ENGLISH PROJECT needed
Project
Alienation
Goal
The goal is to explore the various causes of alienation in our society today, as well as some possible solutions to the discontent that it causes.
Role
You are an analyst who has been charged with looking at the many ways people tend to put themselves or others into situations of isolation and alienation.
Audience
The audience is other people who are concerned about the problems arising not only in our schools and communities, but across our nation as a whole.
Situation
You have been given the assignment by a government blue ribbon panel to study the possible causes of people feeling alienated in their own communities, their own cultures, their own country. Much of the news today is taken up by unrest in cities–people think that the police are out of control when it comes to dealing with certain segments of the population. Some people think that teachers are out to get certain kids in school. We are becoming an increasingly polarized society from our family units on up to our national identity, and this group wants to try to assess where the sense of isolation comes from and see if there is anything we can do to stop it or turn it around.
Product and Performance
Your job is to produce either an informational brochure or a 1-minute television commercial that details what you see as causes of people turning against each other or retreating into their own small private groups–groups who only think the same way about almost every subject. Look through the news on websites to come up with categories of thought that seem to be driving a wedge between people. Think of things like the argument over the Confederate flag in the South, Police handling of peaceful demonstrations in towns and cities, the immigration debate. Feel free to pursue any others you see as divisive in nature. You may choose to use all or just some of these topics. You should also think about the works of literature from this unit: the poems by Poe and Kipling, and the song by Johnny Cash. Think of the characters in those works and consider the ways that they are singled out or separated from society. What caused that separation? What could be done to improve it? You should include hard evidence from current events to back up your statements. If you choose to make the television commercial, it must fit within the 1:00 time constraint while packing as much information in as possible. If you choose to make the brochure, you can use a publishing program such as Microsoft Publisher, or you can simply use one of the “brochure” templates found within Microsoft Word to help you with general set up and organization. The brochure should be filled with the information you deem necessary to share, and it should contain vibrant and helpful visual aids. The tone of the project should not be accusatory, but it should offer a possible solution to the problem.
Standards for Success
- Careful completion of the commercial or the brochure
- TV Commercial Rubric or Informational Brochure Rubric
