Teaching Sequence

20 minutes	Part A: Recalling the stories of THE OASIS
30 minutes	Part B: Identifying the issues
20 minutes	Part C: Brainstorming action
20 minutes	Part D: Decision making

Part A: Recalling the stories of THE OASIS

Step 1.

Remind students about the documentary and their prior learning. In the style of a storyteller, recall the part of THE OASIS that was most memorable for you (this will model what is expected of students in this part of the lesson). You could remind students about the main themes of the documentary (marginalisation, poverty, youth homelessness, hope, resilience, etc.) and in doing so, create a sense of story for your class.

Step 2.

Students sit in small groups of 3-4. Ask each group to think about the THE OASIS - the people, their experiences and the hardships they face. They could also think about the sense of hope and hopelessness; and the second, third, fourth and fifth chances the young people in the documentary need in life. Ask students to tell each other stories about their memories and shared experiences as well as the issues highlighted in THE OASIS.

Ask students to respond to the question below on the Student Worksheet:

What section of THE OASIS do you remember the most? Describe the details using the 5Ws: Who, What, Where, When, Why.

Step 3.

Hear from each of the groups about their memories of the documentary, and record what they say on a piece of butcher’s paper (not the whiteboard, as it is advisable that this record of thinking be kept rather than erased) with 'The stories of The Oasis' written in the middle of the page.

Part B: Identifying the Issues

Step 1.

Ask students to consider and respond to the question below on the Student Worksheet:

What factors contributed to the character you remember experiencing homelessness?

As a class, discuss this question and share individual responses. Students' ideas should be written on a piece of butcher’s paper, or could be recorded using an online mind map creator such as bubble.us or mindmeister.

Step 2.

Guide your class in a brainstorm of the factors that could lead to a person experiencing homelessness. In addition to this, the class could make some assumptions about the social issues that are embedded within the different factors they have named. This exercise aims to facilitate students in the identification of much more specific issues within the larger issue of youth homelessness- they can then take those ideas and begin to frame a project that addresses those issues.

On the board, or using a computer and projector, create a table with two columns, and ask students to contribute their ideas.

Factor that contributes to a person experiencing homelessness

What social issues lie in this factor?

For example: a parent suffering from alcoholism is a factor that has lead to a young person experiencing homelessness, so the social issue to be addressed could be better provision of drug and alcohol dependency treatment.

Part C: Brainstorming action

Step 1.

Ask students to use the issues they’ve raised to come up with an inquiry question (individually, or in pairs or small groups) that identifies WHO will take action, HOW they’ll take action, and WHAT will change. Use the following template as a guide:

What would it take for (person/group) to (action to be taken) so that (describe the change that will occur)?

For example:

What would it take for our class (group) to help a Homeless Youth Shelter (action) so that young people experiencing homelessness can access support services and get off the streets (change)?
What would it take for the general public (group) to be aware of the impact of mental illness on people experiencing homelessness (action) so that people show empathy and understanding instead of negative judgement (change)?

One of the key things to remember with the setting of the inquiry question is that it is not supposed to be identifying the specific solution.

Step 2.

Guide students in the exploration of their passions and interests in relation to the inquiry question they have posed. Students will use these ideas to come up with a number of different actions that they could take in their project that will address the problem/issue while still being something that they are interested in. The idea is that if the social action project undertaken involves the ideas and activities that students are passionate about, their project will be much more meaningful and engaging.
A visual tool will be most helpful to complete this activity- invite the class to fill out the Passion/Action/Question table on the Student Worksheet.

Give students some free-writing time to list as many things in their lives that they are interested in and/or passionate about in the left column of the table. It could also be beneficial for the class to be allowed to have one-on-one or group conversations while completing this step, so that students can bounce ideas off each other and increase the number of activities and interests they list. Then, invite students write the question that they came up with in the previous step (their inquiry question, or “big question”) in the far-right column of the table.
For the final step of this exercise, invite students to consider their list of their passions and interests in relation to their inquiry question and list as many different actions that they could take to address their question.

Student's tables could look something like this:

My passions/interests:

Ideas for action:

My Big Question:

Music
Art
Drawing
Acting
Watching T.V and movies
Walking
Food
Reading magazines
YouTube
Spending time with friends
Conservation- small things like turning appliances off at the switch and having short showers

1. Create a short video about the issues faced by young people who experience homelessness and upload onto YouTube. It could be a documentary, or a fictional performance based on real issues.

2. Create a magazine that features that stories of young people who have experienced or are experiencing homelessness.

3. Design a poster that raises the issue of youth homelessness and post around the school/town

4. Have a fundraising day where we bake and sell cupcakes, then donate the funds to a charitable organisation.

What would it take for the general public to be aware of the impact of mental illness on people experiencing homelessness so that people show empathy and understanding instead of negative judgement?

Step 3.

Ask students to write their inquiry question in large letters on an A4 piece of coloured paper and stick it to a wall with Blu-Tack. Supply each student with some sticky-notes. Ask students to read each of the questions on the wall and to write their suggestion for an action that could address the issue on a sticky-note, and stick it to the corresponding question. The suggestions can be as creative as possible; however students would benefit from being aware of the timeline for the project so as to ensure a degree of realism in their suggestions.

Students could start this activity with a small amount of guidance/scaffolding, and if they appear to be struggling, you could suggest some of the approaches below:

Educate other people/raise awareness.
Publish a short story or picture book to educate people about the issue.
Sign or write a petition.
Write a letter to a member of parliament (or someone else in a position of power).
Write a letter to your local newspaper.
Donate something or raise money to support a cause.
Start a community group.
Organise a meeting or information session.
Volunteer skills or time.
Participate in an existing action or event.
Produce a short film that raises awareness around an issue, such as the one below:

Youth Homelessness Matters - (https://youtu.be/heod8jV5Ln0)

Student could then add the suggestions they like to their tables in the "ideas for action" column.

Part D: Decision making

Step 1.

Group formation: students could read each other’s questions, and form groups based on common interests/concerns. Encourage students to form groups of three or four (so that there is enough work for each student in the project).

Step 2.

As a group, students select a course of action to take from the brainstormed suggestions or they could choose an alternative action that they prefer.

Reflection/Homework

Students justify the decision they have made about the social action that they intend on taking. They do so by naming the change that they would like to see as a result of their social action project.

Students also personally reflect on the skills and qualities that they will bring to the group during the social action project, as well as the areas that may need extra work in order to actively contribute to the success of the group.

Differentiated Learning

Extension - Encourage student to consider the soft-skills that they are developing throughout the project and write a reflective journal piece at the end of each session spent working on the project.

Provisional Learning Support - Ensure that each student in the class makes a choice about their group members that will increase their chance for success.

The Oasis - Considering the Issues

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