Bud's Buddies

Step 1: Reading

As a class, students will read Bud, Not Buddy.
Then the students will answer questions in their journal.

First Journal Entry: Throughout the book Bud refers to his Rules and Things For Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself. Read the following rule and imagine it’s you waking up in a homeless shelter.
 
Rules and Things Number 29
When You Wake Up and Don’t Know For Sure
Where You’re At and There’s a Bunch of People
Standing Around You, It’s Best to Pretend You’re
Still Asleep Until You Can Figure Out What’s Going On
and What You Should Do

In your journal write about your reactions to the people, sounds, smells, or lack of sounds, familiar smells, etc.  Use descriptive, specific terms to record your reactions.

Second Journal Entry:
“Being on the lam was a whole lot of fun....for about five minutes.”   Bud escapes the Amoses with hornet stings, a bite on his hand and his beloved suitcase. 

Do you think you could make it alone on your own? Imagine you’re “on the lam” like Bud.  What five items would you carry in your own suitcase and why? List the five items in your journal along with why you’ve chosen them and what they mean to you.


Step 2: Research

Using the pathfinder provided in the resource list below, create a research guide using Google docs. By using Google docs, you and your group members can work collaboratively on the same document from any computer that has access to the Internet. The information you gather in this step will be compiled into a presentation in Step 5, so pay close attention to the following elements.

•    Statistics regarding homelessness in the U.S. and your area.
•    Causes for homelessness
•    Resources available to help homeless children and families
•    Possible health and safety risks associated with homelessness
•    Solutions for eliminating homelessness

Step 3: Compare/Contrast

With your group, create a Venn Diagram tool comparing Bud, who lived during The Great Depression, to homeless children today. Think about the causes and resources Bud had and compare them to today’s causes and resources.

Use the following Venn Diagram tool:

ReadWriteThink – Once you have finished your Venn Diagram create a screen shot of it and paste to a PPT slide to be used later in Step 5.

Step 4: Brainstorming

What can we do to help homeless children and families in our own communities?

Using the resources in the pathfinder, your group will come up with a few ideas on how your school can help the homeless in your community. Place your ideas on a Wallwisher board provided by your teacher. Then narrow it down to one activity. This activity will be the basis for your Bud’s Buddies campaign.

Step 5: The Presentation

Now it is time to compile all your research information into a compelling presentation that will bring awareness to homeless children and families in your area. You will use pictures, graphs, charts, text, and other elements to capture the attention of your audience.

    * GlogsterEdu - http://edu.glogster.com/login/
    * Prezi - http://prezi.com/login/?next=/your/
    * Weebly.com - http://www.weebly.com/
    * Google presentations - http://www.google.com/google-d-s/presentations/

Please use the following checklist when working on your presentations:

    O Is my presentation easy for viewers to see and understand?
    O Is my presentation attractive?
    O Does my presentation send the message I am expecting it to send?
    O Are my graphics clear and easy for people to see from a distance?
    O Have I included research and statistics which were compiled in Step 2?
    O Does the information in my presentation persuade people to want to help this cause?
    O Have all group members contributed?

Goal: Keep in mind when working on your presentation that your group's goal is to solicit votes from your classmates in a school-wide vote to be conducted after each group has presented their ideas to the school. The outcome of the voting will determine which group's project will be selected for the school-wide help the homeless campaign.

Final Step: School-wide Campaign

Your group will present their presentation to the entire student body over the closed-circuit network or during a school assembly. After all the groups have presented their research and help the homeless campaign ideas, the student body will vote on the group's campaign they feel best meet the needs of the homeless in their area.

Your teacher will create a survey using one of the following voting tools once your presentations have been given.
Survey Monkey
Google Surveys

Keep in mind, no matter the final outcome, you are bringing awareness to the plight of homeless children and families in your area!