Laws of Life
Short Description
Students write short essays about their values, or "Laws" in life. They post these essays to an online newsgroup, where they can read and react to the essays of others.
Subject
- Foreign Language
- Language Arts
- Social Studies
- Civics
- Ethics
Technology Needed
Classrooms can participate through e-mail only, via a list serve, or if they have internet access, they can participate through the on-line discussion group.
Time Commitment
We recommend one week during an English or Social Studies period (approx. 5 hours total).
Registration Information
Contact slucas@us.iearn.org, who will subscribe you to the e-mail newsgroup and/or give you a password for the on-line discussion group.
Registration Deadline
None
Full Project Description
The Laws of Life Essay Project is a joint project between I*EARN and the John Templeton Foundation. This project is an international essay project which invites students to reflect on and write about the values that have helped shape their lives. Its purpose is to give students an opportunity to express in writing how values such as courage, compasson and honesty have impacted their lives and then to share their essays with students and teachers from around the world. Teacher's Guides are available in Arabic, English, Russian, Hindi, Chinese, French and Spanish, and include examples of student essays, different ways of participating and teaching tips. Student's essays will be published in multilingual books for distribution to all participants of this project and to classrooms throughout the world. Excerpts of essays will also be posted on this website. Selected students from different countries may have the opportunity to read their essay at our annual International Conference to be held July 2000 in Beijing, China.
Project Objectives
*Development of Ethical Principles: We all have values that we live by, although often those values aren't clearly stated, fully developed, or critically examined. Writing an essay for the Laws of Life Project will give participants the opportunity to reevaluate and clarify their values.
*Interaction with a World Community: By reading essays from all over the world, students learn that many youths struggle with the same issues, regardless of race, ethnicity or citizenship. They also learn of the different hardships that young people face as a result of these same factors. Finally, culturally diverse responses to one's values can provide crucial and transformative perspective. What makes sense in one community may not make immediate sense in another place; diverse life experiences can inform and enhance all participants' understanding of how one should live.
*Acting on Belief: Both local and international discussions about laws of life can lead both to positive changes in the values of participating learning communities and to actions that aim to realize participants' values in the world.
Assessment
As a writing assignment, students can be graded on clarity of writing style (into, body, conclusion), syntax and grammar, use of techniques such as metaphor, etc. Students can also be assessed on the thoughtfulness of their responses to other students, the amount of time spent, or the number of responses posted. For further ideas on how to incorporate this project into the classroom, please request a Teacher's Guide.
Sponsored by
Sponsored by Since 1988, I*EARN has pioneered the use of innovative technology for educational telecommunications. I*EARN enables students and teachers worldwide to conduct collaborative projects with the goal to help young people to better understand the inter-connectedness of the world and to empower them to take personal and collective action on behalf of their local and global communities. Using this technology, I*EARN has created a community of educators around the world who share the vision that student telecommunication projects can enhance and reform education. For further information regarding I*EARN projects, or to order the 1998-1999 collection of Laws of Life essays ($5 for US shipping and handling costs), please contact I*EARN-USA, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 540, New York, NY 10115, (phone) 212-870-2693, (fax) 212-870-2672, (email) iearn@iearn.org, (Web) http://www.iearn.org
The John Templeton Foundation was established in 1987 by international investment manager Sir John Templeton. The Foundation is committed to advancing a broad spectrum of activities, including studies, award programs and publications that promote the character development of young people in secondary schools, colleges, and universities.
