High Quality Work Claim One
Students have grown in their ability to create work that demonstrates complexity, authenticity, and craftsmanship.
Introduction
At Meadow Glen Middle we believe that students academically grow the most when they are challenged with challenging and relevant tasks. When these complex tasks have a wider purpose and audience, students are truly able shine and make a difference in their school and community. As such, children will experience a variety of learning tasks that help them to make the connection between curriculum, standards, skills, and their lives outside of school.
Evidence Block One: "Take a Stand" Expedition Growth Over Time In the "Take a Stand" expedition, eighth grade students begin by identifying a community issue on which they would like to take a stand. Students then engage in rigorous thinking, reading, writing, and speaking as they research the problem, prepare a plan, and implement action steps for their selected community issue. As part of their research process, students access a variety of professional texts about their topic and engage in data analysis in order to determine if there is a real need for change. Later students use this same information to inform their possible plan of action to affect change in policy, practice, or community understanding. We are proud that in this expedition our eighth graders learn how to safely and effectively advocate for possible solutions to problems occurring in our community. Like other work our students produce, the “Take a Stand” expedition has been revised and refined over the last three years. As a result, it has grown in all three facets of high quality work. In fact, we have seen particular growth in the area of authenticity over time as evidenced by the samples of final products from each year located below. |
Take A Stand Expedition - 2015-2016
In our first year of implementation, the students focused on researching a topic of choice and developing literary art pieces, either a found poem or a spoken word presentation. The students’ products focused on making the community aware of the problem rather than making taking action around the problem in this rendition of the expedition. The audience for the literary art pieces included community members, parents, and school and district staff. As described previously, students were allowed to pick a topic of choice, which included subjects like bullying, equality in sports for girls, and human trafficking. Students were then given time in CREW and core content classes to research their problem and to develop their “awareness art.” Below you will see examples of the final pieces students produced based on their research. |
Take A Stand Expedition - 2016-2017
During the 2016-2017 school year, students continued to have a choice in the topic; however, the product moved from solely making the community aware of the issue to focusing on action. In many cases, students worked to advocate for changes in local and even state policy or practice around their identified problem. During this rendition, students researched and took action on a variety of problems like local deforestation, unequal funding of schools across our county, police and community relations, and lack mental health resources for incarcerated teens. Students again conducted the research and action planning during CREW and core content classes. All student projects were highlighted at the local “Kids Day of Lexington” in Lexington, SC. This yearly event is free for families of Lexington County, and it is intended to educate our local families about issues of health, safety, and environmental awareness. At this event student expedition teams hosted booths where they presented their research, plans of action, and results to the community at large. In addition to “Kids Day of Lexington” a number of our groups were hosted at local and state boards to present their problem, findings, and possible solutions. Below you will see an example of one expedition team’s work to advocate for mental health access for incarcerated teens at the South Carolina State Mental Health Board as well as the Celebration of Learning presentation highlighting multiple projects conducted during the 2016-2017 school year.
During the 2016-2017 school year, students continued to have a choice in the topic; however, the product moved from solely making the community aware of the issue to focusing on action. In many cases, students worked to advocate for changes in local and even state policy or practice around their identified problem. During this rendition, students researched and took action on a variety of problems like local deforestation, unequal funding of schools across our county, police and community relations, and lack mental health resources for incarcerated teens. Students again conducted the research and action planning during CREW and core content classes. All student projects were highlighted at the local “Kids Day of Lexington” in Lexington, SC. This yearly event is free for families of Lexington County, and it is intended to educate our local families about issues of health, safety, and environmental awareness. At this event student expedition teams hosted booths where they presented their research, plans of action, and results to the community at large. In addition to “Kids Day of Lexington” a number of our groups were hosted at local and state boards to present their problem, findings, and possible solutions. Below you will see an example of one expedition team’s work to advocate for mental health access for incarcerated teens at the South Carolina State Mental Health Board as well as the Celebration of Learning presentation highlighting multiple projects conducted during the 2016-2017 school year.
Presentation to the Mental Health Board
Celebration of Learning Presentation 2017
Take A Stand Expedition - 2017-2018
Like in the previous year, students’ moved beyond making the community aware to focusing on advocacy and action. Students again selected a community problem to research, which led to a plan for action steps. To prepare students for their authentic audiences a Celebration of Learning was hosted much earlier in the second semester, and parents, community members, and school and district officials visited with expedition teams to give students kind, helpful, and specific feedback about their presentations. Students then hosted booths at the “Kid’s Day of Lexington” during the spring of 2018. In addition to the Kid’s Day presentations, some expedition teams participated a variety of other action steps, including preparing school-wide CREW lessons around adolescent mental health and passing out information bags about human trafficking occurring in our local community. The evidence below highlights the Celebration of Learning Feedback as well as final actions conducted by by two of our student groups this year.
Like in the previous year, students’ moved beyond making the community aware to focusing on advocacy and action. Students again selected a community problem to research, which led to a plan for action steps. To prepare students for their authentic audiences a Celebration of Learning was hosted much earlier in the second semester, and parents, community members, and school and district officials visited with expedition teams to give students kind, helpful, and specific feedback about their presentations. Students then hosted booths at the “Kid’s Day of Lexington” during the spring of 2018. In addition to the Kid’s Day presentations, some expedition teams participated a variety of other action steps, including preparing school-wide CREW lessons around adolescent mental health and passing out information bags about human trafficking occurring in our local community. The evidence below highlights the Celebration of Learning Feedback as well as final actions conducted by by two of our student groups this year.
Parents provided students to feedback prior to public presentations Click for more examples of parent feedback
CREW at South Carolina State House Images - Human Trafficking Information Bags
Student created CREW Lesson for Mental Health Awareness Week
Evidence Block Two: Case Study Samples
These two case study examples show our efforts to help children produce high quality products through writing. Both had a specific, authentic audience and have been highlighted on the EL Education Models of Excellence website. Both products highlight how thoughtful, authentic student work can produce a strong bond between our school and the community.
Sample One - "Bienvenidos a Meadow Glen Middle" Magazine
The Spanish Welcome to MGM magazine is a resource we provide to incoming Spanish speaking families about our community. Prior to creating the Welcome magazine, students discovered the history of immigration in the United States. As a result of this study, the students identified that there was a lack of resources for students immigrating to our area. In addition, students specifically wished to create a Spanish language document that would help Spanish-speaking students feel more welcome in our school and community. Students collaboratively wrote and illustrated articles around activities, hobbies, restaurants, and stores; and these articles were collated and professionally published.
Sample Two: Choice to Serve Products
The Choice to Serve case study has undergone multiple revisions over time. We are choosing to highlight this work because of the impact it made on our students as well as our community. In CREWs student groups were tasked with interviewing a local veteran about his or her experiences in the Armed Services. To prepare for the interviews and writing process, students met with marketing and television production experts in order to understand how to create their final products. During the 2014-2015 school year, students in the seventh grade created video biographies of the veteran’s experiences. In this rendition, students prepared for and conducted an interview, created a transcript of the interview, and produced a film which was electronically published and given to the veteran experts. The 2016-2017 class were tasked with creating a magazine spread about the veteran’s service experiences. The spread included a biographical story of the veteran’s work as well as historical information about the conflict in which the veteran participated. In 2017-2018 our students have begun the interview process and are working towards creating another magazine for publication.
2014 - 2015 Products
|
|
2016-2017 Product and Process Picture
2017-2018 Process Pictures