Advocacy Podcasts
In English and Social Studies classes, Middle School students research an issue impacting youth in their neighborhood and create a podcast to advocate for solutions. Through this project, students understand that they possess a unique perspective and set of skills that allows them to effectively bring about change within their communities.
PROGRAM
Design Your Neighborhood
CLASS TYPE
English + Social Studies
PARTNERS
| Carlin Mayes, Songwriter
| Chattanooga Design Studio
| Carlin Mayes, Songwriter | Chattanooga Design Studio
Advocacy Podcasts
Encouraging Students to Find their Voice
Curriculum Summary
Students learn about issues of our communities today, like affordable housing, transportation, and access to parks, as well as advocate for change in those arenas. In small groups, students will summarize their issue of choice over a recording made into a podcast. For the podcast, they are encouraged to share their own perspectives on the issue having learned the importance of their own voice. The podcasts become public and enduring on our website to extend the reach of the students’ activism.
Social Studies Extension
Students in varying middle school grades will explore different historical innovations and movements from around the world that connect to their course standards. They will not only develop greater geographic awareness, but they will identify similarities and differences between cultures and social groups. The curriculum is meant to help students recognize how ideas can inspire change.
ELA Skills
Through participating in the podcast project, students will address various reading, writing, vocabulary, and speaking and listening standards. Students will use research skills and multiple sources to build their knowledge of their topic, cite text evidence to support their ideas, participate in collaborative discussions, learn new vocabulary, use informative and argumentative writing skills, and present their claims and findings in the final podcast.
“When I think of gentrification when it comes into my community, I feel like the goal of it is to break us apart, so that all of our memories go down the drain. They are already trying to move people out the neighborhood. I feel like they don’t give people a voice.
I can make changes by helping the community members, but it won’t change what they doing. I can do that. I can try talking to people asking people in the neighborhood to also talk about it.”
— Student from Two Rivers Middle
Featured Podcast
2022-2023
Teenage youth deserves to have a nice and safe place to socialize. Our parks are filled with trash or aren't safe for us to socialize. We want change in our community. We want people to help our youth.
-Student from Antioch Middle
The map above shows the location of the 23 middle schools where the Design Your Neighborhood podcast project was taught. Click on the blue dots to explore the schools and the student work being done there.