Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate

Overall Project Goals: Over the course of a year, Brattle developed several online resources including classroom simulations and other learning resources (see below) for the educational community. Brattle’s services included instructional design of various learning resources, educational content development, various editorial and development tasks including developmental editing, copyediting and proofreading; and standards alignments. The developed materials, for use in the classroom and at the institute, included:

• Civics at Home activities: Brattle developed several of these types of resources including Make a Difference project guides (for teachers and facilitators). The effort included new material development and adapted/edited/updated activities.
• Youth Action Projects (i.e. Connecting With Your Elected Officials-resources for teens)
• Civics Arts activities: Brattle developed new materials as well as adapted/edited/updated existing products (new project development, design and development)
• Education Resources: (i.e. Great Senate Debates)
• Today’s Vote: These are classroom simulations that placed students in the role of Senators, analyzing issues, presenting arguments, negotiating and voting on passage of proposed legislation. Brattle researched issues using valid source materials, created the simulation guides that included scripted presenting the arguments, and the simulation facilitators’ guide that walked the facilitator and students through all states of the debate, negotiation process, and the simulated vote..

Client and Key Partners: Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate’s Director of Education, Family, and Youth Programming

 Description of Collaborative Efforts:

• Brattle reviewed and analyzed the existing materials to determine the state and status of the program.
• Brattle created new materials based on the Massachusetts Civics and Government standards and client’s learning objectives. Others were completed as they were received partially done.
• Brattle’s education specialists provided instructional design and content development services to create and complete the new instructional materials. Brattle worked closely with EMK’s education specialists.
• Brattle provided design and production services on all resources. The designs were always based on EMK’s existing style requirements. For some resources, this included image research.
• Brattle provided full editorial services copy editing and proofreading all materials during the QA process.

Brattle’s Expertise and Deliverables:

Brattle’s content and design/production teams provided fast turn arounds to the project as well as design consistency assuring that all materials developed had a visual and instructional coherence. Brattle’s content experts researched issues (when appropriate), created instructional experiences that addressed the client’s learning goals, and

Project Outcomes: Brattle produced over 100 full-color “pages” of resources including student and teacher resource materials-including posters.