Citizens Leadership
Academy
About the Project
Our Renaissance case study product
This project began when our seventh-grade crews studied the Renaissance, which means “rebirth.” The Renaissance was filled with inventors, innovators, and reformers, like Johannes Gutenberg, who revolutionized the world with his printing press, and Leonardo Da Vinci, who was a true Renaissance man because of his many and varied fortes.
We wanted to find modern-day inventors, innovators, and reformers in Cleveland, so we interviewed people who, like Renaissance figures, have a variety of talents and interests. Our interviewees ranged from scientists to community leaders to CEOs. They include Trevor Clatterbuck, who started his own grocery service; Angela Ting, who is conducting groundbreaking cancer research; and Bill Memberg, who founded a nonprofit to adapt toys for children with disabilities. All 30 interviewees have truly had an impact on Cleveland and the world as a whole.
Our goal was two-fold: to highlight and celebrate the efforts of these amazing individuals, and also to practice the reading, writing, and listening skills we have been cultivating all year. During our interviews, we asked them questions like “How does your profession help the Cleveland area?” and “Why did you start this profession, and what do you want to see in the future of your cause?” We also asked them about how to fix problems in Cleveland, and about their inspirations and aspirations.
This project was a new experience for us, considering this was our first time conducting interviews. Our articles also underwent a more rigorous editing and revision process than we had previously experienced. We learned that there are a lot of different people doing different things to help improve Cleveland. Even though they have different ideas and goals, their efforts are combining to improve the quality of life in Cleveland and beyond. Because of this project, and thanks to our interviewees, we have more insight on how to improve our city, and we are inspired to follow in their footsteps.
- Isaiah Tate, crew 3
"Because of this project, and thanks to our interviewees, we have more insight on how to improve our city, and we are inspired to follow in their footsteps."
- Isaiah Tate, crew 3
Project Photo Gallery
Project Steps
1
Interview preparation
To prepare for their interviews, our students conducted practice interviews of family members, peers, and teachers. Then, they conducted practice interviews through video chat on Google Hangout. Carrie Buchanan, a communications professor at John Carroll University, gave a guest lecture on interview techniques.
2
Conducting interviews
Our students previewed their interviewee's biography, and wrote questions to ask him/her. At the interview, they had roles including greeter, recorder, closer, etc. They took notes, and also used a digital recorder to capture the conversation.
3
Organizing and prewriting
Students organized their interview notes by color coding each quote by category. They then created outlines for each paragraph of their article. Editors from the Cleveland State University newspaper, The Cauldron, assisted our students in this part of the process.
4
Writing, editing, and revising
Before writing, students read several examples, including those from last year's Veteran Voices book and the book Girls Think of Everything. Students followed their outlines and drafted their articles. We did mini-lessons on what to put in quotations, ways to vary vocabulary and sentence structure, how to punctuate a quote, etc. Students engaged in peer editing, and also completed grammatical edits provided during teacher review.
5
Layout and presentation
Lastly, students selected pull quotes and created sidebar boxes for the layout of their articles. Students presented copies of their 100+-page book to the 30 interviewees at our spring Celebration of Learning.