Letters from the Heart

By Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, December 4, 2007

Grade Level

Middle School

Subject Area

Language Arts
Social Studies

Lesson Time

One or two fifty-minute class periods

Introduction

Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum’s Design for the Other 90% exhibition demonstrates how design can be a dynamic force in saving and transforming lives, at home and around the world. Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted. In fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter. Design for the Other 90% explores a growing movement among designers to design low-cost solutions for this “other 90%.” In this lesson, students will examine the importance of design in creating positive change in the world, and write letters to share their thoughts with a larger community.

National Standards

Common Core Literacy for Other Subjects

Strand Reading for History/Social Studies Grades 6-8

RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

Strand Writing for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects Grades 6-8

WHST.6-8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

WHST.6-8.9. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.

Common Core English Language Arts

Strand Speaking and Listening Grades 6-8 SL.6-8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.6-8.2. Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

Economics

Standard 1. Understands that scarcity of productive resources requires choices that generate opportunity costs

Level III (Grade 6-8)

Benchmark 1. Understands that scarcity of resources necessitates choice at both the personal and the societal levels

Benchmark 2. Knows that all decisions involve opportunity costs and that effective economic decision making involves weighing the costs and benefits associated with alternative choices

Language Arts - Reading

Standard 7. Uses skills and strategies to read a variety of informational texts Level III. Benchmark 1. Reads a variety of informational texts (e.g., electronic texts; textbooks; biographical sketches; directions; essays; primary source historical documents, including letters and diaries; print media, including editorials, news stories, periodicals, and magazines; consumer, workplace, and public documents, including catalogs,technical directions, procedures, and bus routes)

Language Arts - Writing

Standard 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process Level III. Benchmark 5. Uses content, style, and structure (e.g., formal or informal language, genre, organization) appropriate for specific audiences (e.g., public, private) and purposes (e.g., to entertain, to influence, to inform

Working With Others

Standard 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group

Objectives

Students will:

explore varied aspects of the design process
investigate the Design for the Other 90% exhibition
conduct internet research
create a class presentation
write a letter
participate in small-group and large-group discussion
work collaboratively in small groups

Resources

“Dear….” handout (attached)
Design for the Other 90% exhibition http://www.designother90.org/solutions/?exhibition=12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g37QUl6RPI
Group One: Martin Fisher, Co-founder/CEO, KickStarter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1fhOeSH3j8
Group Two: Ron Rivera, Coordinator of Ceramic Water Filter and International Projects, Potters for Peace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpmVCCYJ_kc
Group Three: Dr. Paul Polak, Founder, International Development Enterprises http://www.cooperhewitt.org/videos/cooper-hewitt-design-other-90-panel-paul-polak
Group Four: Modesta Nyirenda-Zabula, Project Manager, Godisa Technologies Trust https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxD2ogXBnyI

Materials

Computer with internet access

Procedures

Building Background Activity One: Introducing Design

The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to different aspects of design.

Explore the Design for the Other 90% website with your students: http://www.designother90.org/solutions/?exhibition=12.
Have the students listen to the brief introductory video featuring information about design at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g37QUl6RPI.
Invite the students to share their responses to this information with their classmates. Ask the students to generate a list of questions that were raised by this project, and have them include any questions they might have about design.
Divide the class into small groups. Tell the students that each group is going to watch a brief video on one aspect of design and create a presentation summarizing what the students in the group have learned.

Group One: Martin Fisher, Co-founder/CEO, KickStarter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1fhOeSH3j8
Group Two: Ron Rivera, Coordinator of Ceramic Water Filter and International Projects, Potters for Peace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpmVCCYJ_kc
Group Three: Dr. Paul Polak, Founder, International Development Enterprises http://www.cooperhewitt.org/videos/cooper-hewitt-design-other-90-panel-paul-polak
Group Four: Modesta Nyirenda-Zabula, Project Manager, Godisa Technologies Trust https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxD2ogXBnyI

Steps for Learning

Tell the students that they are going to think about the message behind the Design for the Other 90% exhibition, and think of ways to share this message. Give the students a copy of the “Dear….” handout.
Provide time for each group to fill out the handout.
After each group has presented its work, lead a class discussion based on the following questions:

What did you learn from your classmates’ presentations?
What was the best part of each presentation?
What was the most effective part of each letter?
How did this exercise help raise awareness of this growing design movement?

Assessment

Create a class rubric with your students that will help them understand the effectiveness of their work. Use the following guidelines to help create the rubric.

Rate the quality of your group’s discussion.
Rate the quality of your group’s ability to analyze the elements of your task.
Rate the quality of your group’s letter.
Rate the quality of your group’s presentation in conveying its ideas.
Rate your creativity.
Rate how well your group was able to collaborate.

Enrichment Extension Activities

Differentiation for High School

Ask the students to return to the list of questions that were generated earlier in the activity and choose one to research further.