Note to LTCY 519 students - this lesson plan should be for one day (not 2)

Revised Lesson Plan

Name:   Person who wrote lesson plan                         Date: 4/1/03 & 4/14            Lesson Length: 2 days

School:   Big Red High School  Age/Grade: 10th grade             # of students: 25

Subject:  World History                        Topic: World War I                  # of IEP – 1, vision impaired
 

Goals and Objectives:

The major goal of this lesson is to get students to understand how conflict often erupts between countries.  Often these conflicts are because of both long and short-term causes. 

Essential Question: How did one assassination lead to a major world war?

TLW identify the countries of Europe on a map.

TLW summarize the long-term causes that led to World War I.

TLW describe specific international incidents that led to declaration of war.

TLW explain what countries were in the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance.

TLW analyze which country is most responsible for starting World War I.

TLW use comprehension strategies during pre-reading, reading, and post-reading experiences.

TLW demonstrate the stages of the writing process in creating their group presentation.
 

Connections:

 This lesson addresses Academic Expectation 2.20: Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective. 

*Students will be required to explain the long-term problems and events that led to World War I beginning and defend the country that is most to blame.

This lesson also covers Core Content bullet #SS-H-5.3.4: Nationalism, militarism, and imperialism led to world conflicts, economic booms and busts, and the rise of totalitarian governments.

*This lesson focuses on imperialism, militarism, and nationalism as long-term causes of the war.

This lesson also covers the following Program of Studies content: Students recognize the political causes and consequences of nationalism, militarism, and imperialism.

                *This lesson focuses on all of these movements as causes of World War I.

Context:

These are the first two lessons in the World War I unit.  In these lessons, students will identify the countries and major geographical features where the war will take place.  Also, they will see that there are both long and short-term causes to this major conflict.  On day one, prereading strategies are used to set the context for students and connect to previous experiences.  While students are reading, they will create a concept map to help comprehend the causes of the war.    There are a variety of teaching strategies to appeal to various learner styles (coloring a map, kinesthetic; lecture, discussion, & storytelling; auditory; pictures of maps; visual)  The lesson also allows for movement around the room in the role play scenario and the defend your position scenario used for closure.  Students will also work in groups to develop a persuasive presentation using the writing process and technology.

Resources/Materials:  (include any technology used)

Textbook – World History:  The Human Experience

Handout – Map: Europe in 1914

Crayons – Each will choose 2 colors

Maps on the board

Pictures from websites showing scenes from WWI

Website for pictures:   http://www.worldwar1.com/

                                     http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/

Procedures:  Day One:

1)      Attention-Getter - Show 10 minute clip from “Legends of the Fall”                    (Pre-reading)

Always give students a PURPOSE for viewing, listening, reading, writing, speaking.  In order for student (especially students of diversity) to make connections and develop essential concepts, you must explain the purpose of the "attention getter" and give a specific purpose for viewing and listening.  "As you watch this clip, I want you to focus on ...".  "As you watch this clip, see how many ?? you can identify."  Those sorts of directives that build a STRONG bridge from where students may be conceptually to where you want them to be. 

Also, have the following pictures (from websites) posted around the room.  How will you reference these added visual aids? 

(Archduke Ferdinand, the sinking of the Lusitania, a Europe map with alliances colored, pictures of trench warfare, a picture of the Treaty of Versailles

Have students choose a partner and complete a Think/Pair/Share by answering the following questions together.  Have the whole class discuss their responses.  Think/Pair/Share is a great idea for diverse learners.

             *What type of weapons did you see in the clip?

                 *What do you think might be difficult in fighting this type of war?

             *What do you think might have caused this war?

                  *What personal reactions do you have to any of these photos/video clips?

 Would been more effective if you had presented the questions PRIOR to the video clip?  This would also serve as a PURPOSE for the viewing/listening. 

3) Review from previous units – Imperialism and Nationalism                

Oral questions:  What is imperialism?  Name some places it occurred.

                                                    What is nationalism?  How did it lead to conflict?

Good to connect new learning is to previous learning.  Would there be a graphic organizer you could ask students to use at this point that would allow them to share what they have already learned in a visual way?  When we "talk" Q and A the content disappears in the air. 

4) Using the concepts and ideas mentioned from the pre-reading introduction to the unit above, explain the time period and countries involved in World War I.   Explain it how?  In what format?  Do you mean you want all students at once saying this aloud - I don't think so.  You must explain who will be sharing and in what format. 

5) Map Activity                                                                                               

Students will look at the map in their text and the handout.  I will call out countries, cities, and rivers that will be important to World War I.  They will label each country and color alliances.

(This has been moved to Day One, before the reading was assigned.)   

6) Put students in groups of four-five and give them the following list of vocabulary words from the text they will read for homework.  They must take each word and act it out for the class.  Allow 10-15 minutes for groups to prepare, then go around the room and have each group show word #1, word #2, etc.

            Vocabulary:  ultimatum, alliance, blank check, mobilization

I like the idea of actively involving students in working through the meanings of the words, but are these good (or even possible) concepts to act out?  Would the time taken to do this be better served in another type of vocabulary exercise … I am thinking of something like: 

http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/readquest/strat/wordmap.html  This would be a much better use of time and energy to gain needed vocabulary for your lesson.

7) Short question/answer review of content covered.  This again implies "teacher Q and A" ... evaporates on contact!  How might you pull the lesson together and ACTIVELY involve students in THEM recapping the learning for the day.  Consider all learning styles. 

8) Homework:  Read Ch. 27, Sects. 2 & 3 (Causes of World War I)  While reading develop a concept map the has CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I   in the middle circle.  This will be a 10 point homework grade for tomorrow.  (Show this on the board.) – good to include active comprehension strategies for reading assigned outside of class.

Day Two Procedures:

1)      Review:  Have students pull out their concept maps, and using their input, make one large concept map on the board.

 I really like the idea of broadening the previously started concept map - draws on previous learning - tremendous support for diverse learners. 

2)      Review the content the students read:

Content:  Nationalism, Militarism, Alliances (Triple Alliance, Triple Entente), Imperialism

            Pivotal questions: What are the long-term causes that led to the war?

                        How did these problems lead to a war actually breaking out?

What are advantages and disadvantages of having an alliance?

Give some modern-day alliances.  Active involvement vs. Teacher Q and A - students tune this out as quickly as it happens. 

3) Role play – Alliances                                                                                   

            Have students volunteer (6 needed).  Mini-role play using a school

            Fight scenario to show how little incidents can break into large conflicts.

            Pivotal question:  How does this relate to incidents in World War I?  Great activity and question - the school scenario brings the concepts into "real world" application - vitally important for diverse learners.  How could you make the pivotal question more ACTIVE?  What could ALL students DO to answer this question?  Move away from too many VERBAL responses from one or two students - that is not a review for ALL. 

Pivotal question:  (After maps colored)  What do you predict will be some major problems for the countries fighting World War I?   Where are the places that fighting might take place?

Where did you see this type of incident from your reading last night? Same comment - ACTIVE (think graphic organizers - think higher order processing - comparison/contrast, etc.)

4) Tell the story of the assassination and its effects.  Refer to pictures of the Archduke on the board.  Same comment - ACTIVE (think graphic organizers - think higher order processing - comparison/contrast, etc.)

5) Post-reading/critical thinking strategy:  Have students freewrite in their notes what country they think is most responsible for starting WWI and why.  Pick one corner of the room for each choice, and have students move there. This will be their group for the summary activity.  Using the following 3 steps of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising), they should prepare a demonstration of why their country is most to blame for starting the war.  They should have a visual aid to go with their demonstration (powerpoint, posters, pictures, costumes,etc.)  The remainder of the class time will be in the computer lab or library preparing this presentation.  Must provide links or information for writing process and for the other types of visual aids you require.  Cannot assume students (especially diverse learners) have the background for any of this. 

IEP – Placement by board, larger map copied, handouts of notes, if needed

            Can make large print copies of text if needed

Student Assessment:  10 point homework grade – concept map

                                                 Rubric for group presentation

                                    Assessment – Unit test over Ch. 27 (end of unit)

                                    Must include rubrics and all assessments with lesson plan. 

Reflection Paper:  Revised Lesson Plan                                                          

            As I looked back over the initial lesson plan on the causes of World War I, I realized that the only type of focus on reading or writing was the reading quiz.  While I did include a movie clip to use as an attention-getter, the students had already read the content the night before.  I realized that they did not know the countries on the map, the vocabulary, or any idea of what they were about to read. Very good reflection.

            Based on these obvious weaknesses, I decided to expand the lesson plan into two or even three days.  That way I could take time on the first day when I started the unit to do several pre-reading strategies with them.  The first strategy involved showing both the video clip and some pictures from the Internet of scenes from World War I.  Students could give their initial reactions, and I could use them to set the stage for the section they would read for homework.  I think the Think/Pair/Share strategy works well for this type of activity.  I could also spend some time reviewing the previous unit, so they could connect to content they had previously learned.  I also think it’s a much better idea to have students complete the map before they read so that all the countries will make sense as they read the text.  I think using all of these strategies will aid in comprehension, and the pictures will also help the visual learners.   I also saw an example in the text of a lesson plan where they drew or acted out vocabulary words.  I think that is a great idea to help remember them.  I added that in to be a fun, light-hearted way to do vocabulary.

            Instead of giving a reading quiz after reading, I decided to have students complete a concept map as they were reading on the Causes of World War I.  I would take some time and show students a sample concept map on the first day, then have them complete one for homework as they read the text.  This would be used as the basis for class discussion the next day.  I think this strategy will aid their long-term memory with this content.

            The last thing that I changed was the summary/critical thinking activity on who was most to blame for starting the war.  I expanded this to make it into a presentation.  Students will free write to determine their own opinion; then I will develop groups that way.  The group will use technology, their text, and library resources to prepare a mini-presentation that argues why the country they chose is the most to blame.  They will also be required to have visuals, to help with diverse learning styles.  This summary activity incorporates differentiation strategies (they have a choice of their product), higher level thinking skills, cooperative learning skills, and elements of the writing process. 

            By incorporating these reading and writing strategies and by expanding the lesson into two or three days, I think the lesson will be much more successful for all students.

Comments:  The changes you made strengthened this lesson plan.  I noted some areas you might want to consider “beefing” up a bit.  Try to look through your plans for places where students are allowed to PASSIVELY view, read, write, speak (general “discussions”) and make sure students (all students) are actively engaged.

 Score:  58