1. English 9 - Activist Group Project
Applause for a Cause:
An Activist Group Creation Project
In our class novel, The Gospel According to Larry, a seventeen year old boy named Josh Swensen creates
a blog about anti-consumerism. Eventually, his blog and, in turn, his anti-consumerism agenda become
widespread. U2 creates a music festival in his name, people are wearing Larry-themed stickers, and even
other bloggers are writing about him. Josh's passion for the cause of anti-consumerism creates a
movement in this novel. Now, it's your turn to do so!
For our next project, you will organize yourselves into groups of three (3) or four (4).
Within your groups, you will decide what your cause is and create a name for your group.
- This can be a word that is symbolic or explanatory of your cause, or it could be an acronym
- For example, P.E.T.A stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Once you have done this, you will designate people for the following roles:
Group Historian
Spokesperson
Information Executive
Event Planner
*Please see individual role sections (below) for responsibilities. For each role, there is an example
provided.
Group Historian: As the historian, you must:
- create a fictional history for your activist group that contains the following information:
- the date your group was created
- why your group was created (why there was a need for this group...)
- who was involved with the making of your group (this should be your group members)
- the history should be written (typed) and be at least three quarters of a page (3/4) page
double-spaced in Times New Roman size 12 font)
- information should be in paragraphs based on relativity (see example)
Spokesperson: As the spokesperson for your group, you must:
- write a formal letter to a person or group (fictional or non-fictional) that goes against your
group's cause.
- For example, P.E.T.A. often addresses companies who use animal fur to make coats.
- a formal letter must have:
- an address (for sender and recipient - these can be fictional)
- a person to whom the letter is addressed
- an introduction with your reason for writing
- a conclusion that states what you would like to see happen
- this should be typed, at least three quarters of a page (3/4) page, double-spaced in Times New
Roman size 12 font)

2. English 9 - Activist Group Project
Information Executive: As the Information Executive, you will create an informational poster about your
cause. This must:
- include your group name and your group's cause
- include at least two (2) photos that represent your cause
- include at least three (3) true facts or statistics related to your cause
- be organized, visually appealing, and easily identifiable
- you do not need to use poster board, but it is recommended that you use paper larger than
the standard size for your final copy
Event Planner: As the event planner, you determine when the group has meetings, rallies, or
demonstrations for your cause. Your job is to create a poster, or other form of advertisement, for a
fictional event that will raise awareness for your cause. This advertisement must include:
- an original name for the event
- the cost of tickets (if any)
- identification of the time and place of the event
- a brief agenda (explain what the event is/what is happening there)
- at least one (1) image
- information must be typed (you may cut and paste it on afterwards if you choose)
Timeline:
Monday, March 31st: Introduction to Project
- become familiar with the task at hand
- organize into groups
- determine roles within groups and write this list on the whiteboard in class
task homework: brainstorm ideas for your role
Wednesday, April 2nd: Rough Draft Completion
- discussion of presentation order (who should go first and why: what would be the most
logical?)
- creation of rough drafts
- individual meetings with the teacher in order to establish goals
task homework: completion of rough drafts for peer review session next class
Friday, April 4th: Computer Lab Day / Editing
- peer review activity (3 reviews using review handout)
- editing materials
task homework: complete your final drafts and rehearse your presentation
Tuesday, April 8th: Presentation Day
- 10 minutes for preparation instead of silent reading
- presentation of your activist groups in showcase style

3. English 9 - Activist Group Project
Group History Example
The Beaver Brigade:
A Group History
The activist group commonly known as the Beaver Brigade was founded on May 12th, 1987. It
was a tragic day in history, as several logging companies took to the woods of a small town in Northern
Canada known as Beaverton. These woods were a known habitat of the rarest species of beaver.
Because of the actions of We Cut 'Em Logging, Tree Toppers Ltd, and Bye Bye Boreal, this species
became extinct. Due to this, several small animal rights activist groups merged to become one large
group known as the Beaver Brigade.
The founding leaders of this group included Joe Marshall, Melanie Dawson, and Catherine Chow.
Mr. Marshall was formerly in charge of the animal rights group known as Furry Friends, but this group
disbanded in 1974. In 1987, Joe initiated the formation of the brigade as a way to return to the activist
community. Melanie Dawson was the first elected President of the brigade once it was established. She
is a graduate in Environmental Law from Oxford University where she was the valedictorian of her class.
She has studied in over twenty countries around the world, but fell in love with Canada, and has lived in
Squamish since 1985. She has helped the Beaver Brigade in many ways, but the most influential thing
she has done has been the successful charging of the ignorant logging companies who destroyed the
woods of Beaverton. Catherine Chow is our current President, and was a founding leader of the
organization. She has spent countless hours recruiting volunteers to join our cause all over the world.
Most recently, Catherine went on a trip to Oregon where she met with a local mining company and
helped them plan a safe digging site that preserved the natural beaver dam that is located close to the
site. Catherine is currently planning our next sit in at the beaver dam located next to Lake Eerie's
regional park.

4. English 9 - Activist Group Project
Letter Example
Ms. Ashley Slade
Spokesperson
The Beaver Brigade
#980-3007 Woods Ave.
Squamish, BC V8V 4S4
March 30th, 2014
Mr. John Allanbottom
President
Corky's Dynamite Corp.
#2304-100 Boss St.
Vancouver, BC V6V 5B7
Dear Mr. Allanbottom,
I am writing this letter on behalf of the Beaver Brigade. In order to bring your attention to the effects of
your business on the natural habitats of beavers in the area. You may not be aware of this, but mining
companies and logging companies alike have been using your explosives in order to clear wooded areas
for industrial purposes. The damage caused by these explosives has deemed regular beaver habitat
unlivable. Approximately 382 beaver carcasses were found next to the Drilling Down Ltd. site. This adds
up to be over one-third of the beaver population in the area.
We at the Beaver Brigade would like to encourage you to make some adjustments to your company,
and its policies, that will make it more ecologically conscious when it comes to Beavers. Our first
suggestion would be to ask all buyers of your explosives to provide a list of areas in which they will be
used. Our second suggestion would then be to have a representative visit this site with a local
environmental specialist, or Beaver Brigade volunteer, to inspect for beaver presence. If beaver
presence is there, please demand that your buyer limit explosions to areas not inhabited by the animals.
Thank you for your time, and we hope that you will take our suggestions seriously.
Yours Truly,
Ms. Slade
Spokesperson, the Beaver Brigade

5. English 9 - Activist Group Project
As animal rights activists, we focus on the protection and
preservation of all species of Beaver from around the world.
Because they can't talk, we will do it for them!
Please contact info@beaverbrigade.com for more information!
Beavers have been an endangered
species in North America for over
100 years due to over trapping for
their fur and meat during
colonization.
Beavers are territorial and mark the
areas in which they live by biting chunks
of bark off of trees. These are quite
distinctive and make recognizing beaver
territory easy!
Beavers are the national animal of Canada. As
we are based out of Squamish, British
Columbia, we take great pride in our cause
and our country. One of our goals as a group
is to help educate all people on the horrors
faced by these precious animals and to raise
awareness in identifying beaver habitats so
that people will leave the area undisturbed if
found.

6. English 9 - Activist Group Project
Beaver Buddies*
Day Camp
Here at the Beaver Brigade, we aim to educate young minds about the
many species of beaver. This summer we are hosting our first ever day
camp at Buttle Lake, home to several colonies of beavers. From
7:30am-3:30pm, we will teach your child the differences between
species, take them on treks to see real beavers (and their dams), create
beaver inspired arts and crafts, and teach them basic survival skills that
do not impede on the sensitive eco-system that we have here on the
island.
Camp Dates: July 7th-July 14th
Location: Entrance to Buttle Lake, Campbell River, BC
Cost: $50/day or $300 for the week
Please contact us for further information at:
beaverbuddies@thebeaverbrigade.com
*please note that we cannot take children under the age of 8 at this time