Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behavior

Class Project

W elcome to your first major project in this class! This project, along with future ones, is
designed to foster your personal growth and skill development. As you collaborate with
diverse student groups, you'll have opportunities to acquire new skills and strengthen
existing ones, all of which are highly valued in today's workforce. Your journey will involve
self-reflection on your role, contributions, and behavior, and you'll also evaluate your peers.
Initially, the teacher will play a more active role in guiding you through the process. However,
the overarching goal is to empower students to become independent, with the teacher acting
as a facilitator to propel you to greater heights and encourage you to explore various
avenues of growth.

What can I expect to learn from this project, and how does it benefit me
in the future?
Contextually: by completing this project, students will further gain an in-depth level of
understanding of the various contexts taught throughout the unit. In order to successfully
complete this project, students must first understand the content they are expected to teach
themselves. By completing such a project, the students benefit from applying what they have
learned, and showcasing it in a more authentic way.

Conceptually: While each student can gain something different from the class project,
outlined below are the focus areas for this project; These focus areas are based on IB
curriculum and 21st century educational pedagogies, most focus areas overlap with hard
skills and soft skills linked above

Inquirers: We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how
to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of
learning throughout our life.

Communicators: We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one

language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to perspectives of
other individuals and groups.

Approaches to Learning (ATL)

Thinking Skills Research Communication Social Self-Management

Analysis Information- Exchanging Self Control Organization

Generating novel Literacy Information
ideas Interpersonal Resilience
Media Literacy Literacy
Application
Reflection ICT
Though they are listed here, students will most likely focus on specific ones at various times during
the project. Practicing of these skills are meant to prepare you for life outside of school
The Project
Conceptually: This project seeks to introduce you to the production process for video
projects, which will be used again in future projects. Here you will practice the 4 Cs of 21st
century educational practices as well as some hard skills which include (web design, filming,
project management, performance arts, design software, business skills)

Contextually: The project is guided by the essential questions below. These questions are
based on content covered in the Unit 3 Biological Bases of Behavior. Your class will create
an educational video approximately 15-20 minutes long, outlining the essential
questions listed below. In your video you must teach about the subject through these
lenses,
Essential Questions:

1. To what extent does the interplay between biological factors, such as genetics and brain
chemistry, shape our behaviors and mental processes, and how does this influence vary
among individuals?

2. What are the consequences on our cognitive and emotional functions when a specific
neurotransmitter is lacking in the body, and how can this imbalance be addressed through
medical or therapeutic interventions?

3. How do the interactions between genetic predispositions and environmental factors lead to
the development of individual behavior patterns and cognitive processes, and how can this
understanding inform strategies for personalized mental health interventions, social and
educational approaches? (focus more on what individuals can do for friends, family,
schoolmates, strangers, etc)

Subgroups

This project takes place over 3 phases outlined below. The duration of each phase is approximately
two class periods. In each phase the team will divide into various sub-groups responsible for
completing particular parts (to be determined in the phases). The sub-groups are expected to change
multiple times throughout the project, and as needed. This is not about being with your friends, but
about being part of a team.

REMEMBER your class is your team, not just your sub-groups, it is expected that the sub-groups can
mix and match, branch off and combine together. If you feel that you are done with your assigned
task, there is always more work to do until the project is completed. At no instance should you find
yourself with nothing to do.
Roles and Responsibilities
There are two main types of roles present in this project, they are as follows;
● General Role: These are the roles that everyone must take on throughout the project
○ Writer: One of the most important roles, the writers, write and modify the script and
all other written content for the video, promotional and design materials, and
everything else.
○ Actors/Performers: While there may be some exceptions, expect to have a front
facing role to play in this production. Smaller roles need larger back-end
responsibilities, but it is important to remember that this role is for everyone.
○ Supporting Roles: These are various roles placed under one title. These roles are
meant to go alongside other roles, they either help, compliment, directly support, or
indirectly support another role.
■ Background characters: for a scene or promotion, give the scene some life
or play a short role (situationally dependent)
■ Stagehands/Technicians/Props: Help with props (if there are any)
movements, and anything extra for the scene
■ Camera person: Records for the scene (should also take the role of a
performer/actor)
■ Understudy: someone not here for the recording and the team needs to
record a scene? Replace them with an understudy

Students will sign up for these roles at the beginning of the project!
● Specialized Role: These roles are set for particular students to be conducted at certain times
throughout the project.These roles operate as a sub-group, though their responsibilities
sometimes cause them to act individually, ultimately, the individual work coincides with the
group work. Most of these roles will function as a secondary role, and require consistent work
throughout the project. A switch to the main role at certain intervals during the project is
expected.
● Editing-team: This group is responsible for editing the content once it is
completed. While the main function of this group isn’t heavily active until
phase 3, this group is responsible for ensuring that all sections of the video
match and provide proper transitions and sequences into the various parts.

● Design-team: This group is responsible for designing and organizing the

class website(page) which will be utilized for all future projects. The design
and promotion teams are also responsible for creating the digital booklet and
cross-collaborating with other design teams. Most of the responsibilities of
this group require consistent work throughout the project with a switch to the
main role during the second, and for the duration of the third phases of the
project.

● Promotion-team: This group is responsible for promoting the project,

handling advertising, public relations, and various forms of media. Most of the
responsibilities of this group require consistent work throughout the project
with a switch to the main role during the second, and for the duration of the
third phases of the project

Design X Promotion teams will collaborate to design the class logo, This collaborative group is also
responsible for handing “behind the scenes projects” that includes interviews with the students at
various times, digital booklet, and creating the “Making of” mini project, that gives the audience a
behind the scenes look at the making of a project. Members of the editing team can join in this section
of responsibilities as well.
 Phases
The project is divided into 3 phases; Pre-production, Production, Post-production

Phase I: Pre-production (Organizing & Planning stage)

● Organize subgroups for all phases

○ Phase I Roles & subgroups
■ Writers (split into sections based on scenes)
● Each writing group needs members from all
specialized groups present during the writing
stage
■ Students choose specialized groups *limited supply
● Meet with subgroups to plan and clarify roles
across multiple phases

● Plan out class ideas for project implementation

● Write and develop scripts for various scenes

Phase II: Production (Recording & Developing stage)

● Record the videos (multiple recordings can take place at the same time)

Phase II Roles and subgroups

○ Actors/Performers-(should alternate between students) acting,
performing the role in a scene
○ Supporting Roles- (should alternate between students)
Recording, background characters (when needed) props
(making, using, being), helping with set design, organization,
issues, assisting performers, etc.

● Specialized Roles- secondary function here

■ Editors- should be on set, observing, and planning
when not acting or supporting. Communicating with
other members of the editing team to ensure a smooth
and consistent project.
■ Design & Promotion- When not performing or
supporting, these two roles should be, taking pictures,
conducting interviews (when appropriate), collecting
materials for the “Making of” mini project that will be
organized and used in phase 3.

Phase III: Post-Production (Editing & Designing stage)

● This phase is where the specialized roles take the primary function
○ Editors-
■ Edit the various scenes, working together to keep
consistency and smooth transitions throughout the
project.
■ Editors make note if there needs to be reshoots or
additional parts/dialogue added to a scene, both of
which are done at their direction.
■ Editors will join the collective teams when not needed
for editing or when done the editing process
○ Designers
■ Design the class website(page) and digital book
■ Cross collaborates with other design teams to establish
class themes, grade level website design, and digital
book (one book combine all classes)
 ○ Promoters
■ Organize a plan for the promotion of the class project,
■ cross-collaborate with other promotion teams to unify
the various sets of promotional content across the
many forms
○ Designers X Promoters
■ Collaborate to design class logo
■ Use materials collected throughout the unit for
promotions, designs, and the Behind the scenes mini
project
■ Organize, and put together the behind the scenes
project. Incorporate aspects of the “Making of” project
into the digital book, promotional material, and website

● Each student is to complete a project reflection at the end of the project.

A template will be provided with guiding questions to assist in writing
these reflections.

Rubrics
This is the “how” for how you are graded. Your final summative for this project will also be explained
here.

Daily Project Rubric- As you work on this project you will be graded per class period with this rubric.
Please read through it carefully so you know what is expected of you

Project Video Rubric- This rubric is for the educational video that is your major product for this project.

Specialized Rubrics- Depending on your specialized role in the project, you will have one or more of
these rubrics present as part of your summative.
Web Design
Editing
Digital Book
“Making of” Behind the Scenes (TBD)

Summative Rubric- Your summative rubric will consist of three parts, depending on your role and
responsibilities.

Part one: The average of Phase 3 Daily Project Rubric score

Part two: Based on your specialized Rubric
Part three: Final Video Rubric Score