Active Citizen Project 2013

Two years ago, the 8th graders (in the 2011-2012 class) did our first Active Citizen Project.  It was a huge hit: The Patch did a story on them, equal rights groups posted their gay-rights commercial, and the students really enjoyed picking from a "menu" of project options.

This project challenges students to showcase their knowledge from our government unit in a way that shows how they are members of a participatory democracy.  Combining our objectives, tech skills, and real-world knowledge, students set out to show their active membership in our democratic society.

So before winter break, we wrapped up our government unit with this same project, with a few modifications to update some of the tech pieces to 2013 standards.  The students were challenged with picking two to three projects from the project menu that added up to 100 points.  There were many different project choices the students could pick from (check out the options below), and they were given a few days in class to work on their projects (as well as whatever they needed to finish up at home) to get their projects completed.  This time, to turn in their projects, students created an "Active Citizen Project" folder in their Google Drive, shared it with me, and the uploaded all of their projects to this folder whenever they finished them.

Overall, (once again!), I was completely blown away by the projects these students created.  The political cartoons were great, the commercials were informative and engaging, and the letters were heart-felt and about real issues that were important to the students.  Check out a sampling of some of the projects below.  Enjoy!

Voki Cartoon

Political Process Cartoon 1

Political Process Cartoon 2

Political Process Cartoon 3

Political Process Cartoon 4

Editorial 1

Editorial 2

Editorial 3

Editorial 4

Letter to a Leader 1

Letter to a Leader 2

Letter to a Leader 3

3 Branches of Government Project

In social studies we are currently waist-deep in our Early American Government Unit.  We have just learned about the separation of powers, checks and balances, and 3 branches of government system we have here in the US and where it came from (Articles I, II, & III of the US Constitution!).

Students were challenged to create their own project that detailed our government system in a medium that they felt would best showcase their learning and understanding of this concept.  They could choose from an iMovie, cartoon, song/rap, news article, or an infographic (check out the full project details here).  Once students decided on what project they were going to do, they set out to create their project that showcased all about the 3 branches of government.

First off, the variety and creativity of the projects that were turned in was astounding; not one project was like another (I love this!!), yet they all included the same information, material, and concepts!  I really love project-based learning, and I feel like this project definitely hit on that concept.  Students were able to choose a project medium that they could present their information and knowledge in the best possible way.

Anywho, check out a few of the various projects from below!  I hope you'll enjoy them--and find them as informative!--I sure did!

3 Branches Prezi

3 Branches iMovie

3 Branches News Article

3 Branches Infographic

3 Branches Song

Articles of Confederation Children's Book

Recently we have just started our second unit in social studies, Early US Government.  One of the first things we look at is the Declaration of Independence, and then we move to (what I call it) the "rough draft" of the US Constitution: the Articles of Confederation.

We spent a day talking about what exactly the Articles were and why they only "worked" for a short time.  Students were then challenged with this project: they had to create a children's book detailing what the Articles of Confederation were.

Check out the links below to a few of the books the students created!  Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of these children's books--especially taking 18th century text and rewriting it into kid-friendly language that elementary school students could understand.  Enjoy!

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Book 5

Defining Moments

At the end of every year at MRHMS, 8th graders create "defining moment" videos using their narrative essay they wrote in communication arts as their narration.  Students spend the good part of two weeks in both social studies and comm. arts storyboarding, recording, collecting pictures and videos, creating animations and graphics, and putting it all together (in iMovie) to create their defining moment.

For anyone outside of MRH, you may be wondering what exactly is a "defining moment."  The students helped create this short video explaining just that.

Now that you know what a defining moment is, it is time to share some of the amazing, heartfelt, moving, and passionate defining moments these group of 8th graders created.

All year in social studies students have created videos and done projects showcasing history, but they have never gotten to showcase their history...until now.  These videos combine all of the "techie" qualities the kids have displayed throughout the year with their own story--their defining moment--that are truly moving and inspiring.

After you watch these, take a minute and thing about: what is your defining moment?  What point in time caused your life to change?

C-SPAN Student Cam

Over the past several months, three groups of 8th grade social studies students have been working tirelessly and fearlessly on C-SPAN's 2012 StudentCam competition video project.  Their task was to create a video reflecting this year's theme:

After spending countless hours--both in and outside of the classroom--researching, interviewing, filming, and editing, the three groups have finally finished their projects and have submitted the to the contest.  They'll all be anxiously awaiting the March 7th announcement of the winners, but until then they can relish in the fact that all three groups created fabulously detailed and creative projects that highlight the contest's theme.

Once again, I'm amazed by what these students can produce!  It is just incredible as to what they can come up with and then create using their brains and a computer.  Check out all three group's videos below, and stay tuned to see if any of them are national winners!

Active Citizen Project

To wrap up our government unit and the second quarter of 8th grade, social studies students completed an Active MRH Citizen Project that was a culmination of everything they've learned in our government unit and putting it into action.  Everything from branches of the government, political processes, jobs of the government, the Constitution and its parts, and much more that we covered in our unit.

Students were given a "menu" of choices that they could choose projects from that they wanted to complete to earn 100 points total.  Students could choose from: letter to a leader, political commercial, political process cartoon (animated or illustrated), political cartoon, editorial/news article, and political process song.

I was blown away by what the students created; I was simply amazed with the songs, cartoons, news articles, and songs the students created!  Below is a sampling of some of the amazing work the students turned in for their projects.  I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I did!

How A Bill Becomes A Law (video 1)

How A Bill Becomes a Law (video 2)

Checks and Balances Song