Lesson 8: Reflecting and Taking Action: Culminating Task

Drama

B1.1 Creating and Presenting: engage actively in drama exploration and role play, with a focus on examining issues and themes in fiction and non-fiction sources from diverse communities, times, and places

Drama

 I can:

• examine the theme of inclusion/exclusion by exploring a variety of texts using different drama strategies
• express my thoughts about the ideas and issues presented in my own and others' final pieces

Dance

A1.2 Creating and Presenting: use dance as a language to explore, interpret, and communicate ideas derived from a variety of literature sources.
 

A2.2  Creating and Presenting: identify the elements of dance used in their own and others' dance pieces and explain how they help communicate a message.

Dance

I can:

• communicate a message to the audience by bringing texts to life through dance
• give meaningful feedback to other groups about the use of dance elements in their final piece

Language

Language

I can:

• make meaning from a variety of texts and show my understanding of these texts through drama and dance

Whole Class > Guided Visualization

Whole Class > Revisiting the Guiding Questions

Direct student attention to the Guiding Questions that were introduced at the beginning of the unit and posted to the wonder wall. 

Unit Guiding Questions

• What do inclusion and exclusion look like and feel like?
• In what ways is exclusion related to discrimination?
• How can one remain personally empowered in the face of exclusion and/or discrimination?
• How can I  use drama, dance and critical literacy to interpret ideas and communicate meaning?
• How can I use drama, dance and critical literacy strategies to explore, challenge, and shift both my own and others point of view?
• How can we use power constructively to build inclusive communities? 

Suggest to students that the answers to these important questions now reside in their hearts and minds, and on the wonder wall, except for the final question which they are going to work on together. Check for understanding of each question and invite students to identify activities from the unit or items on the Wonder Wall that address each question. Explain that the final culminating task of this unit involves four steps. Distribute BLM #24 Group Script and Planning Sheet and explain that you will guide them through each step and share success criteria related to each step.

Step 1: Personal Reflection

Explain that students must pick two or more of the Guiding Questions and compose a personal response to the questions based on what they have learned throughout the unit. Encourage students to use words, phrases and images from the Wonder Wall or from remembered experiences to compose their response. The response can take the form of prose, a poem or rap, a song, or an illustration with a short paragraph.

Step 2: Creation: Weaving Reflections Together

Explain that in small groups of 3 or 4, students will share their personal response with each other. As a group, students then pick 3-5 lines from each of their personal reflections and find a way to weave them together using tableau, choral speaking, and movement. Assure student that they will have adequate time to create and rehearse their piece. 

Step 3: Performance: Sharing Reflections 

Explain that each group will share their piece with the class, and provide feedback to each other. Use BLM #27 2 Stars and A Wish and/or BLM #25 Self/Peer Assessment and Reflection for peer assessment. Use BLM #25 for self-assessment. Also, review BLM #28 Success Criteria for Culminating Task with students. 

Step 4: Taking Action to Build a More Inclusive Community

Explain that some of the primary students in the school are experiencing exclusion in the school yard at recess and lunch time. In small groups, ask students to create a plan to address this situation. Direct them to use BLM #30 Taking Action to review the success criteria for this task and to outline their plan, identify timelines, and resources needed to implement the plan. Emphasize that the plan must be realistic and do-able so that they can actually put the plan into action (e.g organizing school yard games; teaching chants and rhymes; performing for the primary students; showing the Sneetches video and leading a discussion; reading stories about inclusion during reading buddies; a poster campaign, etc).

Notes

Have students consult the wonder wall to use the variety of resources that deal with the theme of inclusion and exclusion. Picture books, poetry, student work, anchor charts produced through the unit, novels, quotations, images, Internet access, newspaper/magazine clippings (collected by teacher and students throughout the unit) will all be available for students to go to for source material for their culminating task.

Refer back to examples from lessons: 

• Tableaux with movement transitions 
• Choral speaking
• Power Dance

Assessment of Learning (AoL)

BLM #28 Success Criteria for Culminating Task and  BLM #29 Rubric for Culminating Task Review the success criteria and rubric with students and allow time for questions. Post the success criteria for student reference throughout the process.
 

BLM #30 Taking Action Review the success criteria with students, conference with each group to assess their plan.  Use the success criteria to support your overall evaluation. 

Encourage groups to share their work with other groups and provide constructive feedback. Provide groups with BLM #27 2 Stars and A Wish as a way to share feedback. Alternatively, you may wish to use BLM #25 for a more detailed peer assessment. 

Whole Class > What Needs To Change in Our Own Classroom Community

Invite students to take stock of how inclusive their own classroom is. Prompts: How inclusive are we as a community? If the boy were to come to our class, would he feel welcome?  What needs to change in our classroom? Revisit the Classroom Agreement related to gender, created at the end of Lesson 6. Ask students if any other agreements are required. Also discuss how they will be monitored and what should happen if an agreement is not honoured.