Solving Social Issues

Subject:

Lesson Length: 45 mins - 1 hour

Topic: Critical Thinking, Positivity

Grade Level: 10, 11, 12, 9

Standards / Framework:

Brief Description:

Students will identify solutions for a social issue.

Know Before You Start: Students should be familiar with at least one social issue.

Hook:

Ask students:
- “What are social issues?”
- “Which social issues are you passionate about solving?”
- “What are some of the actions we can take to tackle problems in our society?”

Activity:

Have students independently brainstorm a list of social issues that they are aware of.
Have students share in a whole group setting about the social issues that they generated.
- Note the various social issues students share on an anchor chart or shared digital document.
Discuss different approaches that can be taken to address social issues, e.g., finding root causes, writing to government officials, starting a non-profit, and even something as simple as making informed decisions.
Have students work in small groups or pairs with peers who are passionate about the same social issue.
Have students brainstorm possible solutions for addressing their social issue of choice.
Have students collaborate on creating one comic per group or pair that illustrates one solution for their social issue.

Closure:

Have students discuss the social issues they chose to identify solutions for in small groups.
Have students present their comics to the class.
Share with students that social problems are complex and multi-faceted. Social problems can always be improved, and there are many things you can do to make those improvements. You have the power to make change. No matter how big or small your solutions are, they can lead to making a positive difference in your community and the world.

Differentiation:

Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
Allow students to use the voiceover to read their comics aloud.
Provide students with a list of general topics to support their independent brainstorming activity.
Provide students with a graphic organizer to support their thinking around solutions. (5Ws+H and News Article)

Resources:

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