Criterion A: Investigating
Students:
- define a clear and highly challenging goal to address a need within a community, based on personal interests
- identify prior learning and subject-specific knowledge that is consistently highly relevant to the project
- demonstrate excellent research skills.
Lesson 1 - What is the Community Project?
How have you taken action before?
On the post-it notes write down three examples where they have undertaken some form of action to make a positive change in a community? Examples of these could be you undertaking any of the following:
Watch this short clip of Greta Thunberg aged 15 taking action as she condemns the World’s Inaction on Climate Change. What is the Community Project?
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Project Objectives
Objective A: Investigating i. Define a goal to address a need within a community, based on personal interests ii. Identify prior learning and subject-specific knowledge relevant to the project iii. Demonstrate research skills |
Objective B: Planning i. Develop a proposal for action to serve the need in the community ii. Plan and record the development process of the project iii. Demonstrate self-management skills |
Objective C: Taking action i. Demonstrate service as action as a result of the project ii. Demonstrate thinking skills iii. Demonstrate communication and social skills |
Objective D: Reflecting i. Evaluate the quality of the service as action against the proposal ii. Reflect on how completing the project has extended your knowledge and understanding of service learning iii. Reflect on your development of your own personal skills |
The Process Journal
Make a copy of this document that will act as your Process Journal. |
The Process Journal is...
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The Process Journal is not...
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As a group you will carefully select evidence from your process journal to demonstrate development in all criteria. These extracts are submitted as appendices of the presentation at the conclusion of the project. You will need to submit a total of 10-15 extracts of your project journal.
How will I be assessed?
Other than the extracts from your process journal you will need to write undertake a group presentation. Your presentation will be 8-10 minutes in length and it will review various aspects of the project process that you went through in order to achieve your goals. Presentations are done as a group and every person in the group must contribute.
Other than the extracts from your process journal you will need to write undertake a group presentation. Your presentation will be 8-10 minutes in length and it will review various aspects of the project process that you went through in order to achieve your goals. Presentations are done as a group and every person in the group must contribute.
TASK: What do we mean by ‘community’?
In pairs come up with as many different communities as you can think of based on the definition opposite. A community may be local, national, virtual or global. Now try and put these communities into categories of your choice. |
'Communities are groups that exist in proximity defined by space, time or relationship. Communities include, for example, groups of people sharing particular characteristics, beliefs or values as well as groups of interdependent organisms living together in a specific habitat.' MYP: From principles into practice (May 2014)
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TASK: Defining a goal to address a need in the community
The community project will require you to focus on a need within the community. A need can be defined as a condition or situation in which something is required or wanted; a duty or obligation; or a lack of something desirable or useful. Now you have identified various communities you must now brainstorm a new list of communities that are in need based on your own understanding right now.
The community project will require you to focus on a need within the community. A need can be defined as a condition or situation in which something is required or wanted; a duty or obligation; or a lack of something desirable or useful. Now you have identified various communities you must now brainstorm a new list of communities that are in need based on your own understanding right now.
TASK: A Personal Inventory
To start the process of exploring current needs you will first take an inner look at yourselves by completing a personal inventory. You should identify the following:
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Give your personal inventory to one of your new teammates. You will now each take turns reading each other's personal inventory out allowed.
Listen carefully and use the whole body! As each person is speaking highlight areas where more than one group member has similar interests or frustrations. Could these be areas that you could pursue as a project? Do any members have any particular skills that you think could be useful in undertaking your community project, highlight these also. |
Lesson 2: Which community will you focus on?
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Mind-map the issue
You will create a mind-map today that will focus on the below areas.
TASK: Identifying Communities
In your groups, using the definition of communities from the last lesson, identify all the communities that you are a stakeholder of? Add these to your team mind-map. |
TASK: Scan the School
All of us spend a great deal of time at school every day, right? So is this not the obvious place to start taking action and driving change? In your team again identify what things annoy you, make you mad, upset you or you feel could be done better within our school community. Add these to your mind- map.
All of us spend a great deal of time at school every day, right? So is this not the obvious place to start taking action and driving change? In your team again identify what things annoy you, make you mad, upset you or you feel could be done better within our school community. Add these to your mind- map.
TASK: Community News What is happening in your local community? You will be given ten minutes to undertake an internet search to see what the issues are in your local area. These could be both positive or negative news stories. On your mind-map, you must identify what things that are happening in the news within your community. Highlight positive news in green and negative news in red. |
TASK: What’s in the news?
Explore some of the global online newspapers and note down which communities are making the headlines. Remember what the definition of a community is within the context of this project! Note down on your mind map the community that is being affected and note down a few points about how they are being affected. Have one team member identify Hong Kong news and the other two global news.
Explore some of the global online newspapers and note down which communities are making the headlines. Remember what the definition of a community is within the context of this project! Note down on your mind map the community that is being affected and note down a few points about how they are being affected. Have one team member identify Hong Kong news and the other two global news.
TASK: Wildlife & Habitats in Crisis
Reflect back on that part of the definition is not just looking at people when we talk about communities, but ‘...as well as groups of interdependent organisms living together in a specific habitat.’ Identify habitats and wildlife that are under threat in Hong Kong and around the world and then add these to their mind map.
Reflect back on that part of the definition is not just looking at people when we talk about communities, but ‘...as well as groups of interdependent organisms living together in a specific habitat.’ Identify habitats and wildlife that are under threat in Hong Kong and around the world and then add these to their mind map.
HOMEWORK:
Your understanding of some of the needs in your local community might be limited. One of the best ways to find out what these needs are is by asking other people who live there. Individually you must interview 5 separate people in order to find out what they feel the needs of their are community. You must come up with three questions that you will be able to obtain the below information.
Your understanding of some of the needs in your local community might be limited. One of the best ways to find out what these needs are is by asking other people who live there. Individually you must interview 5 separate people in order to find out what they feel the needs of their are community. You must come up with three questions that you will be able to obtain the below information.
- Communities affected;
- Needs;
- Actions.
Lesson 3: Which community will you focus on?
Feedback: For homework, you should have asked 5 separate people about the needs their community has. You will now share these with your group and add any additional areas to your mind maps that you started the last lesson. TASK: Reflect on what challenges you had in obtaining the above information and how could you resolve these if you undertook the interviews again? For example: people wouldn’t answer your questions, your questions were not well formulated, etc. |
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How can we take action?
The purpose of this project is that it must have a positive impact on your community, whether that be your school, the community you live in or Hong Kong in general. As a team you will use your research findings to inform or support the production of the Outcome, which will involve you as a team taking some form of action.
The purpose of this project is that it must have a positive impact on your community, whether that be your school, the community you live in or Hong Kong in general. As a team you will use your research findings to inform or support the production of the Outcome, which will involve you as a team taking some form of action.
DIRECT SERVICE: When engaging in direct service, you work directly for or with people who benefit from their service. This is a very rewarding type of service as you can see the results of their service immediately and may receive positive feedback right away. Examples: helping at a senior centre, tutoring younger disadvantaged children, walking dogs at an animal shelter, serving food at a soup kitchen |
INDIRCET SERVICE: When you provide a service without being directly involved with those being served or provide service that benefits the environment or the community as a whole, it is called indirect service. Examples: planting a community garden, collecting clothes for a homeless shelter, fundraising for malaria prevention, preparing and shipping care packages to disaster relief projects |
ADVOCACY: A third type of service, advocacy, involves informing the community about the need to help solve a problem and ways to make a difference. Examples: writing letters to public officials, holding a “town hall” style meeting, writing and disseminating a public service announcement about healthy eating |
RESEARCH: You can also engage in research, or gathering and reporting on information, to benefit your community or the public interest as a type of service. Examples: conducting an cultural diversity project, testing water or soil quality of a local river, developing new products from recycled materials, conducting surveys about neighborhood recycling habits |
TASK: Linking action to community?
Go back to your mind-map and now circle the communities and the needs that your group might want to take action on based on the types of action highlighted above. Once you have completed this, take a photograph of their mind map and add this to their process journal. Part 1: From the communities and needs that you have identified in the previous task each team member should take one that you would like to take action on for your community project. In your process journal answer the questions opposite in relation to your your chosen community/ need. |
Part 2: From the chosen community that you have just analysed the 5Ws on, create a spider diagram with your community & need outlined in the centre. Using the websites below to brainstorm ways in which you might take action (the goal) to help this community.
Part 3: Each team mate should now present to the group their chosen community and its need in relation to the 5Ws. You should highlight possible ways of taking action. Students listening should then offer further ways they might take action to support the need.
- 366 Community Service Ideas for students
- 129 Great Examples of Community Service Projects
- 60 Ways to Better Your Community: Ideas for Community Service Projects: How Can I Help?
- 41 Inspiring Examples of Social Innovation
- The 10 Campaigns Helping Save Our Planet Most
Part 3: Each team mate should now present to the group their chosen community and its need in relation to the 5Ws. You should highlight possible ways of taking action. Students listening should then offer further ways they might take action to support the need.
Taking action within the Global Context
What is a Global Context? By linking your project with one of the global contexts opposite, it will help provide you with a context for inquiry and research. The global contexts help you answer the following questions:
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TASK: In order to identify the most relevant and purposeful global context for your Community Project you need to explore the possibilities of all six of the global contexts. Using the Global Context Lens model, place the Community you are serving and the action/goal that you are thinking of undertaking within the context of each of the global contexts.
Lesson 4 - Which community will you focus on?
Starter: On Friday 15 March students around the world took a stand against climate change. While this is one way of taking action (advocacy). How else might you take action within your local community to support this need? Your group has 5 minutes to come up with as many ideas as possible
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What is a Global Context and by linking your project to one of these how will it help you?
Review the Global Context Lens model that you did last lesson. You should now be in a position to start to finalise your project in terms of the following:
Review the Global Context Lens model that you did last lesson. You should now be in a position to start to finalise your project in terms of the following:
- A Goal/Action
- A Need
- A Community
- A Global Context
TASK: Making Personal Connections
Take your Plan A idea for the community project. The next step of your investigation is to state how this choice of Community Project is based on personal interest. We always learn best when what we are inquiring into is important to us.
In your process journal explain how your Community Project is based on a personal interest. You can refer to past experiences of yourself or a friend or member of your family. Or your interest can simply be something you have heard about via social media, the news, conversations, etc.
Task: Sharing your ideas
You are now going to present to the class your proposed idea for your community project. To get you message across you are going to produce a set of Google Slides that outline the below. However, you can ONLY use one image per point and no words to explain your project, so choose your images carefully.
Take your Plan A idea for the community project. The next step of your investigation is to state how this choice of Community Project is based on personal interest. We always learn best when what we are inquiring into is important to us.
In your process journal explain how your Community Project is based on a personal interest. You can refer to past experiences of yourself or a friend or member of your family. Or your interest can simply be something you have heard about via social media, the news, conversations, etc.
Task: Sharing your ideas
You are now going to present to the class your proposed idea for your community project. To get you message across you are going to produce a set of Google Slides that outline the below. However, you can ONLY use one image per point and no words to explain your project, so choose your images carefully.
- what community you will be serving?
- the need within that community you will be meeting?
- what type of action you will be undertaking to serve this need?
- what global context you have chosen for your Community Project and why?
- how this goal is based on your personal interests.
Identifying Prior Learning
Once you have confirmed your goal brief with your teacher, you can move forward with the next part of the investigation. Identify prior learning and subject specific knowledge that will help you achieve your goal. Think about the skills and knowledge you already have from ECAs, independent research and the skills and essential elements of what you have learnt in your subject areas and beyond the school that will contribute to the completion of your Community Project. |
What skills do you think are going to be important in order to successfully complete the community project? Review the Service Learning Cycle opposite and also the skills that you identified that you have in the personal inventory that you wrote in lesson one. Use this link to support you.
TASK: In your process journals you need to explain in detail the following:
TASK: In your process journals you need to explain in detail the following:
- What prior learning do you have that will help you complete your Community Project?
- What skills and knowledge from your prior learning can you use to help you complete your Community Project? Be explicit in just how this will help you.
Lesson 5 - The Investigation Process - Part 1
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TASK: Breaking News!
You have five minutes to identify the top stories that are hitting the world headlines today. You will need to report back to the class with what you feel are the most interesting stories! TASK: Map My Issue You will now spend some time as a group mapping out your topic/issue in order to help you identify the areas of research that you will need to focus on. Using the knowledge that you currently have copy and paste the ‘map the issue template’ into your process journal and complete it to the best of your ability. |
TASK: What information do you need to find?
Using the ‘map my issue’ from the last task, you need to identify questions that they feel need to be answered through your research in order that you have an in-depth understanding of the topic. These could be factual, conceptual or debatable questions (see below)
Using the ‘map my issue’ from the last task, you need to identify questions that they feel need to be answered through your research in order that you have an in-depth understanding of the topic. These could be factual, conceptual or debatable questions (see below)
Factual |
Conceptual |
Debateable |
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Perspectives
You must also ensure that your have investigated your issue/topic from a variety of perspectives. These can be at a global, a national and a local perspective.
Based on the above, add further questions to they process journal that will ensure they have investigated the issue from a global, a national and a local perspective.
You must also ensure that your have investigated your issue/topic from a variety of perspectives. These can be at a global, a national and a local perspective.
- GLOBAL: These are the views that are generally agreed upon by the majority of people around the world and voiced by large organisations that span across borders e.g. United Nations (UN), World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization (WHO), World Trade Organization (WTO), etc.
- NATIONAL: The is a perspective of a particular country on an issue. Not all countries will have the same views or opinions. e.g. USA, China, Great Britain, South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, etc
- LOCAL: This is the perspective of a local community, this could be a state, city, town, small village or even an individual person. This could be anything from a local NGO, a retail organisation to your gran or your aunty.
Based on the above, add further questions to they process journal that will ensure they have investigated the issue from a global, a national and a local perspective.
TASK: Researching the issue
It is important that you keep a log in your process journal of all the primary and secondary sources that you use to help you with your investigation. Find two sources that offer an opinion on your topic/issue from a global, a national and a local perspective and add evidence that you find to your process journal
What is evidence?
It is important that you keep a log in your process journal of all the primary and secondary sources that you use to help you with your investigation. Find two sources that offer an opinion on your topic/issue from a global, a national and a local perspective and add evidence that you find to your process journal
What is evidence?
Ensure that the sources that you just identified reliable by using the CRAAP method. It is essential that we understand how reliable our sources are. Can the author be trusted? Are they offering Fact or opinion? Might they have a biased point of view or a vested interest?
Lesson 6 - The Investigation Process - Part 2
TASK: Pitch your Project!
You have three minutes to prepare a 30 second pitch to the class around what your project might focus on. Remember to review your Goal, Need, Community and Global Context. Finding Focus within the Need Last lesson you did some preliminary research around your topic. In order to make your research more focused you will now develop a research question. |
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Developing a Research Question
Step 1 - Based on the research that you have done so far identify a couple possible areas of study that your team would like to potentially explore further. Then describe your topic of interest in one sentence:
I want to learn about _____________.
Examples:
Step 2 - Try to describe your research by developing a sentence that specifies something about your topic.
I am studying _____because I want to find out (who, what, when, where, whether, why or how) ______.
Examples:
Step 3 - Convert your direct statements into direct questions:
For this let us use three question starters:
Examples:
BEFORE: I am studying recycling practices in our school because I want to find out how we can get students reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill.
AFTER: To what extent are recycling practices used in a school environment in order that students effectively reduce the amount of waste going to landfill?
Step 1 - Based on the research that you have done so far identify a couple possible areas of study that your team would like to potentially explore further. Then describe your topic of interest in one sentence:
I want to learn about _____________.
Examples:
- I want to learn about poverty in Hong Kong.
- I want to learn about recycling practices in our school
- I want to learn about food quality in our school canteen
Step 2 - Try to describe your research by developing a sentence that specifies something about your topic.
I am studying _____because I want to find out (who, what, when, where, whether, why or how) ______.
Examples:
- I am studying poverty in Hong Kong because I want to find out why so many people live below the poverty line in such a developed country.
- I am studying recycling practices in our school because I want to find out how we can get students to recycle more.
- I am studying the food quality of our school canteen because I want to find out whether the ingredients they use are sustainable.
Step 3 - Convert your direct statements into direct questions:
For this let us use three question starters:
- To what extent…(the most popular across beginner researchers)
- How (successful/crucial/reliable/significant/far)...
- Why…
Examples:
BEFORE: I am studying recycling practices in our school because I want to find out how we can get students reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill.
AFTER: To what extent are recycling practices used in a school environment in order that students effectively reduce the amount of waste going to landfill?