Summary of Project and Impact

We will create a problem-based project to proactively approach the issue of school

violence. The concept of internal struggle will guide our attempt to address this issue.

Coincidentally, one of the most impactful events in American history is the Civil War, which is a

perfect representation of internal struggle.

The entry event for this project will focus on how disputes can arise between friends and

family (internal struggles). It will include an activity that exemplifies how these disputes can

result in physical altercations. Civil war is often the consequence of a nation’s internal struggles.

Activities throughout the project will range in style and content from creating timelines and

Venn diagrams to full poster board and PowerPoint presentations. By relating our schools’

internal struggles that have manifested in violence to the American Civil War we can engage

students on a personal level. Through understanding of this historical event, we can better

understand how to address our own internal struggles and answer the question “how can we

make our school safer?”

Student Impact

The project impact upon students will most immediately affect the 37 seventh graders

that are in my classroom during 2nd and 7th period. We will be addressing the school-wide issue

of violence, starting in the classroom. The overall student impact will be much larger and equally

measurable.

The culmination of this project will be a peace treaty that the students sign. Learning

about why internal conflicts occur and how such conflicts come to resolution will help the

students to create their own version of a Vista Verde campus peace treaty. Once the treaty has

been drafted and signed by the students within the classroom, it will be presented to the entire
school as the final product. With an immediate target of over 600 students, the total number of

students impacted by this project could number in the thousands if the campus adopts it for

following school years.

Teacher Impact

The broad scope of this project will require some effort from the fellow educators in my

institution for successful implementation. We will collaborate with the English department in

creating the final product through Google Docs. As noted, the project will start in our classroom

but hopefully spread to the entire campus. Considerable assistance from a variety of staff will be

necessary. To keep the project grounded, I shall require all students in my future classrooms to

sign the peace treaty at the beginning of every new school year.

Community Impact

If properly implemented, this project should help reduce the amount of violence at Vista

Verde Middle School. Noting this drop in violence, other schools in the Paradise Valley Unified

School District would be likely to adopt similar programs and projects. By making schools

within the district safer for students we can build upon creating safety and security for the entire

community of Paradise Valley.