Be the change
Learning Sequence 7
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Introduction
This week we will work with your students to empower them to be able to record a short and meaningful pitch video to a local organisation asking for assistance and support!.
The video will involve the children talking about their purpose and the group’s mission.
Secondly, we will show them how they can use their branding, logo and key values from last week to design their very own T-shirt. When they have created their T-shirt, they can use it in many ways to get their message to the world!
This week focuses on choice, independence, and creativity for all of the students involved.
This week we want you to be extremely creative, and become a designer!
Now you understand your key message and your values as a group. It’s time to think about different ways in which you can send this out to the wider community, and this week we’re going to do just that.
Firstly, we’re going to ask you to record a short video, which you will then edit and send out to an organisation in your local community. The video will persuade the organisation to help you in your mission of achieving all twelve of the actions underneath your SDG.
Secondly, we’re going to show you how you can use your quote from last week to design your very own T-shirt. This T-shirt can then be sold to your community and your team to help raise money for your chosen charity organisation.
This week is a very, very important week indeed, but it’s one where you will need to be extremely creative.
Weekly Keywords
Introduce the spelling word list and choose from this list of tasks that can be repeated and expanded upon if necessary.
Copy the words into a spelling list/Vocabulary book for later reference.
Put each of the new words into a sentence and underline the new vocabulary in red pencil
Place the words in alphabetical order in a list.
Use a dictionary to define each of the words and place them into a vocabulary book.
Try to represent each of the words using a picture or a symbol and play the guessing game. (which image is matched to which word)
Write a paragraph containing all of the new vocabulary.
Make a vocabulary wall containing all of the new words.
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words and create a synonym list.
These words will help you during this week’s lesson. You may already know some of these words however practice makes perfect!
First, read the words and then try to define them as simply as possible.
An example has been completed for you. You can write these into your books, and draw a picture to match or simply complete the task card.
Watch and Discuss - ‘Weekly Warm-Up Activity'
Each week we will read the book ‘Be the Change’ together as a class and answer a series of comprehension questions based on the changemaker we have just talked about.
The questions will be in the form of literal, inferential and applied questions with added research questions for children to conduct further research once the lesson is completed.
This will give the children insights into how. Changemakers in history have engaged with the world when attempting to make significant differences in the lives of the people, animals, insects and organisms on this planet to make it a better place.
Please read pages fourteen and fifteen based on the life of Thomas Edison and answer the following questions.
In which country was Thomas Edison born?
How did Thomas Edison become a Telegraph operator?
What did he become extremely interested in?
What is a patent?
What was the reason Thomas had lots and lots of people working on his projects?
What were two of Thomas Edison’s biggest inventions?
General Electric was one of Thomas Edison’s companies. What do they do today and how much are they worth?
What can we learn from Thomas Edison’s life?
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Check Your Goals!
Teachers may wish to invite certain group speakers or leaders to join the rest of the class and reflect upon any actions they are finding difficult and offer support from other groups who may wish to assist.
Reflection, asking for help and communication is a core aspects of teamwork and collaboration, and during week eight we want students to reach out to other groups if they are finding some of the actions more difficult than others.
During this activity, we would like you to sit down with your group of changemakers take out your activity task card and think about which of the actions you actually achieved.
Once you have decided that you have achieved each action place a tick next to this action, making sure that you understand what you have done to actually make this happen.
For example, if your whole community are trying harder to catch the bus cycle or walk to school, then you can place a tick next to the designated action.
You will notice that some of their actions are harder to achieve than others, and this week we are going to achieve one of those by finding an organisation that can help us out.
If you find that you still have many actions left to achieve with only a few weeks left, you may have to work extra hard over the next three weeks to tick off all twelve of your chosen actions.
Good luck.
Researching a Local Business
During this session, we are requesting the students find one action which they are finding it hard to achieve. This is an activity of reflection, adaptation, time management and organizational skills.
During this process, we want the children to work out where they can innovate by using local businesses or organizations to assist them in achieving their goals.
The first activity involves students reflecting upon their actions and the second activity will see them conducting research on organisations within their local community that may be able to help. Students will be requested to gather information such as addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
Please note: Children who are conducting research over the telephone, must only do so with parental or teacher permission and should be supervised at all times.
Now it’s time to find one of the actions which you are finding quite difficult as a group to achieve.
As you can see in my task card, there is one action which I am finding very difficult indeed and that is to get my community to eat less meat and consume more vegetables. You may have a similar problem.
Once you have decided which action is proving difficult for your group, it’s time to do some research on the Internet about companies, businesses and organizations that could potentially help you.
In my example, you can see that I need someone to promote vegetable consumption rather than meat and therefore I am going to conduct some research on local farmers who may be able to provide my community with affordable, good-quality vegetables.
Once I’ve done my research, it will be time to create a list of all the people and the email addresses of people who can help.
The next step is to find out how to contact them using a video which we are about to record.
Recording a 60-Second Video
The expectation during this activity is that the children will not complete it during an actual lesson, but will have an entire week to record over and over again until they are happy with their final edit of the video they are going to send out to the local businesses and organisations asking for assistance and support.
The above video will demonstrate to students what kind of attributes they must consider before they start recording and what to do once finish.
Once the children have edited and optimised their video, it is time for them to send it far and wide. Teachers must make sure that they have watched the videos before they are sent and also authorise their children to contact the organisations in question.
Once the videos are sent, it is then time to sit back and wait for the responses to come rolling in.
Now that you have researched a list of organisations or businesses locally that may be able to help you, it’s time to reach out to them and ask for their assistance.
But we’re not going to do this in the usual way by using a letter or an email. This week, we’re going to record a short 60-second video pitch that persuades them that they should help us.
Once complete we will send this to them and wait for their responses.
Watch this short video on how to record your very own 60-second pitch. Set up your camera, your iPad or your telephone, press the big red button and get a recording.
Remember, you may not get it right the first time, but eventually, you will get the video to look exactly as you wish.
Watch my video on how to record a good pitch video and then try as many times as you like until you get it just right!!
3 Tips When Recording Your Video
Make sure your background is not too cluttered.
Make sure that the light is shining on the face of the person talking.
Make sure you are in a quiet place where the sound of your voice can be heard clearly.
Practice many times until you are happy!
Edit and add some text, effects and images.
Sending your Video
Once you have edited your video, added some titles, maybe filters or images, it is time to send your video to the organisations you have chosen.
Before you do so, make sure that you have spoken to your teacher and have permission to send it.
SDG 11 and 12 - Weekly Round-Up!
This fun quiz will allow your students to think collectively about the natural environment and sustainability within our world.
Show the children the questions Aligned with sustainability goal numbers three and four and each week we will add this quiz to the learning sequence to build more knowledge around this topic.
This should be a fun activity with no pressure around points, scores, rankings or percentages.
The teacher is now going to show you a series of questions on the Interactive whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Your job is to try to answer the questions correctly. You can talk to the people around you to help you answer the questions.
Test your knowledge and have some fun as you try to answer these questions collectively with the people on your table or in your group. Remember, it doesn’t matter if you get anything wrong, this is purely for fun and to gain more knowledge about sustainability and protecting the environment.
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Closing Video
This week has been a very busy but very creative week. Remember that everything that you have started this week can be completed over the next two or three weeks. There is no rush. The idea is to get your message as far and wide as possible and then wait for the responses to come. You are doing an amazing job.
Keep going. Do not give up now. Determination is everything.
Ongoing Follow-Up Activities
Extension Activity - Buddy Program Week 7
This week, your students will work on graphic design, persuasive writing, persuasive text, and emotive language as they design a poster with their buddy.
Students may choose to use Canva as a design tool or pencil and paper is also a valid option, depending on the age of the child.
This week will involve students taking time, using patience and mentoring skills when it comes to graphic design, art and creative language.
This week you will need a lot of patience whilst working with your body as this week we’re going to be getting extremely creative and using the Canva platform.
If your students are finding it hard to use the canvas platform for the first time, you may wish to choose traditional pencil, paper, paints and card to get their quote illustrated decorated, unframed, and ready to be taken home. Good luck.
Extension Activity #2 - Designing a T-shirt
During this activity, the students will get to create a message in line with their chosen sustainability goals for the world. They will incorporate keywords that they are considering using, and also visuals to come up with and cultivate the perfect quote.
This activity involves collaboration, teamwork, negotiation, compromise and also editing skills.
It is important that the children realise that their quote does not have to be perfect, but the ultimate goal is to get their message across whilst using the least amount of words.
During this activity, we want to give you a chance to produce a product that could potentially sell around the world and generate profit for the charity that you have chosen and therefore change the world to make it a better place.
We want you to use your branding, your vision and your quote from last week in line with your sustainability goal for the world and design a T-shirt that you think people around the world will want to purchase and wear. Sending your message to every corner of the Earth.
Remember that once your T-shirt is complete, we’re going to ask you to upload this and share your design with the team here at Upschool.
You may love your T-shirt design so much that you want to start your own fashion label and sell copies all around the world!
Remember, keep your design simple, clear and powerful.
Creating a Class Quote Book (From Learning Sequence 6)
Here at Upschool, we want to make sure that your children have a chance to receive the real version of their book, delivered to your school or the families within your community.
If your children wish to turn their quotes into a collective book, then please follow the guidelines carefully and upload your class book to the Upschool library and let the world hear what your class has to say!!
Remember all text must be placed inside the “safe zone” and all spelling and grammar will need to be checked prior.
Thank you.
When everybody has finished creating their quotes and they are decorated beautifully, you may wish to collect all of the quote designs together and create a class book which can be uploaded to Upschool Library!
The book will be available for the world to read and may inspire people around the world to think differently about our precious planet.
Follow the guidelines opposite and once the book is ready, you can upload it directly to the Upschool library and get your voices out into the world!
Important – To create your book, one person in your class or a teacher will need to collect everyone’s quotes together and compile them all.
If you are the person in charge, please make sure you follow the checklist carefully and do not upload your book until you have 9 green ticks.
Remember that you can have several quotes on each page, but your book must be A4.
