Social Issue Monologue
Similar to the “Missing Voice Monologue,” the social issue monologue is an excellent assessment of students’ critical thinking and analysis skills as they create and perform a monologue from the point of view of a social issue.
Grade Level/Age: 10th grade (15-16 years)
Curriculum Addressed: The focus of the curriculum is on research, critical thinking and point of view.
Process Goals: Students research a social issue and create a monologue from that the personified perspective of the social issue. Due to the research involved, the monologues are best used more formally for a final assessment.
Materials: Any source could be adapted for use with this activity.
Desired Understandings: Students will continue to home their literacy skills as they research and create monologues from the personified perspective of a social issue.
Procedure:
- Assign students a social issue (or let them choose one that interests them).
- After researching a set number of sources, students discuss and personify their social issue.
- In groups, pairs, or individually, students create a monologue from the personified perspective of the social issue.
- Students will present their monologues (or record them in iMovie) to the class. A discussion of their analysis and artistic choices will follow along with a reference page of the sources consulted during their research. A written response and explanation of their dramatic adaption could be assigned, too.
Standards:
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
- Content that is gathered carefully and organized well successfully influences an audience.
Standard 3: Writing and Composition
- Literary or narrative genres feature a variety of stylistic devices to engage or entertain an audience.
- Organizational writing patterns inform or persuade an audience.
Standard 4: Research and Reasoning
- Collect, analyze, and evaluate information obtained from multiple sources to answer a question, propose solutions, or share findings and conclusions
Assessment: I use our English Department’s AP Synthesis rubric to evaluate students’ monologues. The writing rubric reinforces both the content students are learning and the writing process at the same time.
Adaptions/Accommodations: I expect all students to do their best in completing the assignment. I often will let students record their monologue and present their performance as an iMovie.