Your group makes a 2 to 4 minute podcast episode about a person or group from the Revolution whose story is often left out. You build the script on voices.mrbsocialstudies.org, record it in WeVideo, and the class listens to every episode on Monday, November 9.
Why does your person or group matter to the story of the Revolution?
Your answer is your thesis. Your whole episode backs it up, and your Wrap says it out loud.
Listen to Mr. B’s sample episode about Haym Salomon to hear what a finished one sounds like.
The Schedule
| Day | What we do | Done means |
|---|---|---|
| Week 9 | ||
| Mon 10/26 | Socratic Seminar and podcast preview. | Group Selection Form turned in |
| Tue 10/27 | The war in seven stops. Meet the hidden voices and rank your top three topics. | Topic menu ranked |
| Wed 10/28 | Read about your topic. Check how much you can trust two sources. Take notes. | Research Notes: two sources checked, facts started |
| Thu 10/29 | Library: write your thesis. Find one more source in a library database or online. | Thesis written, and the group has a source we found |
| Fri 10/30 | No class: Stampede and Advisory. | |
| Week 10 | ||
| Mon 11/2 | Hear the sample episode. Plan the episode, pick who says each part, and set up the Group Doc. | Plan questions and styles done, every part has a name, Group Doc shared |
| Tue 11/3 | Write: My Lines for the Hook and the Story. | My Hook and Story boxes have words |
| Wed 11/4 | Write the Wrap and the source line. Put all lines in the Group Doc. Mark the script and time it. | Whole script in the Group Doc, 2 to 4 minutes |
| Thu 11/5 | Library: record. | Ready to Record check passed, recording started |
| Fri 11/6 | Short day: finish recording, edit and export. Turn it in on Canvas. | Episode turned in |
| Week 11 | ||
| Mon 11/9 | Listen to every episode. | |
| Tue 11/10 | What do all the episodes add up to? | |
| Wed 11/11 | No school: Veterans Day. | |
| Thu 11/12 | Quiz 2. | |
Jobs
Everyone has at least one job, and everyone speaks. Jobs can be shared or split. In a group of two, share them.
Researcher
Before writing: Leads the reading and fills in the Fact Bank. Every fact gets a source. Makes sure the group has a source we found.
While writing: Checks the facts in the Doc. Adds a comment when a line needs a source.
Lead Scriptwriter
Before writing: Picks a style for each part and fills in the plan.
While writing: Puts everyone’s lines in order in the Doc.
Chief Editor
Before writing: Watches the time and this sheet.
While writing: Edits in Suggesting mode, so changes show up as suggestions. Makes sure everyone has lines, and times a read-aloud.
Parts You Can Say
- Host: Talks to listeners and asks the questions.
- Narrator: Sets the scene and moves the story along.
- Subject: The person from history, speaking as “I.”
Six topics are about people who were enslaved. In those episodes nobody plays the person: the Narrator tells their story and reads real words from the time, saying who said them.
What You Bring
- Each of you: Two or more facts from your Research Notes, each with where it came from. You type them into My Lines.
- Your group: At least one source you found yourselves, in a library database or online, besides your reading. The Researcher can use a source a groupmate found, or put several together.
Your source line, said by the Host in the Wrap: “We learned about [person] from ___ and ___.”
How Your Episode Is Graded
Building a product that makes a claim
SSS4.6-8.1
Proficient (3): Every part of your work supports the same clear claim.
In your episode: Your Hook, Story and Wrap all back up your thesis, and the Wrap says it.
Crediting sources correctly
SSS4.6-8.2
Proficient (3): You cite your sources in the right format, both in your work and on your reference page.
In your episode: The Host says the source line, and your Group Doc ends with a list of your sources.
Analyzing what different groups contributed
H2.6-8.6
Proficient (3): You explain and analyze how a cultural or ethnic group shaped U.S. history.
In your episode: Your episode explains what your person or group did and how it changed the Revolution.
Every episode must:
- Everyone speaks.
- The episode runs 2 to 4 minutes.
- Every fact comes from your notes or a source you can name.
- You read clearly, so listeners understand every line.
Ready to Record
Check every one before you record on Thursday.
- The whole script is in the Group Doc, and every line starts with who says it.
- Each of us marked our lines: a slash ( / ) where we pause, and a line under the words we stress.
- We read it all the way through twice, and Practice timed it at 2 to 4 minutes.
- Mr. B heard us read 30 seconds.
The script builder saves your work on the Chromebook you use, so use the same one every day. The Group Doc is the copy your whole group shares.