If I have learned one thing about collaborating to create a unit, it is that both parties need to be flexible and willing to change or adapt the unit and lessons to better meet the needs of the students. For instance, Andrea and I decided that our students would create an infomercial on a Michigan product early on in the planning of our Michigan unit. As the unit evolved, we decided that we would like to have the students focus on goods produced or grown in their own neighborhood. This way they could reflect on how the good/product affects their life.
Since our school is located in downtown Detroit, we decided that it would be interesting to highlight the topic of urban gardening. This has been a growing trend in the city, and we thought it would be interesting for the student to learn how the urban farming movement began and how it impacts the community. Instead of having students create an informational advertising a Michigan product. We thought a commercial to the lunch ladies persuading them to use locally grown fruits and vegetables in their school lunches would be a more authentic assignment since it directly relates to their lives. This product would still be in video format so it can easily be shared with the stakeholders in the school community via the school website and even the local media outlets.
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