Viral movement

OVERVIEW & RESEARCH

When an idea or movement "goes viral," it is passed on by the public until, like a virus, it reaches a large group of people. Good viral movements reach millions of people and, in many cases, change the world. Most often, social networks like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook make ideas or movements "go viral."

IMPORTANT: To be successful, you need an idea that is worthy of a viral movement. It has to be something big that people want to pass on to others.

When researching your project, consider the following questions, which should help you plan the year-long development of your movement:

  • What is the movement and what are its parts?
    • Is it unique?
      • If it already exists, you need something else.
  • Successful movements are more than a single Tweet or paragraph on Facebook. What else can you create that will bring attention to the movement?
  • What stumbling blocks do you face, and how will you overcome them?
    • For example, what might stop your movement?
  • What examples of successful movements can you find? What makes them successful?
  • What other issues/questions can you come up with along the way?

PLANNING

Consider that you have roughly 24 weeks to complete your project. We will have three checkpoints (grading periods). You should work backwards from the end of the school year, when your organization is complete to the end of each quarter. What will be completed by the end of each 9-week grading period, heading into June?

Break down each quarter into smaller checkpoints.

  • For example, your research and written proposal should be finished by November 30.

  • Does your movement need money? What plans need to be made for fundraising?

  • If you need support from teachers (your social studies teacher could be very helpful) or peers, how will you get it.
  • Other checkpoints?

MATERIALS & PROCEDURES

To complete your project, you will need to use a variety of tools and skills. Please use as many of the following as possible to demonstrate mastery of the applications and expertise in these areas of language arts:

  • Numerous sources for research -- books, web sites, encyclopedias; Noodle Tools will be used to complete the research
  • Your Barnesclass.com web site, including the message board and a special web page that leads me to all parts of your project
  • A Diigo group, containing at least 10 web sites that demonstrate ongoing research and production
  • A variety of web tools that contribute in some way to your project and demonstrate expertise in the use of these applications -- see the web tools page for help
  • Writing throughout the project that supports it:
    • advertising
    • instructions
    • brochures
    • posters
    • proposals
    • e-mails
    • requests for assistance
    • speeches
  • What else? your own materials and procedures, which you clear with me