How can young people use civic action to make a difference in their communities?
Duration
4 - 6 weeksGroup Size
4 - 5 studentsGrade Level
High School, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12thSubjects
Civics, ELA, Social StudiesProject Description
In this project, students explore how civic action can address real issues in their communities. They research a local problem, identify stakeholders, create an action plan, and present their findings through a podcast, video, or slide deck. This project is fully aligned with Common Core and NGSS standards and includes detailed rubrics to guide and evaluate student work.
Why Use this Project?
This lesson plan equips students with practical skills in research, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration while engaging them in real-world problem-solving. By focusing on civic action, students learn how to influence change and become active participants in their communities. Teachers benefit from a ready-to-use, standards-aligned framework with built-in rubrics, timelines, and role assignments, making classroom management easier. The flexibility in presentation formats ensures the project appeals to different learning styles and strengths, while the emphasis on teamwork and leadership prepares students for both academic and real-life challenges.
What's Included
- General Guidelines – Outlines team structure, roles, and expectations to keep students organized and accountable.
- Brainstorming – Guides students through structured, collaborative techniques to identify and select a meaningful community issue.
- Project Planning and Designing – Provides detailed steps for breaking down the project into milestones, assigning tasks, identifying resources, and setting deadlines using the student goal sheet and task timeline.
- Project Execution – Offers clear, actionable strategies for leading meetings, tracking progress, adapting plans, and incorporating feedback throughout the project.
- Podcasting (Replacing Experimenting) – Gives in-depth, student-friendly steps for planning, scripting, recording, and editing a podcast as a presentation option.
- Presentation – Explains how to prepare and deliver the final project in podcast, video, or slide deck format, with step-by-step optimization tips for each.
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