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Homeless in America

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In Homeless in America: Exploring Homelessness and the People Who Seek to End it, student looked at the different ways that could be used to end homelessness in America.

INSTRUCTORS

Angela Guerrero

SCHOOL SITE

High Tech High Chula Vista

LEVEL

11th Grade

SUBJECTS

Humanities

Overview

How can we end homelessness in America?
What is the face of homelessness in America?
What should/ can citizens and community members do about homelessness?

We will learn about the complex issues around homelessness in San Diego county and in the country. We will hear from experts in the city, visit shelters, volunteer, and interview community members who work with the homeless. From those experiences, as well as through class research and the reading of memoirs of people who have experienced homelessness, we will start to think about the essential questions and begin the craft our responses to the essential questions.

Products

  • Research Essay/ News Story that explores solutions to ending homelessness and answers the question: Can we end homelessness?
  • Formal Magazine Style Interview of a “Hero” in the Homeless Community (volunteers, county workers, police officers, non-profit sector workers, shelter employees, educators, artists)
  • High Resolution Portrait Photograph of the Hero
  • Painting of Hero
  • Read a memoir, biography, autobiography or fiction piece about homelessness or poverty in America (Options: Angela’s Ashes, A Girls’ Guide to Homelessness, The Glass Castle, Into the Wild, Of Mice and Men, Under the Overpass)
  • Conduct community service in a homeless shelter at least two mornings (breakfast service and child care)
  • Write a narrative reflection the service experience

Publication: Hidden Heroes (PDF)

***all writing is for the magazine/newspaper

Exhibition

We will host a charity art auction and newspaper sale event raising money for the San Diego Rescue Mission.

Community Partners

  • Housing Urban and Development of San Diego Country
  • The San Diego Rescue Mission
  • San Diego Homeless Outreach Team
  • The Alpha Project
  • Father Joe’s Villages
  • The United Way
  • The Monarch School

Schedule

Week One: Introduce the project, “what do you think of when you hear homeless?” Volunteer #1
Week Two: Volunteer, begin feature/research articles about homelessness, how to write an INTERVIEW, Lit. Circles
Week Three: Guest speakers… news, shelter visits #2 , CONDUCT interviews, history of homelessness readings
Week Four: interviews & research continued transcribe the interviews in class, lit. circle
Week Five: Sketch photos & begin painting: skype with Kish (San Diego artist)
Week Six: Continue working on Paintings, and research articles… print team compile magazine & design the layout, invitations to be emailed
Week 7 after winter break—finalize art pieces, set up for exhibition Thursday January 10th

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