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Project
Grade
Levels: 7-12
Estimated
Time: One
week for gathering information and writing an essay.
Overview:
Students will better understand fundamental needs and how important
modern conveniences are in their lives. They will also examine what
it is like to live in a colonia and some of the positive
aspects of a more simple life.
Enlist
support from parents for this project. Send a letter home with your
students explaining the project and its goals to parents. If necessary,
develop a separate essay question that can be answered for those
students who choose not to participate.
Objectives:
The
students will:
- Learn
about fundamental needs.
- Gain
a better understanding about how others live.
- Record
the experience.
Related
National Standards:
- Social
Studies
- Economics
- Health
- Education
- Technology
English/Language
Arts
- Prepare
a letter explaining this assignment and your goals to parents.
- Have
your students attempt to recreate colonia
conditions.
- Ask
them to give up television, computers and video games for a week.
- Ask
them to bathe only with cold water for a week. If they want hot
water, they must boil it.
- Ask
them not to wash their hair for a couple of days.
- Ask
them to wear the same clothes twice a week.
- Ask
them to have their family sleep in one room for a few nights.
- Have
them only eat beans, rice and potatoes for a week.
Assignment:
- Have
the students write a report on their experiences.
- Include
a paragraph on whether they were able to concentrate on their
homework.
- Include
a section on any of the positive things they learned, such as
feeling closer to a family member or being able to spend more
time with a friend.
- Ask
your students what strengths colonia children might have
despite the conditions in which they live.
Assessment
Recommendations:
- Teachers
should set standards for the project before it is assigned based
on the amount of time spent on the lesson as well as the amount
of research. For example, seek student input on what will make
a successful report and how much research is expected. Ask your
students to set a criteria for what level of necessities must
be given up for the week and what level of detail is expected
from the report. For older students emphasize self-reflection
and conclusions about other communities and cultures.
Extension
and/or Adaptation Ideas:
- Ask
your students to keep a journal of their experiences and answer
specific questions that the class develops.
- Ask
your students to develop a photo essay
of the experience.
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