This article describes a community action student- led project that features authentic writing and engagement to increase motivation. The article highlights important instructional strategies for implementing community action projects and the resulting student learning. The article concludes with the authors' reflections and observations.

Project "Green Footprint" is a local community environment project created by fifth-grade students to remind the citizens of their school (and Earth) to tread lightly on Mother Nature's creations. The students chose to focus on the air quality outside the school, specifically the carbon emissions produced by idling cars. Students complete Internet…

Describes interdisciplinary strategies that develop civic literacy by empowering students as members of a democratic community. Concludes that civic writing, using the research skills of inquiry and advocacy, is a successful catalyst for developing civic community. (MM)

Describes two projects undertaken with the author's high school English classes in which students chose writing they wished to share with their own community, and then published it, in one case selling their class anthology to selected businesses around town. Describes the increase in enthusiasm for writing and care and professionalism caused by…

Describes lessons and units that allow the author's high school English students to make important connections with members of their community, publish their efforts, and thus bridge the gap between young adults and their communities. Describes a "literary cookbook" (published and distributed in their community) in which each student wrote one…

Describes the "Postcards from America" project carried out by a class of high school students, all recent immigrants to the United States with little or no prior English. Discusses two events (an exhibit of students' photographs and writing, and a multimedia performance of nine performance pieces portraying personal stories of the immigrant…

Describes a range of community-based writing projects that the author used with her middle and high school students of all levels. Discusses how these projects (ranging from simple interviews, to short biographies to profiles published and distributed in the community) not only became part of students' home town, but also helped students distill…

Describes an eighth grade teacher's efforts to integrate talk and writing, questioning and discussion, and learning as a shared responsibility between students and teacher. Outlines several projects related to the theme of work that achieved these goals, including interviews with parents and community members, journal entries projecting into the…