Service-Learning Project
Memory Books of Hope
Primary Subject:
English
Grade Level: 11
Additional Subject Area Connections: Visual Arts; History
Unit Title: Memory Books of Hope
VSC Indicators Met
Literary Connections: Invisible Children, The Road,
The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fallen Angels
Type(s) of Service: Direct, Indirect
Unit Description: The Memory Books of Hope project,
which involves creating and revising short stories, was
designed for the English 11 curriculum and can be easily
incorporated into a unit on narrative writing and short
stories. While reading short stories, students identify key
narrative elements, which they then learn to incorporate into
their own writing. In addition to developing their writing
skills, students also learn about the plight of Uganda’s
“night commuters” – children who must leave their homes
each night to escape the rebel army. Finally, students
combine their new knowledge with their new skills to create
an anthology of short stories that will be sent to the children
of Uganda.
Content Title:
Reading and Language Arts:
1.E.1 Apply comprehension skills through exposure
to a variety of texts, including traditional print and
electronic texts.
1.E.2 Use strategies to prepare for reading (before
reading.
1.E.3 Use strategies to make meaning from text
(during reading)
1.E.4 Use strategies to demonstrate understanding
of the text (after reading).
2.A.1 Apply comprehension skills by selecting,
reading, and interpreting a variety of print and
electronic informational texts.
2.A.2 Analyze text features to facilitate understanding
of informational texts.
2.A.3 Apply knowledge of organizational patterns of
informational text to facilitate understanding.
2.A.4 Analyze important ideas and messages in
informational texts.
2.A.5 Analyze purposeful use of language.
2.A.6 Read critically to evaluate informational text.
Potential Service-Learning Action Experiences:
 Students will develop a deeper and more complex understanding of the challenges faced
by peers in other countries. (Indirect)
 Students will enhance and encourage literacy.(Indirect)
 Students will implement before, during, and after writing strategies to produce an
individualized memory books. (Direct)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Service-Learning Project: Memory Books of Hope
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
1
Best Practices of Service-Learning
Memory Books of Hope
1.
Meet a recognized community need
Many schools have taken a further interest in global issues and their impact on their own
society. Children in third world countries have enormous issues to overcome just to get the
opportunity to receive the education that is often taken for granted in the United States. This
is an opportunity for students to examine and develop empathy for the “night commuter” in
Uganda and to reflect on their own educational opportunities. Students will examine their
own understandings of how memories shape the individual.
2.
Achieve curricular objectives through service-learning
Students will practice their writing fluency in order to share stories from their own lives. They
will participate in all aspects of the editing process in order to create a memory book to be sent
to children in Uganda.
3.
Reflect throughout the service-learning experience
Students will examine closely the idea of theme (coming of age) and how it is universal. They
will grasp how events craft, mold, and determine the way each individual matures.
4.
Develop student responsibility (Students have opportunities to make decisions about the
service-learning project.)
Students will decide which aspects, characters, setting, and conflicts are involved in the stories.
They will determine what part of their “coming of age” would best become a complete
narrative. The students may also add illustration to his/her narrative in order to enhance the
reader’s understanding and connection to the theme.
5.
Establish community partnerships
Community partnerships will be established between media specialists, art department, public
libraries, and The Memory Project.
Abha Thakkar;
The Memory Project,
4013 Hegg Ave.,
Madison, WI 53716
http://www.thememoryproject.org
6.
Plan ahead for service-learning
Students will establish several standard themes that reoccur in adolescents. They should ask
clarifying questions and make recommendations about their ideas and that of other stake
holds. Narratives will be revised until they are perfect! A real audience will be reading them!
7.
Equip students with knowledge and skills needed for service
Writing and editing procedures will be addressed and practiced. Using text and art in order to
emphasize ideas will be reviewed. Literary techniques will be reinforced in order to represent
a variety of form and media.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Service-Learning Project: Memory Books of Hope
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
2
Procedures with Resources
Memory Books of Hope
These procedures represent an example of a service-learning lesson on this specific topic, but can be changed to
meet individual classroom interests or varying community needs. You are encouraged to adapt this unit to fit
your unique classroom and community and to solicit student input in planning and decision making.
1. Introduce students to the narrative elements by reading and analyzing published short stories.
It may be beneficial to focus on one specific narrative element in each short story.
2. Through short writing activities, allow students to practice using these narrative elements.
Allow time for peer and teacher revision.
3. Using resources from The Memory Project’s Web site (http://www.thememoryproject.org),
introduce students to the problems facing children in Uganda. A Power Point, articles, and
film clips are available for your use.
4. Explain to students that they will be publishing their own short stories, which will be sent to
the children in Uganda. Remind students that the stories must be positive as the children of
Uganda experience violence and pain on a daily basis. Encourage students to write stories
about their own experiences (since coming of age is a common theme of focus during
freshman year, this may be a great topic to write about).
Additional Interdisciplinary
5. Instruct each student to develop at least six story ideas that
s/he may be able to turn into a complete narrative. Story
ideas should only be about three sentences long and should
include the conflict, the setting, and the main characters
involved in the story.
6. Have students share their story ideas in small groups.
Students should ask clarifying questions about each other’s
ideas and then make recommendations about the story they
believe would be most compelling to write. Students should
then choose the one story idea they will turn into a complete
narrative.
7. Write and revise narratives. Narratives should be revised
until they are perfect! A real audience will be reading them!
Connections
 History – View Invisible
Children DVD in order to
create a basis visually for the
books.
 Visual Arts – examine art
work from Uganda that
expresses the trials and
tribulations of growing up in
a third world county at war.
8. Publish narratives into one anthology (you can type each narrative and have them bound at
Kinkos or buy scrapbooks and give each student a page). Each student may also opt to create
illustrations for his/her narrative.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Service-Learning Project: Memory Books of Hope
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
3
9. Send your completed anthology to Abha Thakkar (the Books of Hope Director) in Madison,
WI. (Detailed instructions for where to send the anthologies are included on the Web site).
10. Spend some time reflecting upon the experience. You may want to allow your students to
decide how they would like to reflect: through writing, through art, through discussion, etc.
Below are a few questions to guide your reflection: What did you learn about in this project
that was most meaningful to you? What did we accomplish with this project? What went well?
What could have gone better? What else could be done about this problem?
11. Reflect and evaluate the effectiveness of the project by completing the Rubric for Assessing the
Use of the Maryland’s Seven Best Practices of Service-Learning which can be found at
www.mdservice-learning.org.
Created: July 2009
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Service-Learning Project: Memory Books of Hope
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
4
Service-Learning Components
Memory Books of Hope
A. Preparation / Research
B. Action (Direct, Indirect, Advocacy)
C. Reflection
Quality Service-Learning Project Assessment (Rubric)
Course Syllabus: Contains SL Project
Introduction: SL Public Service Announcement
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Service-Learning Project: Memory Books of Hope
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
5