| Body | This activity was created for intermediate high and advanced low students enrolled in a hybrid online language course. It is included to show a cross-curricular activity with clear connections to history courses that could be part of a PBL experience based on the Civil Rights Movement.
Learning Objectives: Learners will be able to:
- Read a historical article or blog to understand the context for modern-day issues
- Discuss facts of historical significance
- Demonstrate understanding of objective and subjective language
Modes: Interpretive Reading, Interpersonal Speaking, Presentational Speaking
Materials Needed: Historical article about issues related to race in the local community, Thematic axis handout
Procedure:
- After introducing learners to issues related to race in their communities, provide them with an article about the historical context of said issues that is similar to http://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/index.ssf/2014/02/black_history_month_oregons_ex.html. Give them a homework assignment to summarize the importance or relevance of key personas, dates, and terms as they relate to issues related to race.
- The next day in class, students will form pairs and will debate and discuss (either verbally or with synchronous chat) where the terms that they researched belong on a thematic axis using the thematic axis handout (for hybrid courses, the learners must replicate this axis on www.mind42.com or another online source that allows for synchronous collaboration). For this particular activity, the y-axis is a progression from racism to tolerance, and the x-axis is a progression from segregation to integration. For example, if learners deem a particular term to positively impact integration more than another term, it should be placed farther to the right on the x-axis. Remember to remind learners that it is important that they support their objective opinions with subjective information from the article as they debate.
- Next, learners should review common ways to convey objectivity or subjectivity in the language that they are learning to review some of the techniques that the employed in Step 2 and to learn about new techniques. This review can come from a lecture or outside research. A resource such as “Objective Language: Writing Center Learning Guide” (https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_objectiveLanguage.pdf) is a good place to start.
- After that, learners must work to explain (in either a written or spoken format) why they chose to place 5-10 of their terms in their specific location on the axis. For example, they should explain why they think one term has/had a larger impact on integration than another. They should be intentional about incorporating some of the objective and subjective language techniques that they learned about.
- Finally, learners should reflect on how well they were able to employ the aforementioned techniques when they discussed facts of historical significance and set a goal for future use of subjective and objective language. They should record this reflection in a reflection journal or an exit ticket.
Notes: This activity is introductory in nature but could easily be adapted to be a review at the end of a unit of study. Also, this activity incorporates Place-Based Learning. This is the reason that it is focused on the local community. Educators may wish to conduct a follow-up activity in which learners compare and contrast the Civil Rights Movement locally with similar movements abroad.
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