HOMELESS SENSITIVITY AWARENESS EDUCATION LESSON PLAN 1 Grades 9-12 Inquiry Question: How can students understand the causes of homelessness and help homeless families through art activities? Lesson Title: Description: Objective: Art against Homelessness This lesson will allow students to produce and exhibit websites, videos and graphic arts to explore causes and solutions for homelessness. The student will be able to: Identify visual or aural techniques used in a media message for a teen audience. Create media presentations that effectively use graphics, images, and/or sound to present a distinct point of view on a homelessness topic. Apply establish criteria for assessing effectiveness of presentation, style, and content of films and other forms of electronic communication. Student Development Framework Standards and Benchmarks: Benchmark PS 4.2 Demonstrate respect and tolerance for cultural, ethnic, and human diversity. Benchmark HD 5.1 Describe ways in which the media, technology, and other sources provide information about health. FCAT Benchmarks: LA.B.4.3 VA.C.4.2 SS.A.4.2 Organizes information and writes fluently for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purposes Recognize the impact of computer technology. Design and implement a community service project. Accommodations: Visual arts and instructional technology classroom settings are recommended accommodations for this specific lesson. Instructional Time: Five class periods, 1 hour blocks. Instructional Materials: Handout: Art Against Homeless Student Questionnaire Homeless Coalition DVD/CD DVD player Handout: Art Against Homeless Rubric 109
Vocabulary: Homelessness Mural Collaboration Social activist Multimedia Shelter Quilt Craftsmanship Rubric Reflections Springboard: Encourage the students to respond to the following question to initiate classroom discussion: Why do you think that some children are homeless? Using the whiteboard, list student responses. Discuss causes and possible solutions for homelessness amongst children based upon local, state, and national statistical data researched prior to the lesson. Instructional Lesson: Activity 1 Show the Homeless Coalition DVD/CD to all students and encourage students to express thoughts and feelings associated with it. Activity 2 Create a mural for a community homeless children s holiday party. Activity 3 Plan a homelessness conference with school and community leaders to discuss causes and possible solutions for homelessness amongst city youth. Activity 4 Allow students to produce visual art, creative writing, poetry, and photographs to express, reflect and assess homelessness. Student essays will be completed and submitted for entry to the Essay Contest. Assessments: Students respond to Handout: Art Against Homeless Student questionnaire during the actual lesson. Students will use the rubric to self-evaluate graphic arts/creative writing/poetry, etc. Students will complete reflections essay following completion of the lesson. Students classroom participation. Students homelessness conference will be assessed. Students mural will be assessed. Follow-Up Activities/Home Learning/Parent: Students may arrange dates and visits to a homeless shelter. Students and parents can design a quilt and donate it to a homeless shelter. 110
Students can create a video showing them as social activists in the community. Students can research local homelessness issues and write a report about it. 111
Art Against Homelessness Questionnaire Name Date Period Please respond to today's lesson plan. Have you found today s activities to be meaningful? How? (Be specific) What Social Action Steps regarding homelessness would you like to implement? What Art forms will you select to communicate your message? How will you use today's information to enhance your own message? What support will you need from your teachers and classmates? What materials will you need? (use reverse if necessary) 112
Art Against Homelessness Rubric Name Date Period Have your attitudes changed since the beginning of the lesson? How have they changed? Why? Why not? How is your present attitude reflected in your work? What images did you use to convey your ideas? What materials did you use to convey your ideas? On a scale of 1 to 4, 4 being the highest, how do you rate yourself in these areas? Content/ Main Idea Content does not relate to issues of homelessness Content is unclear Content is related to topic Content is direct and helps others understand Design Information is disorganized and unrelated Information is related to topic but does not have a focus that draws the audience Work has a good design and is related topic Work has original ideas related to the topic and draws audience because it arouses curiosity Craftsmanship Work was poorly put together and shows that a lot of class time was wasted Work is o.k., but student did not explore a wide range of possibilities Work looks good Work is terrific and shows that student put care, thought, time, and enthusiasm into it 113