Culminating Activity for: Grade 5 People and Environments - The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship

By - Kate Saretsky
The culminating activity for this unit will be a group video in a public service announcement (PSA) style that integrates one (or more)
art strand to increase impact of the message. The PSA will be graded according to a rubric that is developed by the class. The
teacher will guide this process to ensure it lines up with curriculum standards.
Along the way there will be summative assessments in the form of journal entries, one on one interviews with the teacher, self and
group evaluations as well as overall observations. Students will work in groups but be marked individually on their contributions to the
video to ensure that it is not a situation where one strong student does all the work and others coast along not fully understanding the
content.
My rationale for choosing a video PSA is to encourage the traits of a junior learner in independence and giving students a voice in
something that they are passionate about and hopefully leave students with a sense of empowerment. I also think that it is an
authentic way to use technology to show learning.
Step One: Group the students by interest of social issue to work in groups on a video public service announcement.
Step Two: Mini lessons about levels of government and the role of government and the role of the public in regards to social issues.
Step Three: Mini lessons on research, making an effective PSA video, and dividing group work fairly so that each student is
contributing equally. Mini lessons on effective group work and behavior expectations.
Students will be shown excellent and poor examples of public service announcements and be led in discussion about why it is an
excellent or poor example. This will lead into discussion about success criteria and get them ready for creating the rubric.
Step Four: Creating the rubric collaboratively and checking understanding of expected learning outcomes. Handing out guidelines
for what should be included in the video and each persons role within that. There will be three sections to the video that must include
specific information and connections. From the rubric, the teacher will create a checklist, as there are a lot of components to this
project.
Step Five: Work time for research, exploration of issue and integrating an arts component into the video during art class. Mini
lessons during art class on why adding in an art component strengthens the emotional impact on a video.
Step Six: Viewing the PSAs as a class as part of the revision process. Students will receive feedback based on the success criteria
from the teacher and peers and have time to make adjustments.
Step Seven: Final viewing for invited guests and other selected classes. Students included how citizens can contribute to improving
their specific issue, so any local people with influence or interest can be invited to the screening.
Step Eight: Self-reflection and exit interviews with the teacher.

Rubric For Grade 5 People and Environments - The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship

This is the rubric that will be shown to the class and teachers and students will fill it out together. I may remove more of it
before showing this to the students, but for the purposes of the course, I have filled most of it in. The first category is filled
out as an example for students to follow. They may suggest changes to it and the teacher will have final say and provide
insight on why the change is accepted or not accepted. This kind of assessment collaboration will be done towards the
end of the year so that students will have had experience with this kind of collaboration. The teacher will provide prompts
from the curriculum to guide the students.
My knowledge of the
social issue:

Knowledge and
understanding of the
social issue and the role
of the government:

In my groups video I
can clearly show my
knowledge and
understanding by
stating: (1)what the
social issue is and why
it is important, (2)what
level of government is
responsible to help that
issue and what is
currently being done,
and (3) how citizens
alongside the
government can help.

In my groups video I
show my knowledge
and understanding very
clearly in two of the
criteria but need a little
more information or
clarity in one criteria.

In my groups video I
show my knowledge
and understanding very
clearly in one of the
criteria but need more
information or clarity in
the other two criteria.

I cannot yet clearly state

my knowledge and
understanding in any of
the three criteria, or
provide very minimal
information to show my
understanding.

Planning and Problem

Solving

My use of planning and

problem solving during
research and video
production:

During the research and

video production I was
always (1)on task, (2)
listened respectfully, (3)
helped group members
when necessary without
doing the work for them,
(4) gave ideas for
solving problems before
asking the teacher.

During the research and

production I met three of
the criteria consistently
and needed some
reminders for the fourth.

I met two of the criteria

I needed lots of
consistently and needed reminders in all four
reminders for the other
criteria.
two.

Video Production

The finished video was

edited carefully
according to set criteria:

The overall video met all

four of the following
criteria: (1) Transitions
were smooth and
helped viewers follow
the information and
story (2) audio was
even and enhanced the
video (3) Video was
evenly paced (4)
Production did not
distract from the
information

The overall video met

three criteria clearly and
needed minimal
improvements on the
fourth.

The overall video met

two of the criteria.
Comments:

The overall video met

one criteria clearly.
Comments:

Self Reflection for Social Studies Group Project

Name:
Group Members:
Social Issue:
Content Requirement #1:
What the social issue is, why it is important,
who it affects, data and statistics/other
important information:

Content Requirement #2:

What level of government is responsible
(local/regional/provincial/federa) to help with
this issue?
What is currently being done?

Content Requirement #3:

How citizens alongside the government can
help:

My contribution to this content:

My contribution to this content:

My contribution to this content:

My source:

My source:

My source:

My contribution to the organisation of the video and my idea for integrating an art strand (visual, music, dance, drama, literature)
into the video:

Social Studies Group Social Studies Personal Reflection Journal

Date:

Date:

Date:

What we discussed/learned/researched
today as a group:

What we discussed/learned/researched
today as a group:

What we discussed/learned/researched
today as a group:

My ideas:

My ideas:

My ideas:

The most interesting thing I learned today: The most interesting thing I learned today: The most interesting thing I learned today:

My participation out of ___/10

My participation out of ____/10

My participation out of ___/10