2013+Grade+6+re-do+of+the+Countries+project+into+a+Human+Rights+project,

Here is a link to the Sage Park Middle School, Grade 6 Human Rights Project []

We choose about 10 unique countries that are "in the news" for each social studies classroom -- so that each social studies classroom had unique countries (if the number of resources per country allowed).

We assigned students to groups of 2-3 per country.

We had students research using one source per day -- starting with the country books -- especially Marshall Cavendish's Cultures of the World series. We also make sure we have a variety of books on each country -- that span a number of reading levels.

Then we introduce a database per day until the research is done.

Again, the students work in teams so they can complete the research quicker. Then the students complete the blanks on their organizers via a jigsaw process.

Then each student selects what he/she thinks is the most important issue and then each student individually writes a 1-2 page paper that states what they think is the issue in their country that should be tackled first and why.

Then each group reviews the essays written by their group and they choose the paper with the best argument, and as a group they complete a PowerPoint presentation about their country and their selected issue.

They make these group presentations to their classroom and sometimes the groups are invited to present their projects to other 6th grade social studies classrooms.