Personal and Social Responsibility

Introduction

Personal Awareness and Responsibility

1. Self-determination
2. Self-regulation
3. Well-being

Social Responsibility

1. Contributing to community and caring for the environment
2. Solving problems in peaceful ways
3. Valuing diversity
4. Building relationships

Consider all of these elements as you work through the assignments in this section.

Summary Explanation of Assignments

Here is a quick overview of the assignments for this unit.  However, be sure you read over the specific assignment instructions that follow for each one.  Review the marking rubrics for the assignments before you start.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Random Acts of Kindness

Collaborate with a partner to make our world a better place just by performing random acts of kindness.  Then write about them.

ASSIGNMENT 2:  This is Just to Say

This is just to say that it is time we are aware of the crimes humanity commits against our earth.  Why don't we accept responsibility?  Or do we?

ASSIGNMENT 3:  "I Lost My Talk"

Your task is to write either a poem/song or a short piece of fiction or non-fiction from the point of view of a person of indigenous descent who has communicated their thoughts on disempowerment, just like poet Rita Joe.  You might consider doing some background research on residential schools and other Canadian Aboriginal writers after watching the video on Rita Joe.  This assignment shows the potential of putting powerful words to beautiful and expressive music.

ASSIGNMENT 4:  Public Service Announcement

Demonstrate your personal and social responsibility by developing a public service announcement to raise awareness, change public attitudes and behavior towards a social issue that is important to you.   It is also a good opportunity to further develop your expository and persuasive writing skills.

ASSIGNMENT 5:  Editing FORUM

Go through the 3 Grammar Resources listed under Course Resources.  These sites are from an online Grammar textbook called The Bare Essentials.  There are examples, practice exercises, and practice tests.

Do the practice tests in Unit 1 (WORDS) and Unit 4 (PUNCTUATION).  If you are not achieving 100% on these tests, review the lesson in the EXAMPLES and the do some practice EXERCISES to review.

In this forum, comment on which of the tests you found easiest.  Which one was most difficult?  Was there a concept in these practice tests that was unfamiliar to you?  How might you begin to apply these learning lessons into your own writing?  Can you see where you might use some of these conventions of language?  Provide a discussion of your results and their applications into your creative writing.

ASSIGNMENT 6:  PROJECT:  Persuasive Podcast

Develop a piece of writing (poem, short story, essay, speech) that reflects your sense of social responsibility as you respond to the prompt:  "People's lives are enriched by connections with other generations".  Review the key components of social responsibility as discussed in the introduction: 

1.  Contributing to community and caring for the environment

2.  Solving problems in peaceful ways

3.  Valuing diversity

4.  Building relationships

and then create your very own persuasive podcast.  Don't overthink the technology part of this assignment.  If you're having difficulties, ask your teacher right away.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Random Acts of Kindness

Task:

Consider the notion of random acts of kindness. Do a walk and talk with a partner on the topic and then write. Perhaps the story is an act of kindness you have performed, or one that someone did for you. Perhaps it is a reflection on how kind or unkind society is or ruminations on what ought to be...

What is needed to make our world a better place?

ASSIGNMENT 2: This is Just to Say

Task:

In 1921, famous American poet, William Carlos Williams wrote this poem, This is Just to Say, ostensibly apologizing for eating plums. The poem ends with a twist though, a rationale for the speaker's actions.

Write a poem apologizing to Earth for the crimes humanity has committed against it, but after the apologies are done, end in a similar vein to Williams' work.  Be specific.  What crimes have been committed?  How might you rationalize them?

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student demonstrates critical, creative, and reflective thinking to construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world recognizing how different features and forms of texts enhance and shape meaning and impact.  Exemplary ability to develop and respond to text in creative ways.  There is a clear connection and engagement with the topic.

Submission:

Use the "4.2 This is Just to Say" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

ASSIGNMENT 3: "I Lost My Talk"

Task:

Point of View

A story has an author, a narrator, and characters, not to be confused with each other. If the narrator and a character in the story are one and the same, you have a story told in first person. If they are separate, you have a story told in third person, of which there are three different types, depending on the amount of knowledge the narrator has about the inner feelings and thoughts of the characters.

Here's a really simple one! Read Charles Simic's poem, "Stone". This poem is from an inanimate object's point of view in the first person. We know this because of the use of the first person pronoun "I".

Here comes the complicated part! Now read "I Lost My Talk" by Rita Joe. Consider the point of view. Ask yourself the 5 questions as you read the poem.

Not only is it important to ask yourself who is the narrator and what is she saying in her poetry, it is also important to understand the background of the poet. Read the background information provided on the next page on Rita Joe, a famous Mi'kmaw poet and songwriter, so you can better understand her point of view. What is her message? Why has she chosen the first person? What is the impact of this point of view?

You must watch this video on Rita Joe before you begin to write such an emotionally charged assignment.

Your task is to write either a poem/song or a short piece of fiction or non-fiction from the point of view of a person of indigenous descent who has communicated their thoughts on disempowerment, as well. You might consider doing some background research on residential schools and other Canadian Aboriginal writers.

Here is an example of a student song based on Rita Joe's poem.

Poem: "I Lost My Talk"

I Lost my Talk (1979) by Rita Joe.

I lost my talk
The talk you took away.
When I was a little girl
At Shubenacadie school.

You snatched it away:
I speak like you
I think like you
I create like you
The scrambled ballad, about my world.

Two ways I talk
Both ways I say,
Your way is more powerful.

So gently I offer my hand and ask,
Let me find my talk
So I can teach you about me.

(Poem by Rita Joe reprinted with kind permission of Rita Joe and Canadian Woman Studies: 1989, Canadian Woman Studies 10, 2&3, p. 28).

Background Information

Here is some background on the poem.  The source is cited at the end.

“I Lost my Talk” by Mi’kmaw poet Rita Joe shows the loss of language/ culture/identity and voice in residential schools which pertains to all Indigenous cultures in Canada.

“This poem shows the disempowering effects of the residential schools, in this case the Shubenacadie school in Nova Scotia, which created a twofold tragedy…:they took away the Aboriginal language but they did not teach English well (as the children were also used as labourers).  The mentioning of the spoken language (“talk”) should be read metonymically [a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept] as referring to a way of life vastly different from that of written culture. 

The oral traditions were “taken away,” silencing the medium of talking in their own language as well as the message.  Together with isolation from family, physical and sexual abuse, and punishment for any other kind of cultural expression, this education created “a scrambled ballad.”  So, it took a while until writers emerged who had not only survived but who had also “found their talk.” 

It is worth noting that Rita Joe repeats the work “talk” at the end although she herself is not talking but writing.  It seems that she wants to make a point about the continuation of talk in the written word and thereby a statement about the continuation of her culture despite major disruptions.”

Source:  R. Eigenbrod, G. Kakegamic and J. Fiddler, 2003. “Aboriginal Cultures in Canada:  A Teacher’s Resource Guide”.

There is definitely loss in this poem and a feeling of displacement or disempowerment, but the primary tone and point of view is self-assertive and emphasizes survival and strength.

The National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa premiered a multi-media performance combining music, film and spoken word based on "I Lost My Talk".  You might want to watch the performance to see how to put poetry to musical and theatrical composition.

ASSIGNMENT 4: Public Service Announcement

Task:

 A Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated without charge, with the objective of raising awareness, changing public attitudes and behavior towards a social issue.

The earliest PSA's were made before and during World War II to focus on the country's needs in times of war such as encouraging the public to invest their savings in war bonds.  After the war, they were used to educate the public on a broader range of important issues.  Sometimes organizations will enlist the support of a celebrity to read a PSA.  One notable example is Crips gang leader Stanley Williams speaking from prison to urge youth not to join gangs.  Another example is a public health warning sent from the World Health Organization.

An effective Public Service Announcement should persuade an audience to take a favorable action for social change.  PSA's will create awareness, show the importance of an issue, convey information, and promote social change.

Two examples of PSA's that have become a part of our daily life are the ads for fire prevention and not using drugs.  These 2 examples show the massive impact PSAs have on our culture.

Only You can Prevent Forest Fires

This is your Brain on Drugs

Now write your own PSA.

1. Choose a topic from the list below and create a PSA.  Be creative and relevant.  
2. Research convincing and accurate information on your topic.  Identify the topic and area of focus in the PSA.
3. Consider your target audience.  Who do you want to rally to action? What are their needs and preferences?
4. Grab your audience's attention. You might use visual effects, an emotional response, or surprise.
5. Make sure your message is clear.  Develop a script beforehand.  A 30 second PSA will typically require about 5-7 concise statements.
6. Submit your PSA in your chosen final format.  You could read it as an audio file, film it, draw it.  It's your message, so you choose the medium.

Here is another site if you need some help.

ASSIGNMENT 5: Editing Forum

Task:

Go through the 3 Grammar Resources listed under Course Resources (on the side of the course). These sites are from an online Grammar textbook called The Bare Essentials. There are examples, practice exercises, and practice tests.

Do the practice tests in UNIT 1 (WORDS) and UNIT 4 (PUNCTUATION). If you are not achieving 100% on these tests, review the lesson in the EXAMPLES and the do some practice EXERCISES to review.

In this forum, comment on which of the tests/concepts you found easiest. Which one was most difficult? Was there a concept in these practice tests that was unfamiliar to you? How might you begin to apply these learning lessons into your own writing? Can you see where you might use some of these conventions of language? Provide a discussion of your results and their applications into your speaking and writing. Comment on another's post. Did you get other ideas for applying these grammar lessons into your own writing?

ASSIGNMENT 6: PROJECT: Persuasive Podcast

Task:  Persuasive Podcast

 Develop a longer piece of writing (poem, short story, essay, speech) that reflects your sense of social responsibility as you respond to the prompt: 

"People's lives are enriched by connections with other generations".  

You can agree or disagree with the prompt, but do some research.  You must cite at least 4 sources:  2 for each side of the argument.  Your goal is to synthesize the information from the sources into your persuasive argument. 

Review the key components of social responsibility as discussed in the introduction: 

• Contributing to community and caring for the environment
• Solving problems in peaceful ways
• Valuing diversity
• Building relationships

Consider what that means to you.  What is your sense of personal responsibility?  How does your sense of self interact with those around you?  How do you connect with other generations?

• Brainstorm ways that people's lives are (not) enriched by connections with other generations. Do the research.  Keep track of your sources of information.  You will need to write a bibliography for your 4 sources.
• Use the brainstorming graphic organizer to establish your main talking points

Now, develop the piece of writing and record it.  Your podcast recording should be 2-3 minutes long. Make sure you reflect on your social responsibility as it pertains to the prompt. 

If you have other topics you'd like to write on, please discuss with your teacher.

Hey!  Here is an example podcast from the Banff Writer's Festival called Wordfest with Alexis O'Hara. Have a listen!  

Record your writing in podcast format using Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/,  GarageBand, iMovie or other recording software with capacity to edit sound. Add either sound effects or music or both to augment your voice reading. 
Be sure to export as an mp3 format file and upload to the assignment dropbox.

Free sound effect and music sites:

1. https://www.pacdv.com/sounds/
2. http://www.findsounds.com/types.html
3. https://freemusicarchive.org/
4. https://free-loops.com/
5. http://danosongs.com
6. https://incompetech.com
7. https://www.seabreezecomputers.com/tips/freemusic.htm#links … an example from this site:
8. https://www.taylorhayward.org/