12th Grade 

2017 Senior Project Website

The "Truths" We Make of Our "truths" : Understanding Goal:

1.   The difference between the sociopolitical narratives presented to us and the sociopolitical reality in which we live.

 

Berkeley High School's Arts & Humanities Academy Senior Interdisciplinary Project aimed to use investigative journalism strategies to explore the multiple narratives surrounding a variety of socio-political issues, with particular attention to how these narratives are developed, articulated, and perpetuated.

THE TASK:

Working in groups of four, students were responsible for selecting their topics. This did not have to be an issue with a clear pro and con, but students were encouraged to consider topics that seemed to generate completely distinct interpretations based on audience or intention.
 
The topics selected were:
- Internet Privacy
- Airport Security
- Violent Video Games
- Animal Testing
- Gun Control
- Genetically Modified Foods
- Humane Slaughter
- Obesity in America
- Healthcare 
- Decriminalization of Prostitution
 
After settling on a topic the students began to research, investigating at the various narratives that they discovered that were used to explain, refute, support, or question the topic.
 
The final product would consist of the following:
1. A series of Investigative Reports - anywhere from two to four - that explored a particular narrative.
2. Original graphic representations of data
3. Found data and artifacts from various media sources
4. A pastiche of a familiar movie poster built around the central ideas of the topic and/or narrative(s)
5. An annotated works cited
 

The goal was to have all of the projects submitted digitally and for that we chose to use Storify with the hope that it would facilitate the incorporation of social media consequently helping to get a clearer - and perhaps more interesting - picture of the current conventional wisdom surrounding their topics. We feel that the  project was a success - students gained deep skills of research, synthesis thinking, and critical analysis, and all groups pushed themselves to better understand the varying viewpoints that contribute to the larger understanding of complex social issues in our society.