Taking Informed Action

Taking Informed Action is essential to the Inquiry Design ModelThe Inquiry Design Model (IDM) (Swan et al, n.d.) is a distinctive approach to creating instructional materials that honors teachers’ knowledge and expertise, avoids over-prescription, and focuses on the key elements envisioned in the C3 Inquiry Arc.  (IDM) as it supportsStructures and strategies that help a student access content and demonstrate what they know and can do.   students in transferring their new learning to civic engagementPeople participating in activities that help solve problems in their community.  in their local communities. It “Includes three steps: Understand the Issue, Assess Possible Solutions or Approaches, and Act to Make a Difference.” (Swan et al., n.d.)

Overview

Taking Informed Action empowers students to apply the knowledge they have gained to a project that preserves or adapts their school or local communityA group of people living or working together in a particular area, or people belonging to a cultural group.  culture.

Students will develop Community Action Proposals that outline tangible ways to support resilienceThe ability of people to recover quickly from a difficulty or to adjust easily to change. , cultural preservationActions taken to protect the beliefs, languages, traditions, places, and objects of a group of people. , or belonging in their school or local community.  Proposals may include organizing events, developing awareness campaigns, or collaborating with local culturalRelating to the beliefs, language, traditions, and other ways of living that a group shares. organizations.

Using the three-step process (Understand the Issue, Assess Possible Solutions or Approaches, and Act to Make a Difference), students draw meaningful connections between historical and present-day challenges that deepen their understanding of adaptation and resilience, while developing feelings of empathy and social responsibility. Students will learn they can make a real and lasting impact in their school or local community.

Resource

• What Is Culture, According to Kids? [Video—1:48 min. YouTube] (Milton Hershey School, 2022)

Guiding the Inquiry

1. Understand the Issue
   • Begin with a class discussion about the meaning of culture, resilience, and adapting. Have students share examples of resilience they learned about in class and through their research.
   • Ask students to identify connections between AbenakiHistorically, this name was used by the French to refer to many different Indigenous communities in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. During the colonial wars, some New England Indians moved to southern Canada as war refugees. They were joined by refugees from other tribes and together became known as Abenaki. (Calloway, 1994) resilience and cultural preservation. Next, have them think about the connections between Abenaki resilience and cultural preservation. Then, discuss the issues or challenges related to culture and resilience in your school or your own community.
   • Share and discuss the following definition from NYSED.gov: “School culture is the set of common values, beliefs, and traditions that influence how people in the school community act and interact with each other. It shapes the unwritten rules for how things are done and what behaviors are expected.” (NYSED, n.d.)
   • Ask students the following school culture guiding questions:
     • How do staff, teachers, and students treat each other in our school?
     • Does our school have any traditions?
     • What are our school’s values?
2. Assess Possible Solutions and Approaches
   • Have students brainstorm ways to improve or preserve your school or community culture. Determine whether the entire class will choose one solution to carry out or if students will work in small groups on several solutions.
   • With your students, discuss the pros and cons of each idea and then choose an action plan solution that is most likely to be effective. Or students may choose from the list below under Ideas for Action Plan Solutions.
   • Guide students to develop a detailed plan for their chosen solution that identifies the audience they wish to reach or a need they wish to address. Have them determine the steps to take and a timelineA graphic representation that shows a chronology of events (in the order they occurred) on a line.  for each step.
   • Discuss the potential impact of the plan. Ask: “What is the larger context of the problem or challenge you want to address?” “Why is it important?” “How will your action plan impact your school or local community?”
   • Students can frame their solutions as an argument (with a claim, multiple points of evidence, and their own reasoning).
3. Act to Make a Difference
   • Have students carry out the steps in their action plan based on the agreed upon timeline.
   • Conclude with a group reflection that helps bring the activity to a meaningful conclusion.

Ideas for Action Plan Solutions

1. Morning Announcements—Students write brief statements about the importance of resilience that can be read over the school PA system during homeroom or morning meetings.
2. Resilience Reading List—Students work with the school librarian or community representative (for example, a local Historical Society or museum) to curate
   
   
   To select and organize materials to share with others.  a list of resources on topics such as resilience, cultural awareness, or cultural preservation. 
3. New Students Greeting—Students develop a plan for greeting new students and helping them feel like they belong at their new school.
4. Food Drive–Students develop a plan to collect non-perishable food items to be donated to an Abenaki food shelf.