Lesson: Online Civic Engagement
In this lesson, students are introduced to online civic engagement through a series of activities which will ask them to work together to engage with their larger communities through curiosity, conversation and creation.
Grade range: 9
Time Frame
| One class period (75 minutes) | Two or three class periods (150-225 minutes) | Extended Unit | |
| Activities | Introduction
What Do YOU Care About? What Are You Going to Do About It? |
Introduction
What Do YOU Care About? What Are You Going to Do About It? Project Pitch Reflection |
Introduction
What Do YOU Care About? What Are You Going to Do About It? Project Pitch Digital Stories for Civic Engagement Interview Rehearsal Creating the Digital Story Sharing the Digital Story Reflection
|
Preparation:
- Make sure that you are able to show the embedded videos or that students are able to access the links.
- If you are delivering the Digital Stories for Civic Engagement activity, make sure that students are able to access the Digital Story Maker.
- We recommend that you deliver the Digital Storytelling and Sharing Your Story units before delivering this unit.
- The first three parts of the lesson can also be delivered separately as part of some other units.
A printable version of this lesson is available on the MediaSmarts website.
Learning Outcomes
Big ideas/key concepts: Students will understand that…
Each medium has a unique aesthetic form:
- Different media forms have different rules of notice that media creators use to draw and direct attention
Media have social and political implications
- Media makers have an ethical responsibility to reflect their subjects fairly and accurately
Interactions through digital media have real impact:
- Digital tools can be used to make a difference online and offline
Key questions:
- What ways can we use digital media to make a difference in our communities?
Misconceptions to correct:
- Activism and civic engagement only involve being active in formal politics
- Online civic engagement is “slacktivism” that does not make a difference
Essential knowledge: Students will know…
- Community engagement: Methods of interesting a broad audience, engaging an interested audience, and mobilizing an engaged audience
- Making and remixing: Conducting interviews and creating digital stories for civic engagement
Performance tasks: Students will be able to…
- Plan and “pitch” an online civic engagement project
- Conduct and record an interview on a civic engagement topic
- Create a digital story on a civic engagement topic
- Consider privacy and ethical considerations before sharing their digital story
- Reflect on their learning and work
Student-friendly outcomes:
- We will learn about the different ways media forms attract attention, the ethical responsibility of media creators to represent subjects fairly, and how digital tools can be used for positive change.
- We will think about how digital media can make a real difference in our communities and challenge the idea that online activism doesn’t matter.
- We will plan and pitch a civic engagement project, conduct interviews, create digital stories, consider privacy and ethics before sharing, and reflect on what we have learned.
Curriculum Connections
Strand A: Literacy Connections and Applications
A2. Digital Media Literacy
A2.1: Digital Citizenship
Evaluate and explain their rights and responsibilities when interacting online with appropriate permission, and make decisions that contribute positively to the development of their digital identity and those of their communities
A2.3 Research and Information Literacy
Conduct research, considering accuracy, credibility, and perspectives, with a focus on misinformation, disinformation, and curated information, to construct knowledge, create texts, and demonstrate learning, while respecting legal and ethical considerations
A2.4 Forms, Conventions, and Techniques
Evaluate the use of the various forms, conventions, and techniques of digital and media texts, consider the impact on the audience, and apply this understanding when analyzing and creating texts
A2.7 Community and Cultural Awareness
Communicate and collaborate with various communities in a safe, respectful, responsible, and inclusive manner when using online platforms and environments, including digital and media tools, and demonstrate and model cultural awareness with members of the community
Strand C: Comprehension (Understanding and Responding to Texts)
C3. Critical Thinking in Literacy
C3.5 Perspectives Within Texts
analyze explicit and implicit perspectives communicated in various texts, evaluate any evidence that could suggest bias in these perspectives, and suggest ways to avoid any such bias
C3.8 Reflecting on Learning
assess the effectiveness of the critical thinking skills they used when analyzing and evaluating various texts, and set goals to improve their use
Strand D:Composition (Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts)
D1 Developing IDeas and Organizing Content
D2. Creating Texts
D1.1 Purpose and Audience
identify the topic, purpose, and audience for various texts they plan to create; choose a text form, genre, and medium to suit the purpose and audience, and justify their choices
D1.2 Developing Ideas
generate and develop ideas and details about challenging topics, such as topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to other subject areas, using a variety of strategies, and drawing on various resources, including their own lived experiences
D1.3 Research
gather and synthesize information and content relevant to a topic, using a variety of textual sources and appropriate strategies; evaluate the currency, quality, bias, and accuracy of information; verify the reliability of sources; and check copyright and cite the sources for all content created by others
D1.4 Organizing Content
classify and sequence ideas and collected information, selecting effective strategies and tools, and identify and organize relevant content, evaluating the choices of text form, genre, and medium, and considering alternatives
D1.5 Reflecting on Learning
evaluate the strategies and tools used to develop ideas and organize content, for the creating texts in the chosen forms, genres, and media, explain which ones were most helpful, and suggest steps for future improvement as a text creator
D2 Creating Texts
D2.1 Producing Drafts
draft complex texts of various forms and genres, including narrative, persuasive, expository, and informational texts, citing sources, and use a variety of appropriate media, tools, and strategies to transform information and communicate ideas
D2.3 Voice
establish an identifiable voice in their texts, modifying language and style to suit the text’s form, genre, audience, and purpose, and express their thoughts, feelings, and opinions about the topic clearly
D2.4 Point of View and Perspective
explain the explicit and implicit points of view, perspectives, and bias conveyed in their texts, evaluate how various audiences might respond, and suggest ways to acknowledge other perspectives
D3 Publishing, Presenting and Reflecting
D3.1 Producing Final Texts
produce final texts using appropriate techniques and tools, including digital design and production tools, to achieve the intended effect
D3.2 Publishing and Presenting
publish and present texts they have created, using various media and tools, and evaluate how their choices helped them communicate their intended message
D3.3 Reflecting on Learning
evaluate the strategies and tools they found helpful when publishing and presenting texts, reflect on what they learned at each stage of the creative process, analyze how their texts address various topics, and suggest steps for future improvement as a text creator