Connecting Courage ~ Community ~ Computer

  Big Picture
Students design, construct and maintain a
web site that contains their own stories of courage and highlights their involvement in community service learning. This project integrates learning, gives real world application to curriculum, and provides students technology skills they will use
in their work.
 
Details

Language Arts, Social Studies, Technology
Grades 6-8
 
Highlights

Students read recommended literature reflecting the theme of courage and attend an assembly where friends and family describe the courage of Max Warburg, a local boy who died from leukemia. Exploring examples of courage in their own lives, they:
Hold class discussions.
Write essays.
Maintain a Courage Connection Web Site.
 
Create community service projects reflecting their own interests and causes.
Investigating and describing the many faces of courage, students form cooperative task forces and divide responsibility for each project aspect i.e., web building, writing and editing, and working with outside community service agencies.
Lisa Vasallo

Teacher Profile

Lisa is a bilingual social studies teacher at Timilty Middle School, a BPS Lead Teacher, and a MetroLINC Technology Pioneer. Her honors include the Boston Private Industry Council 1998 Achiever of the Year Award, Mass. Environmental Affairs Secretary's Award for Excellence in Environmental Education, and The James P. Timilty Middle School Pillar of Strength Award.

Books and Materials

Tales of Courage, Tales of Dreams: A Multicultural Reader
by John Mundahl

Technology Tools

Computers, digital camera, scanner,
AV equipment, Microsoft Publisher,
Internet

 

Special #1
Scavenger Hunt

Special #2

Tell Me a Story of Courage

Special #3

Courage in My Life
Value
This project works because it is student run and student centered. As these champions of courage contribute to local organizations and see their work on-line, they appreciate the power of Internet feedback from their community and around the world.