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9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Grades  Project 3 weeks

"Comm Quest: Break the Barrier!"

Barbara V
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Purpose

This project aims to equip students with practical communication skills by engaging them in real-world scenarios and collaborative projects. Through partnerships with local businesses, libraries, and tech companies, students will explore and apply various communication methods, including spoken, written, and electronic. The experience emphasizes understanding and overcoming communication barriers, enhancing active listening, and interpreting non-verbal cues. Students will develop and present communication plans, fostering their ability to effectively reach diverse audiences and collaborate successfully.

Learning goals

Students will develop comprehensive communication plans that effectively integrate spoken, written, and electronic methods tailored to diverse audiences. They will enhance their ability to decode and encode messages, construct clear messages, and overcome communication barriers. Students will also refine their active listening skills and interpret non-verbal cues, leading to improved collaboration and feedback utilization. Through real-world scenarios and community partnerships, students will apply these skills in practical settings, culminating in public exhibitions and peer-led workshops.
Standards
  • Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
  • Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
  • Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.5: Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

Products

Students will produce a series of short films addressing communication barriers and solutions, which will be showcased at a local theater alongside a student-led panel discussion. They will also organize a live performance event to demonstrate effective communication techniques, including active listening and non-verbal cues, followed by an interactive Q&A session. Additionally, students will host a communication fair featuring booths that display projects on communication mediums, feedback importance, and collaboration strategies, inviting community engagement and dialogue.

Launch

Kick off the project with a dynamic 'Barrier Breakers' workshop, where students engage in interactive team-building exercises to identify and overcome common communication barriers. Follow this with a 'Gesture Jam' event, featuring activities like charades and gesture-based storytelling, to deepen their understanding of non-verbal communication. Conclude the launch with a 'Listening Lab,' where students practice active listening through paired listening walks and reflective listening circles, setting the stage for exploring the impact of listening on effective communication.

Exhibition

Students will organize a dynamic communication fair, where they set up interactive booths showcasing their projects on various communication mediums and strategies for overcoming barriers. Each booth will invite community members to engage with the students' work, providing a platform for dialogue and feedback. The fair will also feature live performances and short films created by students, illustrating effective communication techniques, followed by a Q&A session to deepen understanding and community involvement.