Service Learning Project
The Goal
The goal of this project is to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to make positive and enduring change in their communities.
Basic Requirements
- Service Learning Component – this is not simply volunteerism, you must work with a community partner, you must provide a service to your community, and you must reflect on your learning in your Service Learning Log (your Google doc.)
- Social Justice Component – you must attempt to make positive and enduring changes in your community
- Team Leadership Component – you must demonstrate leadership skills on at least one project
- Time Requirement – you must invest a minimum of 20 hours on this project (to earn up to a C) each semester. Expect on spending 30-40 hours to earn a B or an A. Up to 10 hours of class time can be counted.
Overall Assessment Rubric
Criteria |
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4
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Your project met the stated goals and led to positive and enduring change in society | You consistently exhibited positive mental attitudes, productive behaviors, and effective habits of mind including:-Productive (self-motivated) -Patient -Persistent -Professional -Others? |
You developed and documented many useful skills such as:-Leadership & Management -Communication (written, spoken, or visual) -Literacy (ability to learn through text, listening, or viewing) -Others? |
You gained a exceptional amount of knowledge or understanding about:-Your topic -Yourself -Your society -How to make change -How to work together |
-You invested and documented 35+ hours on this project-You demonstrated significant progress with all four check-ins-All work was clearly documented and meticulously organized in your portfolio (Google doc) |
3
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Your project met the stated goals and led to positive change in society. Or, if the project was not fully successful you demonstrated a solid understanding of how it could be more successful in the future | You generally exhibited positive mental attitudes, productive behaviors, and effective habits of mind including:-Productive (self-motivated) -Patient -Persistent -Professional -Others? |
You developed and documented some useful skills such as:-Leadership & Management -Communication (written, spoken, or visual) -Literacy (ability to learn through text, listening, or viewing) -Others? |
You gained a significant amount of knowledge or understanding about:-Your topic-Yourself -Your society -How to make change -How to work together |
-You invested and documented 25+ hours on this project-You demonstrated consistent progress with all four check-ins-All work was clearly documented in your portfolio (Google doc) |
2
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Your project met at least some of the stated goals and may have led to some change in society, but the change may have been relatively minor or short-term. You had some ideas how to improve the project in the future. | You sometimes exhibited positive mental attitudes, productive behaviors, and effective habits of mind including:-Productive (self-motivated) -Patient -Persistent -Professional -Others? |
You developed and documented some useful skills such as:- Leadership & Management -Communication (written, spoken, or visual) -Literacy (ability to learn through text, listening, or viewing) -Others? |
You gained some knowledge or understanding about:-Your topic -Yourself -Your society -How to make change -How to work together |
-You invested and documented 15+ hours on this project-You demonstrated some progress during check-ins-Most work was documented in your portfolio (Google doc) |
1
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Your project may not have met the stated goals, but an attempt was made. You have some ideas on how the project could be more successful in the future. | You exhibited some positive mental attitudes, productive behaviors, and effective habits of mind including:-Productive (self-motivated) -Patient -Persistent -Professional -Others? |
You demonstrated some useful skills such as:- Leadership & Management -Communication (written, spoken, or visual) -Literacy (ability to learn through text, listening, or viewing) -Others? |
You gained at least a cursory level of knowledge or understanding about:-Your topic -Yourself -Your society -How to make change -How to work together |
-You invested and documented 10+ hours on this project-You demonstrated some progress during at least one check-in-Some work was documented in your portfolio (Google doc) |
How will you be graded?
380-400 Points = A+ 340-380 Points = A 320-340 Points = A- 300-320 Points = B+ 260-300 Points = B 240-260 Points = B- 220-240 Points = C+ 200-220 Points = C 180-200 Points = C- 160-180 Points = D 150 or Less Points = F or Incomplete
Project Check-ins
Challenge #1 – Project Logistics
Due: Thursday, October 10, 2013
Purpose:
Logistics refers to how you plan on managing the flow of information and resources for a particular project. The purpose of this challenge is to create a way for you and I to communicate digitally about your project in order to keep track of what you are doing on your project(s) throughout the year.
Directions:
- Create a Google Folder, rename it ‘Last Name, First Name – CSC’, then share it with me at mhenchen@wwsu.org
- Create a Google Document in the shared folder you just created, rename it ‘Service Learning Project Ideas’
- Start brainstorming possible project ideas on that Google Document- remember the goal is to create positive and enduring change in your community (your community can be large or small)
| Criteria | Grading Scale | ||||
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| COM.9-12.1.18Students use computers, telecommunications, and other tools of technology to research, to gather information and ideas, and to represent information and ideas accurately and appropriately. |
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Total pts: 4
Challenge #2 – Designing your Project
Due: Friday, October 11, 2013 at 11:59 pm
Purpose:
The purpose of this challenge is to brainstorm possible ideas for projects, choose a project you are passionate about, find other team leaders for the project, and then begin planning.
Directions:
- Group Brainstorming: SHARE the ideas you developed in Challenge #1 with the rest of the class and LISTEN to other idea. Click here to see the list that was created of possible project ideas
- Chat with classmates (in person or in the shared discussion forum) and form project groups by identifying team leaders for each project. (Note: you may also work on a project by yourself)
- Identify a ‘Project Manager’ for each group and begin setting up logistics for the project.
How to set-up logistics for each project (the Project Manager is responsible for this):
- Create a Google Folder and label it with the name of your project
- Share the Project Folder with me (mhenchen@wwsu.org) and with every other member in your team.
- Create a Google Document in your shared project folder and label it ‘Project Organizer’
- Copy the template located here, onto your Project Organizer document.
- Fill out the Project Organizer completely – this is how you will plan your project, assign roles and responsibilities and keep me regularly updated on progress.
Posted Wed Oct 9, 2013 at 11:14 am
| Criteria | Grading Scale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COM.9-12.1.18Students use computers, telecommunications, and other tools of technology to research, to gather information and ideas, and to represent information and ideas accurately and appropriately. |
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Total pts: 4
Challenge #3 – Keeping Track of Your Progress
Due: Friday, October 11, 2013 at 11:59 pm
Purpose:
The purpose of this challenge is to help you set up a system that will allow you to keep track of your learning throughout the service learning project.
Directions:
- Create another Google Document in your personal service learning folder and rename it ‘Last Name – Service Learning Log’
- Copy the template located here and paste it on your document
- If you have done any work so far, take a few minutes to jot down what you have done and what you have learned.
Posted Wed Oct 9, 2013 at 11:01 am
| Criteria | Grading Scale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COM.9-12.1.18Students use computers, telecommunications, and other tools of technology to research, to gather information and ideas, and to represent information and ideas accurately and appropriately. |
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Total pts: 4
Projects Underway
- ‘Highlander Eggs’ – provide local organic eggs to the Harwood community
- ‘Highlander Greens’ – provide local organic produce to the Harwood community
- ‘Energy Efficiency’ – increase energy efficiency of local community
- ‘WHSN – Highlander Student News’ – raise awareness of social issues and provide possible solutions
- Public Service Announcements
- ‘Letting Wilderness be our Guide’ – encourage greater environmental stewardship by getting students closer to nature
- ‘Reducing Plastic Consumption in Schools’ – reducing our dependence on imported water and plastics
- ‘Food Security in our Local Communities’ – Reducing hunger in our local community
- ‘Sustainably Sweet’ – What impact is global warming having on the future of Maple Sugaring in Vermont?
- ‘Hobo-Huts’ – Designing and building energy efficient transient housing
- ‘Highlander Hydroponics’ – provide local organic produce to the Harwood community
- ‘Saving the Rink’ – promoting health and wellness and expanding opportunities for recreation
- ‘Keeping Kids Safe’ – a media project designed to raise awareness about issues of safety in our community for area youth
Why New School Civics?
Blogger: Matt Henchen
