Step 1: Defining Terms
Display the words "cognitive" and "affective" and ask students if anyone knows what they mean. Fill in the gaps as needed, making sure that students understand that:

• Cognitive = mental processes of perception, memory, judgment and reasoning
• Affective = processes relating to, arising from or influencing emotions

The human brain processes the world both cognitively and affectively. Sometimes we think of cognitive as being related to the head (thoughts) and affective as being related to the heart (feelings). One isn't superior to the other. To navigate the world successfully, we need to use both. Be sure that students don't confuse the word "affective" with the word "effective."

Step 2: The Music Studio
Ask students to give a few concrete examples of things they process cognitively and things they process affectively (e.g., doing math calculations or memorizing things for an exam uses cognitive skills; a horror movie or a poetry slam competitor's recitation produces affective reactions).

Show Clip 2 of Quest Rainey's music studio. Explain that in the clip, he opens the studio as a free drop-in place for teens in North Philadelphia. Ask students if they think this attempt to address a community need is focused on people's affective or cognitive processing. Accept all evidence-based answers. Be sure that one of the answers is that providing an outlet for artistic expression is an affective-based community intervention strategy.

Step 3: The Assignment
Tell students that they're going to learn a bit more about Quest and his family in a minute by watching clips from a documentary about them called QUEST.

When the clips are over, each student will be asked to do two things:

1. Write a factual paragraph (or two) describing the events in the film.
2. Create an artistic expression conveying how they feel about what happened. The art can be in any form the student chooses (a rap, a drawing, a poem, a song, a video, a poster, a dance, a meme and so on).

Step 4: The Raineys' Story
To give an overview, play the trailer for the film (Clip 1). If you need to save time, instead of playing the trailer, fill in needed background by explaining that Chris "Quest" Rainey and Christine'a "Ma Quest" Rainey are a couple living and working in North Philadelphia. She works in a women's shelter and he delivers newspapers. He is also a music producer and they run a small recording studio that they open to young people in the community for free. They are politically engaged and worked to help elect President Obama. They have several grown children from previous relationships and are raising their daughter, PJ, who is a talented musician and athlete. They also care for an adult son who was diagnosed with cancer just before the birth of his first baby, and they help with his son (their grandchild). In many ways a typical American family, they struggle economically while living full and exhausting lives.

Fill in the details of the Raineys' story by playing the remaining video clips, Clip 3 through Clip 7. It is these clips that students will summarize in writing and respond to with art.

As time allows, pause after each clip to let students react. Guide them to noticing how art (including less obvious forms of art, like posters for the march or dancing at the block party) is used to aid healing. Also guide them to notice how the filmmaker communicates both cognitive and affective messages.

Note: If your students have experienced events similar to those shown in the film, it will be important for you to plan extra time for this lesson so that students have a chance to share and process their own stories.

As homework, assign students to write brief, factual accounts of PJ's shooting and the aftermath. Also ask them to express their feelings about the shooting, using any art forms they choose. On the day that the assignments are due, spend a bit of class time inviting students to compare what it was like for them to create each type of communication.

If your students have been prepped on productively, responsibly and safely engaging with social media, consider inviting them to share what they've made on social media using the hashtag #QUESTFilmPBS.

Alternative: If there has been a recent, compelling traumatic event in your students' lives, you may want to use the film as in-class practice, just briefly imagining what they would write and the art they would create. Then assign them to write and create art about the real-life event. Be sure to create space/opportunities for those who want to share their art with classmates and/or the broader community.