Digital Storytelling Project

Sometimes the best way to really understand a complex topic is to examine a case study in great detail. In this final assignment, you will be engaging in digital storytelling in order to clarify and refine your understanding of the interplay between risk factors, protective factors, and resilience. The ultimate goal is to provide case studies of resilient children around the globe.

Content Guidelines

1. Begin by deciding on a general set of logically connected risk factors (e.g., a risk chain) that interest you and that you want to explore as a group. The risk factors should be a mix of internal and external factors. These risk factors will be common to all three hypothetical children (see #3 below) and you will need three of them.

2. Then decide on a general set of logically connected protective factors might lead to resilience in the context of these risk factors. The protective factors should be a mix of internal and external factors. These protective factors will be common to all three hypothetical children (see #3 below) and you will need three of them

3. Next, your group will be creating hypothetical, but realistic, profiles (case studies) of three resilient children, with the following parameters: (a) at least one must be male and at least one must be female; (b) all three must be “high risk” – four or more risk factors; (c) one must be from the United States, one must be from a low income country, and one must be from a middle income country (See the World Bank for help finding countries in the last two categories). You may make the three children any age between infancy and age 18.

4. Each child needs one risk factor that is unique to that child’s life circumstances and one protective factor that is unique to that child’s life circumstances.

5. The profile of each child should contain the following information:

a. Name, age, gender, place of birth, current location, and any information unique to that child’s development

b. Parent information: parental age, education, occupation (if any), marital status, and SES

c. Information about the country where that child lives – at a bare minimum, language spoken, GNI, average life span, infant mortality rates, mortality rates for children under age 5, rates of preschool, elementary school, high school, and college attendance, and any necessary information that is unique to that country

d. The risk factors the child experiences and potential causes of these risk factors – this should include research evidence that supports this information. The risk factors should make sense to a child living in that specific context. Each risk factor should be linked to, and briefly “justified” by, research/information found in articles assigned over the semester.

e. Available protective factors for that child – factors that contribute to their resilience – this should include research evidence that supports this information. The protective factors should make sense to a child living in that specific context. Each protective factor should be linked to, and briefly “justified” by, research/information found in articles assigned over the semester.

6. The information provided for each child (see # 3 above) must be accurate, logical, and drawn from or based on credible sources. You will need to, at a minimum, gather information from:

a. The CIA World Fact Book

b. The United Nations

c. The World Health Organization and/or The World Bank

d. Other credible sources (e.g., a report on a government website or university website).

7. The information for, and justification of, each risk and protective factor you use should be drawn from class assigned articles. You may also use other peer-reviewed, scholarly articles and research to supplement the class information.

8. Your digital story should begin with a very brief introduction that includes:

a. your names

b. title of your presentation

c. a brief over-view of the three countries (names) and the risk and protective factors that are common to all three children.

9. The conclusion should include the following information:

a. Your collective understanding of risk as both a universal and individual experience – that is, what seemed to be global and what sorts of things were unique to each child’s context? How might a child’s identity play into the child’s unique context?

b. Your collective understanding of resilience as both a universal and individual experience – that is, what seemed to be global and what sorts of things were unique to each child’s context? How might a child’s identity play into the child’s unique context? How do the arts fit into the picture?

c. Your collective ideas about community resources that might be utilized to promote resilience (i.e., that offer, provide, or strengthen protective factors). Are there global protective factors or factors that can be easily tweaked to meet community needs? If yes, what might some of them be?

10. You will need a list of all references you used for information for this project.

Digital Storytelling Proposal

To help you get started on your digital storytelling project (and to get feedback) you will submit a one page proposal. Your proposal will need to include the following:

1. Name, Age, gender, and country of origin of Hypothetical Child #1

2. Country information for Hypothetical Child #1:

a. language spoken

b. GNI – Gross National Income

c. average life span

d. infant mortality rates

e. mortality rates for children under age 5

f. rates of preschool, elementary school, high school, and college attendance

3. Name, Age, gender, and country of origin of Hypothetical Child #2

4. Country information for Hypothetical Child #2:

a. language spoken

b. GNI – Gross National Income

c. average life span

d. infant mortality rates

e. mortality rates for children under age 5

f. rates of preschool, elementary school, high school, and college attendance

5. Name, Age, gender, and country of origin of Hypothetical Child #3

6. Country information for Hypothetical Child #3:

a. language spoken

b. GNI – Gross National Income

c. average life span

d. infant mortality rates

e. mortality rates for children under age 5

f. rates of preschool, elementary school, high school, and college attendance

7. A general set of logically connected common risk factors = 3

8. A general set of logically connected common protective factors = 3

9. The one unique risk and one unique protective factor for each child