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Unit 3 Lesson/Challenge #1

Lesson #1: Oh! The Questions We'll Ask

We will participate in activities that exercise our curiosity and strengthen our ability to collaborate.

Challenge #1: Constructing a Brave Space

What do we need in order to create a brave space for our questions and thoughts connected to topics relative to today's world? 

LESSON #1
Oh! The Questions We'll Ask 

WHY this lesson? 

Asking questions about popular culture activates intellectual curiosity. When we get to play with generating questions and searching for information, we become more confident learners. 

With this lesson, we'll discover the power of generating questions and promoting reflections on the inquiry process in a playful one-on-one dialogue that goes back and forth in a type of questioning battle. (adapted from Mind Over Media)

  • In class, we'll be choosing popular culture topics and artifacts to use for this challenge. Two participants will sit in a fishbowl-style seating arrangement, with other class members in a circle around them. In this lesson, one person starts with a question and the other person responds with another question (allowing no more than 30 seconds between questions!).
     

  • Two participants generate as many question as possible about the artifact under examination. Observers in the outer circle take notes to identify the most interesting questions generated by the questioning process. 
     

  • Observers in the outer circle stop the game when someone makes a statement OR repeats a question that has already been asked. 

Lesson Reflection:

  • What were the most interesting questions generated by the activity? 

  • Why were these questions determined the most interesting?

  • How do interesting questions impact our role as learners? 

CHALLENGE #1
Constructing a Brave Space

WHY this challenge? 

Throughout this unit as well as in future units, we'll be facing important topics found in our communities. As we continue to be learners of these topics, it's important to create a safe space so we can ask questions, work together, and learn new things.  

 

Create a group of two no more than three people (including yourself). Use your Writer's Notebook in the "Notes" section to brainstorm a list of needs you and your group think we need in order to maintain a brave environment. Construct this list as a team. 

Groups & Brainstorming

Expert Voices & Determine What's Important

Once you've had a chance to think about creating brave spaces in your notebooks with your group, conduct a general search to see what experts say about building brave spaces. Your search can include websites, articles, videos, infographics, visual charts, etc. Use your notebook brainstorming as keywords to help you with your search. 

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Questions to think about:

  • What do students need in order to feel brave in their learning environment?

  • How can we feel safe as learners when exploring contemporary social topics? 

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As you explore sources and expert voices, continue to add to your notes in your Writer's Notebook. Once finished, discuss your notes and determine as a group what are the most important needs we should follow as a class. 

Sharing Your Synthesis

Since this will be used for our class, create an infographic as a team that supports your findings. When you've completed your group's infographic, share your graphic with Mrs. Bonner via email bonners@husd4.org AND post your work to your blog page using the title "Unit 3 Constructing a Brave Space Infographic."

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INFOGRAPHIC SUPPORT

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  1. Go to Canva.com > create an account using your school Google information
     

  2. Check out this video to help support your thinking
     

  3. Take notes on the video as it will help you with design
     

  4. You can also check out this INFOGRAPHIC TEMPLATE in Google Docs if you do not want to use Canva. 
     

  5. Remember to construct an infographic the includes: 1) Big ideas from your group's research; and 2) how it connects to our class learning environment

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