Phase+2+-+Research+and+Planning


 * Research and Planning **

__Objective__:
 This lesson will introduce students to the Icons of Depth and Complexity developed by Sandra Kaplan. Students will begin to research and analyze articles for details, patterns, trends, ethics, and changes over time through multiple perspectives as they connect to scientific and historical themes. As they develop this understanding around big ideas, they will synthesize thinking on the wikispace and begin to draft solutions for addressing and planning an action service learning project.

__Engage__:
Students should have a grasp on the Earth Charter Principles and a deepened understanding of the one that is most valuable to them. Now, it is time to ask students to dig even deeper into these principles. As they were developing their mind maps earlier in the lesson, they more than likely came across a situation, issue, or problem that is currently facing a community somewhere in the world. Ask the groups to go back to one or more article or provide articles to students in order for them to begin to analyze for the following information based on Sandra Kaplan's Icons of Depth & Complexity: __[|Depth&ComplexityChart.pdf]__

__Explore__:
As students analyze the articles (5-10 articles), they should pay close attention to scientific and mathematical connections, as well as, the evolution of this issue. Encourage students to begin evaluating information through different perspectives, to find trends, explore the rules and/or structures that are in place around this issue, patterns that emerge, and the changes over time. Students should begin to synthesize this work on their collaborative wikispace page by including a response to the "Definition" column from the Icons of Depth and Complexity chart. *Students need to use the wikispace to create a reference or citation to the articles analyzed.

__Explain__: [[image:http://celt.ust.hk/ideas/ar/web_images/ARcycle.jpg width="160" height="230" align="right" link="@http://celt.ust.hk/ideas/ar/intro.htm"]]
Once students have analyzed the articles, they should begin to formulate a plan to meet the need of the community and formulate a plan to make significant change. The action service learning project will follow the flow of an action research project. The action research project design will guide students through their action service project by ensuring they will ask meaningful questions that stem from their passion and hopes for the world, requires action to be grounded in research to appropriately meet a need of the community, provide a context for gathering and collecting data to measure their success, ensures reflection is at the core of the learning cycle, and encourages the action to continue beyond the requirement or time frame for the purposes of this coursework. Students should begin this task by completing the [|Action Service Learning Plan.pdf]. Some of the following data collection tools are encouraged: Next, students should develop a presentation using Prezi to present their plan to the class for feedback before implementation.
 * video taping
 * reflective journals
 * digital photos
 * interviews of community members

__Evaluate__:
After student presentations of their action service learning plan, there will be a feedback session lead by one of the other groups. The feedback group will lead a question and answer session to ensure that the presenting group as thoroughly and thoughtfully planned to address a need in the community.