This guide provides step-by-step instructions for conducting the Creating a Community Newsletter experiment. The goal is to help students develop skills in 

writing, editing, and design through hands-on experience. Also, students will learn to work together, share ideas, and divide tasks to achieve a common goal.

1. Course Objectives;

By the end of this lesson, educators will:

• Guide students in writing clear, concise, and engaging articles for different sections of the newsletter.
• Create a sense of pride and accomplishment among students, parents, and educators through the newsletter.
• Foster creativity and self-expression in students through writing, drawing, and designing the newsletter.
• Develop a portfolio of student work that showcases their skills and creativity.

2. Learning Outcomes

By the end of the experiment, students should be able to:

• Develop creativity and self-expression through writing, drawing, and designing the newsletter.
• Build confidence in their ability to create a high-quality community newsletter.
• Develop essential skills in communication, collaboration, and community engagement.
• Learn to work collaboratively with peers to create content and design the newsletter.
• Improve their literacy skills through writing and editing content for the newsletter.

3. Materials Checklist

• Paper
• Pens
• crayons/colours/paint to add colour to creativity.
• Leaves and flowers to decorate the newsletter.
• Scissors ,glue and tape to create and assemble a newsletter.

4. Icebreaker Preliminary Questions Session

Facilitating a common ground between students and teacher to introduce the topic of the lesson. 

Teachers ask “thought provoking” questions and students are encouraged to ask their “curiosity questions”, to make kids excited or expectant about class. 

• What is your favorite thing about our community and why do you like it?
• Who in our community do you think is a hero and why?

Encourage students to give their perspective on what they know on creating a community newsletter.

Present a “story” that serves as an example of introduction to the topic - a story that merges science and folklore - can be dynamically spread along the experiment.

Story:

The Secret Garden Gazette

In a hidden garden, a group of friends discovered a magical notebook. They decided to create a newsletter to share the garden's secrets and stories. They wrote about the science of growing plants, like how sunlight and water help them grow, and the folklore of the garden's magical creatures. The group of friends was surprised with a party in the garden, complete with colorful balloons, delicious flower-shaped cookies, and a big banner that read "Congratulations, Newsletter Team!" The garden's magical creatures all came to join in the celebration and congratulate the group on their amazing work. The group danced and sang, feeling happy and proud of what they had accomplished together.

5. Experimental Setup

• Break into small groups. 
• Think about what’s happening in our community and what we’d like to put in our newsletter for example;
• Local events like school plays or farmers’ markets
• Stories about interesting people in the community (like a local farmer or a student who did something amazing)
• Fun facts or tips for living in our community (like how to grow vegetables)
• News from school or sports updates
  
   
• Organize ideas into different parts of the newsletter. We can have sections like:
• Community Events
• Student Spotlights
• Fun Facts or Tips
• Weather Updates
  
   
• Assign roles. Some students can write articles and others can help design the layout. Students who will write articles for their assigned section about an event should tell who is involved, what’s happening, and when it will happen.Students who will design can draw the layout on paper. Make sure to add the drawn pictures, use big headings, and make the newsletter easy to read.
• After writing the article, students can read aloud each other’s work to catch errors and improve clarity.

What to Expect - What kids should focus on:

• Sharing their work and collaborating with others to get feedback and suggestions.
• Design principles and how to create a visually appealing layout for their newsletter.
• Having fun and enjoying the process of creating their newsletter.
• Developing critical thinking skills by encouraging them to analyze information and make informed decisions.

Additional References or Materials: 

6. Facilitation Tips

• Make sure kids understand what is expected of them and what they need to do.
• Emphasize the importance of creativity and imagination in the newsletter creation process.
• Allow kids to make choices and take ownership of their work.

7. Class Conclusion and Takeaway

As an “assessment evaluation,” kids can be divided into groups, given time and space, and asked to create a “skit” summarizing what they learned.

Ask kids to come up with a story themselves about the topic of the lesson.

8. Instructor’s Theoretical Background

• Understand the constructivist theory, which states that students construct their own knowledge and understanding through experience and social interaction. Encourage students to explore their community, gather information, and create content, promoting active learning and the construction of knowledge.
• Understand the social learning theory, where students learn from observing and imitating others.
• Understand experiential learning theory, where students learn best through hands-on experiences and real-world applications.

9. Illustration

• Break into small groups.
• Think about what’s happening in our community and what we’d like to put in our newsletter, for example:
  • Local events like school plays or farmers’ markets
  • Stories about interesting people in the community (like a local farmer or a student who did something amazing)
  • Fun facts or tips for living in our community (like how to grow vegetables)
  • News from school or sports updates
• Organize ideas into different parts of the newsletter. We can have sections like:
  • Community Events
  • Student Spotlights
  • Fun Facts or Tips
  • Weather Updates
• Assign roles: Some students can write articles, and others can help design the layout. Students who will write articles for their assigned section about an event should tell who is involved, what’s happening, and when it will happen. Students who will design can draw the layout on paper. Make sure to add the drawn pictures, use big headings, and make the newsletter easy to read.
• After writing the article, students can read aloud each other’s work to catch errors and improve clarity.