Through Our Eyes

Learning Objectives:

By the completion of this unit and final project my students will:

• Acquire skills which enable them to successfully use technology equipment such as digital cameras.
• Develop the skills and knowledge necessary to develop and create a web-site.
• Further develop their reading and writing skills.
• Further develop their abilities to work in groups.
• Further develop their communication skills.
• Develop a personal understanding of what it means to be a productive citizen.


Through Our Eyes

“The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros is a novel that addresses many important themes, but none more important that poverty. But simply talking about a world problem does not teach my students as much as a hands-on problem solving project would! Upon completing the novel, my students will tackle the final project “Through Our Eyes.” Through this three week project, my students would complete the following activities:

1. My students design a canned food drive that benefits our local food bank “Second Blessings.” This will be accomplished through groups of students from each class period working cooperatively together to accomplish their specific assigned task.

2. My students will use the TOOL FACTORY WORKSHOP to advertise the food drive in the school and community.

3. From the planning stage to the completion of the project my students will document their progress, work, and experiences by using the DIGITAL CAMERAS. This will include working in the classroom, the actual food drive, and finally delivering the collection to our food bank. The DIGITAL CAMERAS will also be used to document interviews of classmates and community members.

4. Students will develop their writing skills through out this project by using the TOOL FACTORY WORKSHOPS to write journal entries which detail their experiences of working in groups and giving back to their community. TOOL FACTORY WORKSHOP will also be used to create and edit the interviews complete by students.

5. Upon completing the delivery of the collected food, my students will return to the classroom to create their final product, a class web-page created by using TOOL FACTORY HOME PAGE.

6. Students will use the photos taken with the DIGITAL CAMERAS and the personal narratives and interviews written using TOOL FACTORY WORKSHOP to create a web-page that details the results of the canned food drive.

7. The photos used to forever record the experiences of this project will be enhanced by using WHOLE CLASS FRESCO and MULTIMEDIA LAB V.

8. SHOWCASE NIGHT: The community will be invited to the high school campus when the students will reveal their web-page and present first hand speeches on the effects of this project. The DIGITAL CAMERAS' video abilities will be used to document this night. The students will edit the video and create a personal DVD for each student.

9. The equipment used for this project will be re-used in future years to ensure that our freshman students are exposed to a unique learning experience that will mold them into industrious students and leaders.


The “Through Our Eyes” project will have a lasting impact on the students who participate as well as our community. My students will develop necessary real world and job skills by learning to use technology to create a final product. They will develop communication skills, have the opportunity to showcase their creativity and use critical thinking to work through obstacles. But most importantly the estimated 130 high school freshman who will participate in this project will come away with a new perspective on what it means to be a productive contributing citizen. Furthermore, our community will be affected greatly. Not only will our local food bank will see an increase in their food supply, but most importantly our community members will be able to see the work of our students through the web-page. I believe that this web-page will shed new light on our students, their goals and abilities, while at the same time inspiring our community to partake in more projects which benefit everyone.

THIS PROGRAM WILL FOLLOW THE TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR ENGLISH I.