Remember September 11

(6-8)

A Lesson of Hope - Hope Quilts (n36)

Subject

English

Objective

Diversity awareness and safe school initiatives through the construction of a commemorative quilt memorializing the events of September 11

Time Needed

Materials

Lesson

What is the name of your CSL project?
A Lesson of Hope - Hope Quilts

Who will benefit from this project? (Ex. School to General Community)
All students and staff members as well as the community

Describe your goals. (Explain the needs of the community)
To foster tolerance

What actions have you taken to reach your goals? (How the needs of the community will be met)
1. Hope Quilts made that contain expression of hope and tolerance
2. Literature read which highlights the theme: we are more alike than different.
3. Exhibit held whereby Hope Quilts are hung prominently in school
4. Poetry were written to compliment the quilts and collated into books

How does your project connect to the curriculum frameworks? (Include strands)
English language arts standards:
Media Strand Students will:
* Plan and present effective dramatic readings, recitations, and performances that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience and purpose
* Obtain information by using a variety of media and evaluate the quality of the information obtained.
* Explain how techniques used in electronic media modify traditional forms of discourse for different aesthetic and rhetorical purposes.
* Design and create coherent media productions with a clear focus, adequate detail, and consideration of audience and purpose.

What is/was your time frame?
On going to culminate in May during national multicultural month.

What materials are needed? (Any budget items would go here)
Cloth, markers, batting, potpourri, yard, fabric paint and fabric glue.

What/Who are your resources? (Agencies, Community Centers, Organizations, Business Partners) Include address, phone, e-mail, web site http://www.eesplus.com for in-depth lesson plan also parents, teachers, administrators and students donated to this project.

What is your reflection activity?
Students wrote thank-you letters to all of the parents and community leaders that helped with the project. They exhibited their quilts throughout the community and examined the roots of racism and prejudice through literature.

How did you celebrate your event?
Students had an assembly with speakers related to the September 11, tragedy. Certificates were given to each of the 300 students and teachers who participated in the project. Gift were given to sewers, teachers and community persons.

A Brief Overview of the Benefits of Community Service Learning

Did you know that community service learning:
1. Is responsible for strengthening instructional methods, fostering school reform and complimenting personal growth such as self-esteem, civic values, self-discipline?
2. Strengthens a student's ability to make school-to-work transitions because of the hands-on curricular experiences that are practiced?
3. Helps make students, teachers and parents aware of local and national community human and informational resources?
4. Builds strong, positive and long-lasting relationships between adults and children, thus breaking down the generation gaps that often separate and alienate people?
5. Involves students in a healthy reflection about learning, values clarification, goal setting and powerful learning?
6. Celebrates student learning by allowing students to validate their service activity by celebrating their achievements thus give voice to those community issues and concerns that they authentically care about?
7. Can be a long-term or short-term commitment to a worthy project and still have a positive long-lasting effect on both the providers and recipients of the service project?
8. Is interdisciplinary in that many subject areas can collaborate on one service project from multiple perspectives?
9. Involves many themes such as diversity awareness, homelessness, environmental concerns, animal rights issues, etc.?
10. Can be planed and implemented for your school, neighborhood, city, state or worldwide community?

Brief History of Community Service Learning
According to the Corporation for National Service, initiator of Learn and Serve America, which supports service-learning programs throughout our communities „nearly one million students from kindergarten through college meet community needs while improving their academic skills and leaning habits of good citizenship.
The corporation funds programs for National Service state education agencies, commissions, and non-profit agencies that support and organize local efforts. Learn and Serve America projects generally require that matching federal funds be provided such as resources from local school communities and or agencies.
Community Service Learning combines student-driven, teacher facilitated learning with community-based activism as explained in the Community Service Trust Act of 1993. The formal description of community service learning includes the fact that it is a method whereby students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the need of community, and is followed by a reflection and celebratory component.
Our local Springfield school system has, over the years been a recipient of many school-based or state-generated grants which have enabled students from elementary, middle and high school to participate in quality service-learning projects that have had a great impact on our school, local, regional and national communities.
It is hoped that this booklet will continue to foster a spirit of giving, community mindfulness and academic excellence by offering user-friendly, meaningful and purposeful ways to incorporate service learning into our Springfield area classrooms.

Reflection Ideas
Reflection is an important part of service learning because it forces participants to explore and examine the impact that the service activity had on all participants. Remember that everyone can be great because everyone can serve. Encourage your students to participate in some of the following reflective writing, reading, and speaking activities.

WRITING in any of the following ways help you to formulate your ideas, clarify your feelings and record growth or change in attitudes over time

1. Journal Writing
2. Letters
3. Diaries
4. Notes
5. Records
6. Responses
7. Pen-pals
8. Essays
9. Posters

READING, Responding to or Collecting Articles related to your service project

1. Newspapers
2. Magazines
3. Novels
4. Internet
5. Research Documents
6. Essays (by/for students)
7. Studies
8. Community Agency Pamphlets
9. Case Studies

SPEAKING helps to spread the word of your good work

1. On the Radio, in Classrooms, on the Intercom, Auditorium, Television
2. Community Forums
3. Theatre Presentations
4. Poetry Presentations
5. Musical Presentations
6. Research Papers Shared
7. Debate Forums
8. Discussion Groups
9. Community Centers

ART is a great way to reflect and is non-threatening, enjoyable and creative

1. Murals
2. Posters
3. Quilts
4. Collages
5. Photographs
6. Banners
7. Flyers
8. Paintings
9. Statues

Source: Renay Jihad, Chestnut Accelerated Middle School, Springfield, MA