Public Service

Course Description: GRADE 10-12 – Public Service: This course is a social studies elective focused on community service, community engagement, philanthropy, social motivation, PISP, ASAP, 4 C’s, and a culminating group project as well as an individual community/district project. This course is designed to meet the needs of students who may want to further their education in any level after high school. Students will be expected to develop and demonstrate competency in all Pennsylvania Core Standards and will be expected to guided and supported work in both writing, social engagement, community improvement, and civic duty. Social studies composition will be presented through the fundamentals of writing, investigative reports, informative reports, and research composition that results in a group project and an individual project to better the community and/or district. Students will practice analytical speeches as well as developing communication skills. An emphasis will be placed on problem solving skills, and each student will research, plan, and write in accordance with various prompts in accordance with the fundamentals of research writing, proper MLA citations, Collin’s Writing, and College/Career Readiness Standards. Students will complete a district assessment, quizzes, tests, guest speaker responses, a group community project, and an individual project to better the community and/or district.

Fundraising:  initiatives will be integrated into the course to provide students with the opportunity to support community/district projects during the individual and group projects. Examples of fundraising are sponsors, charitable events, and a merchandise fundraiser. These funds and fundraising activities will be voted upon by the student body in the course for usage in charity events/projects and in the event that funds remain available and are chosen to start scholarship opportunities.

Course Objectives:

Upon the successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:

1. Recognize, analyze, and interpret public service communication through textual analysis.
2. Read and respond to body language and speaker responses, using the 4 C’s.
3. Write and speak with a command of standard English conventions, at a higher level.
4. Write in a variety of different motivational formats with a clear focus, purpose, and logical organization.
5. Prepare for professional careers or higher education, through career exploration.

Major Assignments:

A variety of activities and assignments will be completed throughout the year.  Due dates will be provided as the activities are assigned.  Course content will consist of the following:

• Grammar- class notes, exercises, activities, homework, and tests.
• Writing- practice exercises, bell ringers, and various longer writings focusing on textual analysis, citations, informative, narrative, explanatory, and argumentative pieces.
• Literature- reading done both inside and outside of class. Class discussions, activities, written responses, and tests will also be important components. Selections may include short stories, informative writing pieces, digital media, articles, news articles/media, and at least one novel for the research/civic engagement component; group and individual project. 
• Vocabulary- periodic quizzes; literary terms, grammar terms, and selected words from literary texts may also be assigned throughout the year specific to public service.