Impact Project: Celebrating Our Community
Published on May 14, 2025
Celebrating Our Community
ART AS EXPRESSION: IMPACT PROJECT
đź“ť Overview
In this 18 to 20-hour Impact Project (IP), students learn about their local community (which can be defined as their school, neighborhood, town, city, or region) and create art—poems, hip-hop songs, and/or visual art—that celebrates a specific aspect of their local identity. As a part of this project, students:
- brainstorm possible topics and identify a project focus
- gather information to inform an art project that celebrates the community
- present their project to a local audience
đź“š TESOL Focus
This Impact Project (IP) utilizes student-centered learning techniques and guides teachers to:
- act as a guide or facilitator for a student-led project
- help students weigh and justify their choices
- support student choice while providing appropriate limits
- identify students' individual needs to help them thrive while collaborating on a design process
🎯 Goals
As a result of this Impact Project (IP), students will be able to:
- summarize research materials into key themes and topics
- sort and organize information from research and interviews
- use creative and critical thinking skills to plan, draft, and create art pieces
- practice and refine art literacy and public speaking skills when creating and presenting artwork
❤️ Potential Impact
This Impact Project (IP) benefits both students and community members:
- Personal Impact: Students experience the role of artist, develop 21st Century Skills (Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking), and create an art piece that triggers positive engagement, thoughts, and emotions.
- Community Impact: Students engage local audiences in appreciating art, resulting in community members cherishing their community identity.
🔎 Inquiry Notebook Prompts
As students complete the Impact Project, they will document their research, observations, analyses, and reflections in Inquiry Notebooks.
On Page 4 of this project, you will find creative Inquiry Notebook prompts to guide students' critical thinking and encourage them to consider what community means to them, how they celebrate their local identity, and what they learn by engaging with community members. Involve students in their learning by letting them choose one inquiry prompt at each stage of the Impact Project—beginning of the project, mid-project, and at the end of the project.
On Page 4 of this project, you will find creative Inquiry Notebook prompts to guide students' critical thinking and encourage them to consider what community means to them, how they celebrate their local identity, and what they learn by engaging with community members. Involve students in their learning by letting them choose one inquiry prompt at each stage of the Impact Project—beginning of the project, mid-project, and at the end of the project.
đź““ Impact Statements
After students complete the Impact Project, they will review their research, observations, analyses, and reflections in their Inquiry Notebooks.
On Page 12 of this Impact Project, you will find an Impact Statement prompt to capture the overall impact of the Art as Expression unit on student learning. Students will think about the artwork they created and write about how the project has had a positive impact on them and their community. You can add Impact Statements to students' portfolios and use them as a form of alternative assessment to measure student learning.
On Page 12 of this Impact Project, you will find an Impact Statement prompt to capture the overall impact of the Art as Expression unit on student learning. Students will think about the artwork they created and write about how the project has had a positive impact on them and their community. You can add Impact Statements to students' portfolios and use them as a form of alternative assessment to measure student learning.