prompting further discussion, ask if the community is a "great" community. Encourage students to convince you that it might by "great." Suggest that it is not sufficient simply to say "It’s great," students need evidence to back up their conclusion. Explain that "evidence" is information that people can offer as the reason why they think something is true and why others should also think it is true. Invite students to consider the following request for evidence: -If I wanted to convince you that I did see a particular movie on T.V. last night, what evidence could I offer? (describe the details of the movie, ask a family member to confirm, show the T.V. schedule). -If I wanted to show you that someone is a good friend, what evidence could I offer? (show you things they have given me, tell you what they do for me, ask them to tell you, send you to others to say that it is true). -If I wanted you to believe that it is raining outside, what evidence could I offer? (take you outside, show you my wet clothes, show you the weather report). Invite the class to suggest a few pieces of evidence to "prove" to you that the community is a great one. Suggest to students that it would be easier to find evidence about the greatness of the community if all of us agreed on what a great community looked like. Prompt students’ thinking about relevant criteria by discreetly suggesting each of the basic needs identified in the unit. See Blackline Master #39 A-B (attached). You might ask, for example, "In a great community, would people feel like they belonged?" "Would everyone have the food they needed to eat?" "What about fun? Would people in a great community have fun?" At an appropriate point, suggest that a great community would be one in which people were working to ensure that everyone’s needs were met. Now ask students for evidence of how people in their community are working to meet each others’s needs. If students need help getting started, remind them of the information they gathered about community roles (e.g., grocers provide vegetables to meet people’s food and health needs, doctors help people stay healthy, taxi and bus drivers help us meet our need to get around). Once students get the idea of what would count as evidence, suggest that they keep a record of information. Distribute an enlarged copy (11x17) of //Meeting Basic Needs// (Blackline Master #39 A-B) to each pair of students. Review each of the needs on these two sheets. Explain that students are to look for as many pieces of evidence as they can to show that their community is working to meet these needs. Students should record a piece of information in each box underneath the need(s) to which it applies. Discuss with students how they might find this evidence: -remembering what they have already learned -looking over their drawings and completed activity sheets -looking at books and local newspapers -talking to -looking around the community Discuss whether each pair of students should complete both sheets together or whether each partner should initially focus on a different sheet (either Blackline Master #39A or #39B) and then switch sheets later on. At some point, students may notice that their community is not meeting everyone’s needs. This revelation may be desirable as some balance in their perspective is healthy. If it does arise, suggest that students record evidence of unmet needs in a different colour than evidence of met needs. If students seem oblivious to unmet needs in their community, consider inviting students to look for evidence of needs that are not met. On the other hand, it may be more important to concentrate on building student pride in their community.

__**Session 2:**__

Introduce the assignment. Explain that students will be creating a poster. Discuss the main communicative purposes of advertising. Elicit the idea that advertisements try to get people to do something. Introduce the techniques of persuasion. Hand out copies of [|Persuasion Techniques in Advertising]__.__ Review the concept of techniques––ways to achieve the desired results. You may wish to ask individual students to read aloud the descriptions of each technique. As they go through each one, ask students if they can think of examples of ads that use these forms of persuasion. Identify persuasive techniques. Invite students to examine the posters you assembled or the advertisements they brought to class. Ask them to identify the persuasive techniques illustrated in the examples; e.g., buzzwords, bandwagon. Invite students to comment on the effectiveness of the persuasive techniques. You may wish to have students use sticky notes to label the techniques. Ask students if they can identify any additional techniques not described in __ Persuasion Techniques in Advertising. __ Introduce ad analysis. Distribute one or two copies of __Advertising Analysis__ to each student. Discuss and list qualities/criteria for effective advertisements; e.g., captivating, persuasive, informative. Using the collection of various ads and posters__,__ ask students to note the techniques used to make the ads effective. As a class, discuss the techniques used for the qualities/criteria and the reasons why these techniques are effective.

Creating an Effective Visual


 * Qualities ||  || Techniques ||


 * * catchy || * // bold headings //
 * // snappy captions //
 * // provocative images //
 * // colour // ||
 * * concise || * // point form, not full sentences //
 * // uses images to communicate // ||
 * * comprehensive || * // titles and headings //
 * // short passages of text //
 * // uses captions to explain // ||
 * * convincing || * // provocative images //
 * // powerful phrases //
 * // supported with facts //
 * // famous people // ||

__**Session 3:**__

// Develop criteria for effective visuals: // Remind students that persuasion is only one of the purposes of advertising. Point out that ads also need to create a powerful impression in a short time and to inform people about the topic. Visuals are an effective way to do this because our brain remembers images better than it does text. //Suggest the following qualities/criteria of effective visuals:// -catchy: grabs the audience's attention -concise: brief; requires as little reading as possible -comprehensive: presents all the key information; e.g., stakeholders, interests, issue, relevant data -convincing: makes viewers believe that the information on the visual is important and reliable. //Discuss visual techniques://List on the board the four qualities/criteria for an effective visual and record additional techniques that students identify. See “Creating an effective visuals chart.” //Analyzing visuals://Distribute visuals such as flyers, posters, and magazine advertisements. Ask students to work with a partner to examine a variety of visuals to find evidence for each of the four criteria of effective visuals (catchy, concise, comprehensive, convincing). See __Analyzing Visuals Example__. You may wish to have students use copies of __Analyzing Visuals for Effectiveness__ to structure the activity. **__Session 4:__**Introduce the challenge. Ask students, individually or in pairs, to undertake the critical task: //Design a persuasive and effective visual to convince others to take action on your issue.//Students should apply what they have learned about advertising techniques to create a persuasive and effective poster, advertisement, brochure, collage or electronic slide show presentation. Design the visual. Suggest that each student or team proceed in the following manner to develop its visual: 1. Identify an issue. 2. Determine or review the key concepts of the issue that should be represented on the visual. 3. Think about the characteristics and needs of the audience. 4. Plan possible persuasive technique(s). 5. Identify the methods to be used to produce an effective visual. 6. Prepare a rough draft of the visual. Consider printing the text on sticky notes or slips of paper and then organize the text and images without attaching them permanently.


 * 1)   Participate in a peer review.
 * 2)   Revise the draft visual in response to the peer feedback and to ensure that it meets the four criteria identified previously.
 * 3)   Complete the final copy of the poster.

You may want students to complete a __**Visuals Planning Checklist**__ to assist them in identifying the techniques they will use.