Community Experience Project 2008-2009

Humanities 7

A seventh grade focus this year will be “community.”  We will be talking about community and then experiencing our community.  Students will investigate what is available in their community by attending cultural events, and going on field trips.  Students will learn how individuals can become involved in their community through interviewing a person who volunteers in the community about his/her work.  In addition, each student will be expected to become involved in some volunteer service to the community.

In order to expand your sense of community and your cultural experiences beyond the classroom, I am asking you to attend a variety of cultural events offered in the Issaquah and greater Seattle area.  Since we want you to try new experiences, some of these will be events that you may not normally attend on your own.  Appropriate cultural events might include: both professional and amateur orchestra, choir, or chamber music concerts, theater productions, and recitals; poetry readings; book readings at book stores; museums dealing with concepts such as art, history, music and science fiction (i.e. Seattle Art Museum, Museum of History and Industry, Experience Music Project); and cultural fair performances. Check with me if you are not sure whether a cultural event (or community service activity) will qualify.  Share your ideas with others!  School concerts and drama productions that you are directly involved in may only count for one of these for the year.  Although many of these events charge admission, there are many free opportunities.   In addition cultural performance type programs are often broadcast on public television stations like KCTS Channel 9.  You may use only one public television performance program for the year.  We have already scheduled an author visit for this year.  This presentation could  be used for one or your cultural event write-ups.

Try something new!  Try not to attend plays, ballets, ethnic & cultural events that you have already attended in the past.  Museums, however, may have new and interesting exhibits.  Events that will not be give credit for Cultural Events:  sporting events, rock concerts, weddings, current movies, ethnic restaurants and Salmon Days (volunteering for this event can count toward service hours).

5 Cultural Events (50 points each)

Plan to attend two different kinds of events each trimester.  You will be expected to turn in a written reaction to these experiences.

The Due Dates for Cultural Events are as follows:

Trimester 1    Event #1:  Wed. October 22, 2008    Event #2:  Wed. November 19, 2008

Trimester 2    Event #3:  Wed. January 14, 2009    Event #4:  Wed. March 4, 2009

Trimester 3    Event #5:  Wed. April 15, 2009         

Your written responses will be graded on the following criteria:

SAVE your written responses for your culminating project. SAVE brochures, flyers, programs, tickets, etc. to include in your scrapbook or culminating project.

Interview of Community Volunteer (75 points)

A second way of looking into our community will be through an interview of someone who volunteers their time.   Please interview someone outside of your family. You must have at least five open-ended questions approved by me prior to the interview. This will be worth 15 points and due on Friday, January 9, 2009. One example would be: ”What responsibilities do you take on to provide a service to our community?”  I will expect to see at least three additional follow-up questions in your interview responses. This interview will be included in your culminating project. Take or request a picture of the person you interviewed to include with your write-up. This community service provider interview will be due Thurs. February 12, 2009.

The interview will be graded on the following criteria:

Community Volunteer Experience (100 points)

In addition to seeing what is there in the community for you, I will expect you to give some form of service to the community.  This might involve serving on a community committee or board, working at the food bank, joining the Adopt-A-Trail program, volunteering at your place of worship, stenciling sewer drains to protect the salmon, making visits to nursing home or retirement community residents (i.e. Providence Point), or creating your own community service project.  This is just a short list of suggestions.  Choose your own activity to get involved in.  Note:  working for your parents or babysitting will not earn you hours.  The key word to keep in mind is community – does it serve a larger group of people, such as a neighborhood, a charity or your city?  It should be a minimum of twelve (12) hours.  Don’t procrastinate.  Plan to complete at least four hours each trimester.  For ideas on local service options, please see the “Where to Care” books in the classroom, and check the Community Experience Bulletin Board for ideas.  A written account of your volunteer experiences for your culminating project will be due May 20, 2009.

Community Experience Culminating Project (50 points)

You will be expected to document your community volunteer experiences, interview of a community service provider, and cultural events in your project. Projects may be displayed the night of an evening chorus, band or orchestra performance in June (to be decided at a later date).  Projects will be due for grading Friday, May 29, 2009.