Superheroes Concept-Based Unit-Jessica Stapler Good vs. Evil Conceptual Lens: Culture Concepts: Power, Fear, Influence, Order, Chaos, Change, Conflict, Balance, Perceptions, Choices, Future, Systems, Prejudice, Culture Careers: Comic book author, illustrator; President, Psychologist, movie directors, Actors, Costume Designers, Criminal Investigators and Special Agents, Counseling Psychologists, EMTs and Paramedics, Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Forest Firefighters, Municipal Firefighters, Police Patrol Officers, Registered Nurse, Doctor, Surgeon, Teachers, Postsecondary Process Skills: Reading, Inference, Keyboarding, Vision, Writing, Predicting, Technology, Synthesizing, Evaluating, Creating, Research, Critical Thinking, Communicating, Comparing, Contrasting, Organizing, Classifying Vocabulary: Power, Fear, Chaos Overview of the Unit: The topic of Superheroes is an interesting one for all elementary school-aged students are interested in the concept of having Superpowers. However, they don’t necessarily consider the impact of and responsibility that comes with the Superpower. What makes a Superhero decide to be honorable and do good? What makes a Supervillain decide the opposite? By watching movie clips and reading comics, students will get an idea of what leads the heroes and villains to make the choices they make. This unit includes: Research, Technology, Creative Thinking Skills, Philosophy, and Critical Thinking Skills Background Information for the teacher: Superheroes Definition: The idea of a Superhero has been around since the mythologies of ancient times, with Zeus, Hercules, Isis, and Ra. The Superhero represents the best of human characteristics plus the characteristics we had that would help us to help ourselves and
Overview of the Unit: The topic of Superheroes is an interesting one for all elementary school-aged students are interested in the concept of having Superpowers. However, they don’t necessarily consider the impact of and responsibility that comes with the Superpower. What makes a Superhero decide to be honorable and do good? What makes a Supervillain decide the opposite? By watching movie clips and reading comics, students will get an idea of what leads the heroes and villains to make the choices they make.
This unit includes: Research, Technology, Creative Thinking Skills, Philosophy, and Critical Thinking Skills
Background Information for the teacher: Superheroes
Definition: The idea of a Superhero has been around since the mythologies of ancient times, with Zeus, Hercules, Isis, and Ra. The Superhero represents the best of human characteristics plus the characteristics we had that would help us to help ourselves and others. It also gives us, mere mortals, a greater sense of control and ability to create our own destiny. The goal of teaching superheroes and villains is to prepare students to make better decisions and to know why they make those decisions. It also allows them to understand what motivates others’ actions.
Pre-assessment: Students will individually answer the following questions: What is a hero/heroine? Who is your favorite hero/heroine? Did they actually live? Living now? Why?
Students will list all the heroes and heroines they know on the overhead projector, rotating turns.
Once students have answered these questions, the teacher and students will discuss their answers together and create a definition for heroes/heroines. We will look at others’ definitions of heroes and see if there are any other heroes/heroines we can add to the list.
Unit Pacing: Half a semester-one semester depending on the teacher and students.
Culminating Performance Task (CPT): The United States is under attack. Students must develop Superheroes and Supervillains that are based on the disciplines that are discussed in the unit. They must save the United States, using not only Superpowers, but the knowledge they have as the experts in their field of study. They must also know why the Superheroes and Supervillains are motivated to act the way they do. Students will research historical and mythological heroes and villains to determine what their motivations were for their actions. They will use this research to determine their own Superheroes powers and motivations (villains too). Students will form a “task force” and create skits that demonstrate the good vs. evil theme. Students will make their own costumes based on their characters. Students will then act out their skits and record them for the morning news show.
Play/Skit Rubric: (See Attached)
AL Common Core:
Language Arts (2010)
7:22. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. [W.7.3] a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator, characters, or both; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. [W.7.3a] b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. [W.7.3b] c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. [W.7.3c] d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. [W.7.3d] e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. [W.7.3e]
7:23. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 20-22 above.) [W.7.4] 7:24. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of the first three standards in the Language strand in Grades K-7.) [W.7.5] 7:25. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources. [W.7.6]
7:26. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation. [W.7.7]
7: 29. Write routinely over extended time frames, including time for research, reflection, and revision, and shorter time frames such as a single sitting or a day or two for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. [W.7.10]
Conceptual Lens: Culture, Power, Tragedy, PrejudiceConcepts: Culture, Good vs. Evil
Essential Understanding: Culture helps determine good and evil.Essential Question: How does culture determine good and evil?Guiding Questions: What is culture? What are the elements of a culture? What is good and what is evil? List examples of what we consider good and evil. Why do we think it is good and evil? What helps us as a culture determine good and evil?
Essential Understanding: Perceptions and culture create prejudices.Essential Question: How do perceptions and culture create prejudices?Guiding Questions: What is a stereotype? How do we get stereotypes? Are stereotypes ever true? How are stereotypes created? What is perception? How does our perception of another culture (or our own) create stereotypes? What are values? How do the values of a culture influence their views of another culture? How do the actions of a culture create a stereotype of themselves? Is there any truth in a stereotype? How? Why?
Essential Understanding: Power changes perspective.Essential Question: How does power change perspective?Guiding Questions: What is power? How can having power change the way we view ourselves? Others? Is having power always a good thing? Why or why not?
Essential Understanding: Tragedy changes history.Essential Question: How does tragedy change history?Guiding Questions: What is tragedy? How does tragedy change the way we view the world? How does tragedy change the way in which governments operate? How does tragedy change people? Their perspectives? How has tragedy changed us?
ALCOS(Common Core):
Language Arts (2010):4:3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).4:8. Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.4: 24. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. [W.4.3]a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator, characters, or both; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. [W.4.3a]b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. [W.4.3b]c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events. [W.4.3c]d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. [W.4.3d]e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. [W.4.3e]4: 28. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.4: 29. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.4: 36. Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.4: 40. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. [L.4.3]a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.* [L.4.3a]b. Choose punctuation for effect.* [L.4.3b]c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).4: 43. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).5: 3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).7: 26. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation. [W.7.7]27. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. [W.7.8]28. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Technology COS (2009) 3-5th grade-1.) Use input and output devices of technology systems.2.) Use various technology applications, including word processing and multimedia software.
8.) Collect information from a variety of digital sources.10.) Use digital environments to collaborate and communicate.
Technology (6-8) 6-8th grades-2.) Publish digital products that communicate curriculum concepts.5.) Use basic features of word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentation software.6.) Select specific digital tools for completing curriculum-related tasks.
AL Math Common Core (2010):3:19. Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units – whole numbers, halves, or quarters.
Assessment Pre: What do we know about Superheroes/Heroines? Make a list of Superheroes/Heroines and what their characteristics are. List anything that you know about them, including what makes them a SuperHero, what tools they have, what flaws they have.
Introduction Overview of the Unit: The topic of Superheroes is an interesting one for all elementary school-aged students are interested in the concept of having Superpowers. However, they don’t necessarily consider the impact of and responsibility that comes with the Superpower. What makes a Superhero decide to be honorable and do good? What makes a Supervillain decide the opposite? By watching movie clips and reading comics, students will get an idea of what leads the heroes and villains to make the choices they make.This unit includes: Research, Technology, Creative Thinking Skills, Philosophy, and Critical Thinking SkillsBackground Information for the teacher: SuperheroesDefinition: The idea of a Superhero has been around since the mythologies of ancient times, with Zeus, Hercules, Isis, and Ra. The Superhero represents the best of human characteristics plus the characteristics we had that would help us to help ourselves and others. It also gives us, mere mortals, a greater sense of control and ability to create our own destiny. The goal of teaching superheroes and villains is to prepare students to make better decisions and to know why they make those decisions. It also allows them to understand what motivates others’ actions.
Activities PreAssessment Activities: What do we know about Superheroes/Heroines? Make a list of Superheroes/Heroines and what their characteristics are. List anything that you know about them, including what makes them a SuperHero, what tools they have, what flaws they have. Discuss as a class and document in an ActivInspire flipchart.
Students will develop their own definition of what a Superhero is.
Type 1 Activity: Students will explore Superheroes on the internet and in
books and use LiveBinder (Superheroes) to explore websites that the teacher has found.
Students will make another list of Superheroes that fits their definition of a Super Hero and tell why. Students should be able to defend their choices.
Thinking Skills Used in PreAssessment Activities: Recall, Application, Analysis, Divergent Thinking, Evaluation
Essential UnderstandingLesson 1:
Essential Understanding: Culture helps determine good and evil.Essential Question: How does culture determine good and evil?Guiding Questions: What is culture? What are the elements of a culture? What is good and what is evil? List examples of what we consider good and evil. Why do we think it is good and evil? What helps us as a culture determine good and evil?
Small Group Activity: Students will discuss what a culture is and develop their own definition of culture. Students will also develop a list of elements or characteristics of a culture. What does it take to have a culture?
Whole Group: Small groups will present their definitions of culture and their criteria for a culture to the whole class. As a class we will see the dictionary’s official definition of culture and use that definition along with the ones developed in small groups to develop our class definition of culture. We will make a list of the criteria that we believe it take to make up a culture.
Whole Group: What is good and what is evil? We will develop our own definitions and make a list of things/beings/ideas that we consider to be good and evil. Why do we think these things are good or evil? What helps us as a culture determine good and evil?
Essential Understanding Activity:(Type II)Students will choose a God/Goddess from Greek Mythology and research them. Are they good or evil? How do we know? What did Ancient Greeks think? Why? Are their views different from ours?
Essential Understanding Activity:Students will choose a culture: Hindu, Native American, Ancient Greek, Ancient Egyptian, Muslim, Norse, African, etc. and after researching their cultural/religious beliefs, students will determine what is good and evil in their culture. Students will create a Venn Diagram: How are they like ours and how are they different? Then students will answer the question: Why are they different? Students will present their findings on their Weebly webpage. (or Edmodo)
Students and teacher will discuss whole-class what values means and what values we think are good, why we think they are “good,” and what values we think Superheroes would have. What are the values of you favorite Superhero? Are these values meaningful? Why? Do the values held by your Superhero help or hurt them in their quest to help mankind? Why? How do the values held by your favorite Superhero affect the decisions made by him/her?
Individually, students will list 10 or more values they think a Superhero would have. Then they will rank these values from one to ten, with 10 being the highest. The highest ranking values will be the qualities they assign to their own Superhero. Students will have to write a paragraph explaining how these values will affect the behavior of their Superhero. Why did you choose these values as the most important?
Thinking Skills: Application, Analysis, Divergent, Convergent Thinking, Synthesis, Evaluation, Decision-MakingTalents: Students will think of many, varied, and unusual many men/women who are “strong” and who are “weak.” Students and teacher will discuss why they are “weak” or “strong.” Why are they admired or despised? How do we determine the weak and strong? How does our culture influence these beliefs? Once the ethnic background for the hero is determined, the hero must meet the “good” standard for that culture.
Essential Understanding: Perceptions and culture create prejudices.Essential Question: How do perceptions and culture create prejudices?Guiding Questions: What is a stereotype? How do we get stereotypes? Are stereotypes fair? Are stereotypes ever true? How are stereotypes created? What is perception? How does our perception of another culture (or our own) create stereotypes? What are values? How do the values of a culture influence their views of another culture? How do the actions of a culture create a stereotype of themselves? How? Why? What are some stereotypes we know of?
Individually: Students will look up and write their own definitions of the vocabulary words in their notebooks. They will write a sentence describing each word. Whole class: Students and teacher will discuss the vocabulary word and correct any misunderstandings.
Whole Class Discussion: What is a stereotype? Where do stereotypes come from? What are some stereotypes? Make a list whole class.
Whole Class Discussion: Are stereotypes fair? Why or why not? Are stereotypes ever true? How do stereotypes created? What is perception? Why do we perceive things differently? Why do all people not see things the same way? How does our culture affect our perspective? Point out that these perceptions are also very much dependent on personal experiences and that perceptions vary widely within demographic and cultural groups.
An old Sioux Indian's prayer:
"Oh Great Spirit, grant me the wisdom to walk in another's moccasins before I criticize or pass judgment."
Whole class-Teacher will write the saying on the board. Students will copy the saying in their notebooks.In pairs/small groups, students will discuss and write down what they think this saying means. Then, students will make a list of other sayings that mean something similar, like, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” or “You can’t understand a man, until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.” If students struggle with this, teacher will help and guide them to researching quotes online.Whole class- Students will write their group definitions on the board (or sticky notes) and discuss their definitions. Then they will each share a similar quote and write it on the board or sticky notes.Whole class Discussion: How do our life experiences change the way in which we view the world? How do our perceptions of other people change once we know their life story, what they’ve experienced?
Perception Lessons:1. Whole Class: Teacher will write Perception and the definition of
Perception on the board.2. Individual: Students will write this in their notebooks in their unit
vocabulary page. Underneath it, in the notebook, students will write their own definition of perception and make a list of things, feelings, they perceive. They will also put down how someone else might perceive that same situation differently than they do.
3. Whole Class: Teacher and students will discuss what perception means and how our perceptions are different from other people’s and why.
4. Whole Class: Students will examine optical illusions and discuss what they see with teacher. How are our perceptions of the same object different/same? Why do you think that is?
5. Pairs: Students will create their own optical illusion. Teacher will assist as necessary. Once complete, the optical illusions will be presented to others in the class. Students will use Productive Thinking to think of many, varied and unusual ideas that could become an optical illusion. Once they have created their list, they will classify
them according to the PT category sheet and decide which one they think they can realistically create and that is different from everyone else’s in the classroom, using the Decision Making Talent. Then they will use the Planning Talent to think about what they need to complete the Optical Illusion, what steps they need to make and any problems they could have that would keep them from completing their project. They will also think of ways to improve their plan.
6. Pairs: Students will complete their optical illusion in pairs and present them to the class. A rubric will be used.
1. Individual: In their notebooks, students will individually describe an elephant as if to a blind person. They must use all of their senses.
2. Teacher will read the parable The Six Blind Men and the Elephant to the class.
Six Blind Men and the Elephant - A Parable from IndiaRe-told by Debbie Dunn
Once upon a time, there were six blind men living in the same town. One day, a woman brought her elephant to their town. The woman said, “Come and see my beautiful elephant!”
The six blind men gathered together and tried to decipher what an elephant would look like. One blind man said, “I wonder what an elephant looks like. I will touch him and see!”
Another blind man said, “Exactly! The only way to determine what an elephant looks like is by our sense of touch.”
Therefore, each blind man decided they would take turns touching the elephant. Then they would share what they had discovered with the others.
The first blind man walked up to the elephant. As he reached out his hand, he found himself touching the side of the elephant. He announced, “Oh, I get it! The Elephant is like a wall!”
The second blind man walked up to the elephant. As he reached out his hand, he found himself touching the tusk of the elephant. He announced, “Oh, I get it! The Elephant is like a spear!”
The third blind man walked up to the elephant. As he reached out his hand, he found himself touching the tail of the elephant. He announced, “Oh, I get it! The Elephant is like a rope!”
The fourth blind man walked up to the elephant. As he reached out his hand, he found himself touching the leg of the elephant. He announced, “Oh, I get it! The Elephant is like a tree!”
The fifth blind man walked up to the elephant. As he reached out his hand, he found himself touching the ear of the elephant. He announced, “Oh, I get it! The
Elephant is like a fan!
The sixth blind man walked up to the elephant. As he reached out his hand, he found himself touching the trunk of the elephant. He announced, “Oh, I get it! The Elephant is like a snake!”
Each blind man was totally convinced that he had made the one true discovery. Each man argued his case valiantly. Each man felt that he was telling the truth and could not be convinced otherwise.
3. Whole Class Discussion: So who was telling the truth, and who was telling a lie? Were they all telling the truth? How did the truth vary and why? That’s what often happens with conflict situations. Each person perceives the conflict in a totally different way based on his or her background, experiences, training, and personality. How do we know how close each person comes to viewing the situation as it really is?
4. Whole Class: So what is your truth? How did you describe the elephant? How close do you think your answer comes to the true answer? How does our perception of elephants change? Why?
Whole Group: Teacher will write the following geographic words/phrases on the board: "forest," "desert," "beach," "tropical rain forest," "Antarctica," Hazel Green (or local city), and "New York City." Ask students to copy the lists onto their own paper.
Individually: Students will write words that describe how they feel about each of these places.
Whole Group: Discuss students' lists as a class. Do they all feel the same way about each place, or are there notable differences? Why might their perceptions differ? Compare and contrast their different points-of view.
Small Group: The class will divide into groups of three or four students and each group will choose one type of place from the list on the board (or come up with their own ideas). Students will develop skits in which the group is on an outing to that place and each character should portray a person who has a different perception and feeling about the place. The skits should explain these differences in perception and the reasons for these differences. A rubric will be used.
Whole Class: After students perform their skits, teacher and students will discuss the performances and students will write paragraphs answering the question "Why is it important to understand that people can have a variety of
different perceptions of the same places?"
Whole Class: Teacher will ask students what they know about the city of Jerusalem. What is the significance of this city to world religions? To their own lives? Allow students to briefly share their understanding of Jerusalem's significance in their own religions.
Technology: 1.Students will go to the Xpedition Hall exhibit called Culture Goggles and explore the exhibit and take notes in their notebooks on how Christians, Muslims, and Jews view/perceive the city of Jerusalem.
2. Students will browse the American Committee on Jerusalem site to learn more about Jerusalem and its complex religious and cultural significance. Students will take notes and make a 3 column T-Chart comparing and contrasting the religious significance of Jerusalem, the ways in which different "cultural goggles" affect attitudes and proposed solutions for the city, and the relationship between these "cultural goggles" and tensions in Jerusalem.
3. Whole Class: Teacher and students will discuss the different ways that Jerusalem is viewed by these three religions and how that complicates any solutions for the city.
Whole Class: Teacher and students discuss what they have learned from this activity, and relate this new knowledge to a broader discussion of how cultural perceptions of places can affect us as individuals and the decisions we make. Ask students: Are there any political debates in the United States that relate to cultural or religious perceptions of places? Make a list as a whole class of divisive cultural issues. This can be done over time.
Assessment:
Students will write a paragraph describing the Space & Rocket Center (or other local attraction) or Bear Creek Educational Center. Students can write about the same place or divide the class into groups. Their paragraphs should explain what students think of this place and describe a few of their experiences there, if they have had any. Divide the class into groups of four or five, and have students read their paragraphs to group members.
Small Group: Teacher and students will discuss their paragraphs in small groups. Teacher will ask students to compare their perceptions of this place. Does everyone feel the same way about the place? How might their different personal experiences affect the way they feel about it?
Extension:
Divide the class into small groups of three or four, and ask each group to choose one type of place from the list on the board (or let them come up with their own ideas). Have them develop skits in which the group is on an outing to that place and each character portrays a person who has a different perception and feeling about the place. The skits should explain these
differences in perception and the reasons for these differences.After students perform their skits, discuss the performances with the class, and ask students to write paragraphs answering the question "Why is it important to understand that people can have a variety of different perceptions of the same places?" Discuss paragraphs as a whole class.
Related Links:
American Committee on Jerusalem National Geographic: Xpeditions ActivityGeographic Groceries National Geographic: Xpeditions Activity—Wonderworld
Students will design/create a new bumper sticker that will ask the world to be less judgmental.
Optical Illusion:
Whole Group: Students and teacher will discuss the sayings, “Seeing is believing” and “I’ll believe it when I see it with my own eyes.” What do these sayings mean? Are they always true? Can we always trust our eyes to see the truth? Why or why not?
Type 1 Activities
Whole Group: What is an optical illusion? Teacher will show a PowerPoint http://www.cslab.ece.ntua.gr/~jdros/humor/OpticalIllusions.ppt with different optical illusions and discuss with students. How does our perception change as we look at the optical illusion?
Whole Group: To learn about optical illusions, students will watch Amazon Instant Video: Head Rush Season 1, Episode 9, “Spinning Light Show,” which scientifically explains optical illusions and Tiny Toon Adventures, Season 1 Episode 3 “The Wheel of Comedy.”
Technology/Individually: Students will explore www.kidsfuncorner.com/optical-illusion-1.htm and http//kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/illusions/index.htm to learn more the types of optical illusions.
Whole Class: Teacher and students will discuss what we learned about optical illusions and discuss the sayings again. Has our perception of our eyes and what we see changed? Why or why not?
Individually: Students will create their own optical illusion. Once we are finished they will show the whole class their optical illusion. We will critique one another to see how successful our optical illusions are.(Rubric)
Characteristics of their SuperHero:Whole Class: Students and teach discuss students’ favorite Superhero, their age, ethnic background, and how does this affect him/her and the way other respond to him/her? What are some negative and positive effects that this will have on the Superhero and how others view them? (Make sure to discuss minority heroes.)
Students will create the characteristics for their Superhero. They will give their Superhero an “Undercover” name and occupation. Each Superhero will have Superhero name, age, ethnic background, geographic origin, religion (optional), height, weight, build, and hair and eye color. Each Superhero will have an everyday dress that goes with their job and a costume with a symbol.
Pre-writing activity: Measure the kids and compare their heights and talk about what height they would want their Superhero to be and weigh various objects and some students and discuss how much we would want our Superhero to weigh.
Students will use the Talents Communication skill to give many, varied single words to describe a hero, the hero’s feelings. They will use similes to describe the hero.
Thinking Skills: Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation, CreativityDecision Making Talent: Students will use the Decision Making Talent to think of many, varied occupations they could give to their Superhero. They will think of the questions they need to ask to determine the correct fit for their Superhero, use their answers to these questions to determine the best discipline for their Superhero, state their final decision and give many, varied reasons for our decisions.
Thinking Skills: Recall, Analysis, Evaluation, Decision-MakingTeacher and class will discuss the occupations that a Superhero might have: Comic book author, illustrator; President, Psychologist, movie directors, Actors, Costume Designers, Criminal Investigators and Special Agents, Counseling Psychologists, EMTs and Paramedics, Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Forest Firefighters, Municipal Firefighters, Police Patrol Officers, Registered Nurse, Doctor, Surgeon, Teachers, Postsecondary and the skills they would need to have in those jobs. Students will research these jobs and decide which one their Superhero will have and why. They will have to defend their choices.
OrStudents choose two jobs they think their Superhero would have based on their skills as Superheroes. Students will research these two jobs and become an expert in that field. The Superhero’s job must play a critical role in the
story they will write about their Superhero. How does this job and the knowledge they have about that job help them to save the day?
Students will design an everyday costume and Superhero costume for their newly created Superhero. They will draw a picture of the Superhero in their costume and in everyday wear. The everyday wear will be appropriate for their job. The costume must have a symbol and represent the Superhero well. Rubric.
Thinking Skills: Recall, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation, CreativityActivity: Students will list powers Superheroes have and what type they are and how they are used. (Ex. Wonder Woman’s Rope of Truth-Lasso a person and makes them tell the truth.) Next they will create five powers and choose two for their own Superhero/heroine and explain why they chose those powers for their Superhero. Why do you think this is a good power for them to have?
Thinking Skills: Observation, Recall, Application, Analysis, Divergent, Convergent Thinking, Synthesis, Evaluation, CreativeIndividual: Students will access Marvelkids.com and read comics. They will also read comics found in the library. Students will also read comics from the newspaper to familiarize themselves and examine comic strips and books.Individual or in Pairs: Students will access the Games section on Marvelkids.com and using the templates, create a comic strip features one of the Marvel heroes. Next they will create a short comic book using Marvel characters. This will help them to better understand the lay-out and details of making a comic strip and book.
Individual or in Pairs: Students will create their own comic strips featuring their created heroes and villains. The comic strip must show a problem that is created by the villain being solved by the hero. It should also demonstrate a value that is reflected in the culture of the Superhero.
Students must create a rough-draft and with teacher assistance, edit the rough-draft. Once the rough-draft is teacher approved, the student(s) will create a final draft. Students should have a title for their comic strip and a beginning, middle, and an ending. They should have at least 5 sections in their comic strip. A rubric will be followed.
Students can develop their own comic books for their superheroes. They must solve at least 3 problems that are created by their supervillain. They must have a title, title page, a beginning, middle, and an end. A rubric will also be followed.Talents: Students will forecast many, varied predictions about why a
Superhero chooses to be good. One of the predictions will be a part of the story they write about their Superhero.
Thinking Skills: Predicting, Recall, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation, CreativeStudents will determine their hero’s strengths and weaknesses based on the values that were previously determined. Students will list four strengths and how these human strengths contribute to the Superhero’s ability to “save the day.” Also, students will list four ways in which their Superhero might be weak. Students and teacher will conference and answer the following questions: How will these weaknesses hurt/hinder the Superhero? Are they physical, mental or moral? How do these strengths and weaknesses used to create a story?
Essential Understanding: Tragedy changes history.Essential Question: How does tragedy change history?Guiding Questions: What is tragedy? How does tragedy change the way we view the world? How does tragedy change the way in which governments operate? How does tragedy change people? Their perspectives? How has tragedy changed us?
Individually: Students will write down their definition of tragedy in their unit vocabulary page.
Whole Class: Using the Guiding Questions, teacher and students will discuss what tragedy is and how it changes the way we view our world.
Small Group: Pulgar story (See attachment)-Teacher will read the Pulgar story to class. Students will divide into small groups and highlight words/phrases that describe the Pulgar. Next, students will work together to draw the Pulgar and color it. Students should base their Pulgar on the story. Next, teacher will give the students large envelopes with materials in it. Students must use the supplies in the envelope, and only those materials, to build their Pulgar. Students should not forget to base the Pulgar on the story and their picture.
Whole Class: Students will present their Pulgars to the class and explain why they made him look the way he does and how he is based on the story.
Whole Class: Teacher and students will discuss: Is the Pulgar evil? Why or why not? How did we decide that? What if you were the Pulgar? Are animals evil for eating prey? Why or why not? Have we changed our opinion of the Pulgar? Is this a tragedy? Why? Does the tragedy that is caused by the Pulgar change the way we feel about the Pulgar?
Thinking Skills: Inference, Creativity
Whole Group: Teacher Talk: Often in Fairy Tales and mythology, the
characters in the story are shaped by tragedy. We will discuss how tragedy has shaped or changed our view of the world, but first we will discuss the many, varied, and unusual tragedies that affect fairy tale and mythological characters.
Small Groups: 1. Students will choose a fairy tale or a myth to read in small groups and then discuss the crisis that the characters must go through. How does this affect them? Does the tragedy make them better or worse? Students will choose from the following stories: Hercules, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Other-Student Choice2. Students will look at the story from the point-of-view of the hero and from the villain. Why do you think the hero responds the way he/she does? What motivates the villain to be an evil character? What could be done to help the villain behave better? What lesson can you learn from the story? Look at it again from both points-of-view.3. Make a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the villain and the hero. How are they alike and how are they different?4. Write a new ending to story in which the villain learns to be good. Students must base their ending on the cultural view of good.
Thinking Skills: Compare/Contrast, Create, Revise
Small Group: Teacher and small groups will read Cheyenne Again by Eve Bunting. (The story is of a Cheyenne boy who is sent to a white school to learn to be white and leave behind his Cheyenne ways.)
Bibliotherapy: Who are the characters in the book? Where does this story take place? Why does the boy have to go away to school? What happens when the men come to take him away? What are his mom and dad reactions? How are they different? Why do you think they react this way? What are the white men’s “names”? Why do you think they are given these names by the Native Americans? What are their jobs? How does Young Bull travel to school? What does the man say to Young Bull at the station? Does Young Bull want to be like him? Why or why not? Why do you think the sheriff shines his badge? What is it like at school? Is it like your school? How does the picture with the beds make you feel? Have you ever been without your parents? How did you feel? How would you feel if someone took you from your home to go to school? When Young Bull goes to school, they take away his clothes, cut his hair, etc.. Why? How does Young Bull feel about this? How do you feel about it? On page 15, Young Bull learns American History, but what is left out? What are the events that are left out? How do the Cheyenne feel about these events? Why do you think the whites left these events out of their history books? Why do the whites and Indians look at these events differently? What does Young Bull do and learn at school besides the three Rs? How do the Cheyenne boys feel about these things? How do you know? How do you feel when you read the passage and look at
the picture? How would you feel if you were Young Bull? Have you ever felt like someone was trying to take away your individuality? On page 19, where are the students going? How are they dressed? Why are they dressed alike? In a single file line? How do the Indians feel about this church? How do you feel about church? What is their religion? What do they believe in? How would you feel if someone forced to join a new religion? Do you think the Indians stopped believing in the Great Spirit? Would you change your beliefs if someone tried to force you to adopt their religion? How do you think the whites felt? Do you think they were doing something good or bad? Why? What do you think they thought? Did they feel like they were doing something good or bad? On page 20-21, what does the picture look like? Why do you think it looks like that? What kind of facial expression is on the boy’s face? Why does he look like that? How does the boy feel? How would you feel? Why does he run away? What would you do? What does the boy carry with him? Why does he carry it? What happens when he runs away? Do they catch him? What happens when they catch him? How much is the reward for catching him? Why would there be a reward? Why do they lock the ball and chain around his ankle? Why must they have discipline? What does the teacher he likes say to Young Bull? How do you think that makes Young Bull feel? How would you feel? What does Young Bull draw on his paper? Why does he draw the warriors? How do you think he feels when he draws them? Where does Young Bull see these warriors? What do the lines on the page look like? Why would Young Bull think they look like barbed wire? What does he “do” to the barbed wire? Why? What does the barbed wire represent to Young Bull? Why? How does he feel? How would you feel?
Small Groups: Venn Diagram: Compare and contrast Young Bull’s school and their beliefs and the Cheyenne beliefs/village. Discuss with teacher and other students.
Small Groups/Individually: Choose one Native American tribe to research and learn about the tragedies that befell them. From that tribe, choose a member of the tribe to research and tell how that member of the tribe reacted to the tragedy. Are they viewed now as a hero or a villain? Why or why not? Do other cultures view this person differently than the tribal cultural they were from? Write a persuasive essay trying to convenience others to view this person as a villain or a hero. Make sure to use references to the Native American culture they come from.
Choices: Nez Perce-Chief Joseph, Seminole-Osceola, Sacajawea-Shawnee, Pocahontas-Powhaton, Cochise-Apache, Crazy Horse-Lakota, Geronimo-Apache, Sitting Bull-Lakota, Sequoyah-Cherokee, Tecumseh-Shawnee, Major Ridge-Cherokee, James Vann-Cherokee, Charles R. Hicks-Cherokee, Other(Student Choice)
Individually: Students will create a mural based on their Native Americans that expresses the Native American culture and what they believe to be good and evil.
Individually: Students will make a three column T-Chart in their notebooks in which they will make a list of tragedies they have experienced or know about in one column and how it changed their view of the world in column two, and why they think it changed their view of the world.
Small Group: Teacher and students will discuss their lists as they feel comfortable discussing them.
Small groups: Students will discuss with teacher in small groups about the Native American they researched and we will discuss what tragedy the NA had to go through and how they overcame those tragedies. Who were these people? What was the tragedy? How did the Native Americans react to the tragedy? What happened to them? Have you ever had something bad happen to you? How did you react to? Why do you think you reacted that way? How would you have reacted to their tragedy? Compare and contrast your tragedy with theirs and then compare and contrast how you dealt with the tragedy.
Pairs: Students will work in pairs to create giant Venn Diagrams to Compare/Contrast their Indian tribes’ cultures. (Large Post-It notes)
Whole Class: Teacher and students: What is a crisis? Conflict? A problem? Are they the same? Different? What does intervention mean? What kinds of problems do your favorite Superheroes solve? How does he solve the problems? How does he feel when he is dealing with the problem? When it is over? How does his job help/hinder him in solving these problems?Students will forecast many, varied problems or conflicts that their Superhero could solve. They will also describe these situations.
Talents: Students will forecast the many, varied effects of the problem that their Superhero will solve. What are the ramifications of the problem? How does the Superhero feel during and after the crisis is solved?
Thinking Skills: Recall, Analysis, Divergent, Convergent Thinking, Synthesis, EvaluationStudents and teacher will discuss whole-class: What is a villain? How do we know what a villain is? We will make a list of villains and what makes a villain a villain. Why is he/she not a hero? How do we recognize a villain? What are the characteristics of a villain? How do we determine a villain?
Whole class: Who are some of the villains that are in literary works? In real life? Why are they the villain and not the hero? What are these villains like? Do the Superheroes face the same ones over and over? What is an advantage to the writer of using the same villain? Disadvantages? How are the villains and heroes alike and how are they different? What made them choose to
become a hero or a villain? Have you ever felt sorry for the villain in a story? Why or why not?
Students will use the Talents Communication skill to give many, varied single words to describe a villain, the villain’s feelings. They will use similes to compare the villain to the hero.Students will develop 5 different villains. Students will use the Forecasting Talent to make many, varied predictions about why their villain is a villain and the effects of the why. They will choose one of the villains to be the enemy of their hero. They will tell why they chose that villain. Students will have to back up their decision.Students will give their villain a name, a profession or occupation, ethnic background, some distinguishing physical and character traits, strengths and weaknesses. Students will use the Productive Thinking Talent to think of many, varied, and unusual values that their villain could have and why they would have those values.
Once the ethnic background is determined, how the villain meets the definition of “bad” in their culture.Students will write a rough-draft of their Superhero solving a problem created by their Super Villain. Part one: Characters and situation(s) are introduced. Part two: The middle. Complications occur (or a series of complications) Part three: The end-Problem Solved.Students will partner to proofread and edit each other’s papers. Teacher will conference with students at various intervals to assist students with editing. Students will us Microsoft Word to publish their story. Students will draw picture of their Superhero and create a setting for them. They will also draw a Super Villain in his/her own setting. They will create a rough-draft and then a final copy.
Essential Understanding #4:
Essential Understanding: Power changes perspective.Essential Question: How does power change perspective?Guiding Questions: What is power? How can having power change the way we view ourselves? Others? Is having power always a good thing? Why or why not?
Students will choose a ribbon out of an envelope. There will be two different colored ribbons in the envelope. One color will represent the people in power who are privileged and have more freedoms. One color will represent people with little/no power. They will not have the same supplies, freedoms, etc. For 30 minutes, one group will “rule.” All students will journal how they felt about each other in their group, about the other group. After journaling, the two groups will switch. After the next 30 minutes, they will journal again. How did they feel when they switched? How did it feel to lose power? Gain power? How did they feel towards the other group after being both in charge and not? We will discuss as a whole class. Students will create Venn diagram comparing/contrasting both sides.
Students will watch Frontline: A Class Divided at (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/) in segments. Students will journal about their reactions to what they see and compare/contrast their experiences in a “segregated” class with the reactions of the students to the blue-eyed experiment in 1968. Why do they think people react the way they do? What did you learn? How did you feel before and after? Will this change the way you view people in the future?Students will read a recent interview with Jane Elliott, the teacher who developed the “blue-eyed” experiment. (Read it and black out certain words.)
Students and teacher will discuss how they felt about their own teacher and Ms. Elliott when the experiment was being conducted and later after having a discussion about the experiment and reading the interview. If they could ask Ms. Elliott a question, what would it be? Students will email questions to Ms. Elliott at [email protected] and discuss the answers to the questions they ask as a whole class.
Students will learn about segregation in the South. Students will journal what they know about segregation. We will complete a KWHL as a whole class about segregation. Students will study Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech. They will each have a copy of the speech (http://www.archives.gov/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf)and read along as they watch it online (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs&safe=active). Teacher will conduct bibliotherapy session with students. Vocabulary preview: Injustice, justice, manacles, segregation, languished, promissory, heir, unalienable, defaulted, insufficient funds, hallowed, gradualism, tranquilizing, democracy, invigorating, degenerate, militancy, destiny, exalted, hew, prodigious, hamlet Students will choose the word they don’t know and look them up in the dictionary, write a sentence using the word and draw a picture demonstrating the word.
Title: What does it mean to have a dream? Do you have dreams? Give examples? What do you think Dr. King’s dream was? Who is the “great American?” What is the Emancipation Proclamation? When did the Emancipation Proclamation take place? When is Dr. King’s speech taking place? Who are the people who are being segregated? What does Dr. King say is the problem that the Negroes have? What is a promissory note? Heirs? What does Dr. King say in the first sentence of the third paragraph? Why? What does it mean “we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check?” What does Dr. King say about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence? Does it leave any men out? Should all men be treated equally? Why or why not? What does it mean to be treated equally? How do you think Dr. King felt? How do you feel reading this? How would you feel if you didn’t have the same rights as others based on birth? Color of your skin? Does he see hope in the future? How do you know? Where is the speech taking place? Why is it on “hallowed” ground? What does he mean
by “take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism?” Do you think he was right? Wrong? Why? What does Dr. King want to see happen in America? Where does he want to see change in America? What does Dr. King say that Blacks should no longer be satisfied with? How do you think Blacks of that time felt? How would you feel if you were treated like that? As we read the speech, Dr. King describes where the Negroes live. What does he say about those places? Where are these places? Would you want to live there? What would you do to get out to a better place? What is Dr. King’s dream? What are the examples he uses? How do you think the people listening to the speech felt at the end? How do you feel at the end of the speech?
Students and teacher will KWHL: What do students know about the causes of WWII? Students will listen to The Causes of World War II: Hitler's Rise to Power & Political Plan and watch parts of World War II on Discovery Education Streaming. After watching the videos, we will compare the history of the US during this time compared to Germany’s. How is the same? Different? How does this make you feel? Journal about it.
Students will use primary resources and internet research to learn about Nazi Germany. Students will study Nazi quotes (Choose from ones listed below) with teacher in small groups. Bibliotherapy: Who is speaking? What does ______mean? (Insert vocabulary words from quotes here.) About whom are they speaking? How do you think the Germans felt when hearing this? The Jews? Why?
Students will read Diary of Anne Frank. (Or just read the quotes) They will compare quotes from Hitler’s speeches and Anne Frank’s diary. How did the Jews view the Nazis? How did the ruling Germans view the Jews? Why? Did the fact they were in power change the way the Germans viewed the Jews? Do you think the Jews felt differently about the Germans before Hitler came to power? Do you think their views changed afterward? How? Why? Students will have to be able to back up their opinions with facts from the quotes and books. (http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/resource/document/DocJewQn.htm)Students will also study the Jewish Discrimination Laws that were presented in the Nuremburg trials after World War II, http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/resource/document/DocDec.htm, and discuss them with teacher as a whole class.
Nazi Quotes: Adolf Hitler, quoted in "Hitler," by Joachim Fest, Vintage Books Edition, 1974, p. 679-680:
Nature is cruel; therefore we are also entitled to be cruel. When I send the flower of German youth into the steel hail of the next war without feeling the slightest regret over the precious German blood that is being spilled, should I not also have the right to eliminate millions of an
The Goebbels [Reich Propaganda Minister] Diaries, February 14 1942. The Goebbels Diaries 1942-1943 - L.P. Lochner, Doubleday & Co., 1948, p. 86:
World Jewry will suffer a great catastrophe at the same time as Bolshevism. The Fuehrer once more expressed his determination to clean up the Jews in Europe pitilessly. There must be no squeamish sentimentalism about it. The Jews have deserved the catastrophe that has now overtaken them. Their destruction will now go hand in hand with the destruction of our enemies. We must hasten this process with cold ruthlessness.
The Goebbels [Reich Propaganda Minister] diaries, March 27, 1942. The Goebbels Diaries 1942-1943 - L.P. Lochner, Doubleday & Co., 1948, p. 147-148:
Beginning with Lublin, the Jews in the General Government [Nazi occupied Poland] are now being evacuated eastward. The procedure is a pretty barbaric one and not to be described here more definitely. Not much will remain of the Jews. On the whole it can be said that about 60 percent of them will have to be liquidated whereas only 40 percent can be used for forced labor.
Speech by Hans Frank [Governor of occupied Poland], to German soldiers in Poland, urging them to write home.Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression - Washington, U.S Govt. Print. Off., 1946, Vol. II, p. 633-634:
In all these weeks, they [i.e., your families] will be thinking of you, saying to themselves: my God, there he sits in Poland where there are so many lice and Jews, perhaps he is hungry and cold, perhaps he is afraid to write. It would not be a bad idea to send our dear ones back home a picture, and tell them: well now, there are not so many lice and Jews any more, and conditions here in the General Government have changed and improved somewhat already. Of course, I could not eliminate all lice and Jews in only one year's time. But in the course of time, and above all, if you help me, this end will be attained. After all, it is not necessary for us to accomplish everything within a year and right away, for what would otherwise be left for those who follow us to do?
Speech by Hans Frank [Governor of occupied Poland], December 16 1941.Documents on the Holocaust - Edited by Y. Arad, Y. Gutman, A.
Margaliot, NY, Ktav Pub. House in Association with Yad-Vashem, 1981, p. 247, Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression - Washington, U.S Govt. Print. Off., 1946 Vol. II p. 634:
One way or another -- I will tell you quite openly -- we must finish off the Jews. The Fuehrer put it into words once: should united Jewry again succeed in setting off a world war, then the blood sacrifice shall not be made only by the peoples driven into war, but then the Jew of Europe will have met his end....
But what should be done with the Jews? Can you believe that they will be accommodated in settlements in the Ostland? In Berlin we were told: why are you making all this trouble? We don't want them either, not in Ostland nor in the Reichskommissariat; liquidate them yourselves! Gentlemen, I must ask you to steel yourselves against all considerations of compassion. We must destroy the Jews wherever we find them, and wherever it is at all possible, in order to maintain the whole structure of the Reich...
The Jews represent for us also extraordinary malignant gluttons. We have now approximately 2,500,000 of them in the General Government [Nazi occupied Poland], perhaps with the Jewish mixtures and everything that goes with it, 3,500,000 Jews. We cannot shoot or poison those 3,500,000 Jews, but we shall nevertheless be able to take measures which will lead somehow to their annihilation, and this in connection with the gigantic measures to be determined in discussions with the Reich.
Speeches by Reichsfuehrer-SS Himmler before senior SS officers in Poznan, October 4 and 6, 1943.Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals - Washington, U.S Govt. Print. Off., 1949-1953, Vol. XIII, p. 323, and Himmler, Reichsfuehrer-SS - P. Padfield, Henry Holt and Co, NY, 1990, p. 469:
I mean the evacuation of the Jews, the extermination of the Jewish race. It's one of those things it is easy to talk about, "the Jewish race is being exterminated", says one party member, "that's quite clear, it's in our program, elimination of the Jews, and we're doing it, exterminating them". And then they come, 80 million worthy Germans, and each one has his decent Jew. Of course the others are vermin, but this one is an A-1 Jew. Not one of those who talk this way has watched it, not one of them has gone through it. Most of you know what it means when 100 corpses are lying side by side, or 500, or 1,000. To have stuck it out and at the same time - apart from exceptions caused by human weakness - to
have remained decent fellows, that is what has made us hard. This is a page of glory in our history which has never been written and is never to be written.
I ask of you that what I say in this circle you really only hear and never speak of. We come to the question: how is it with the women and the children? I have resolved even here on a completely clear solution. That is to say I do not consider myself justified in eradicating the men - so to speak killing or ordering them killed - and allowing the avengers in the shape of the children to grow up for our sons and grandsons. The difficult decision has to be taken, to cause this Volk [people] to disappear from the earth.
[This speech was recorded; the magnetic tapes are in the National Archives in Washington, DC]
Anne Frank’s Diary (http://annefrank.com/about-anne-frank/diary-excerpts/)
"Our many Jewish friends and acquaintances are being taken away in droves. The Gestapo is treating them very roughly and transporting them in cattle cars to Westerbork, the big camp in Drenthe to which they're sending all the Jews....If it's that bad in Holland, what must it be like in those faraway and uncivilized places where the Germans are sending them? We assume that most of them are being murdered. The English radio says they're being gassed."
- October 9, 1942.
"Our many Jewish friends and acquaintances are being taken away in droves. The Gestapo is treating them very roughly and transporting them in cattle cars to Westerbork, the big camp in Drenthe to which they're sending all the Jews....If it's that bad in Holland, what must it be like in those faraway and uncivilized places where the Germans are sending them? We assume that most of them are being murdered. The English radio says they're being gassed."
- October 9, 1942
"Have you ever heard the term 'hostages'? That's the latest
punishment for saboteurs. It's the most horrible thing you can imagine. Leading citizens--innocent people--are taken prisoner to await their execution. If the Gestapo can't find the saboteur, they simply grab five hostages and line them up against the wall. You read the announcements of their death in the paper, where they're referred to as 'fatal accidents'."
- October 9, 1942
"All college students are being asked to sign an official statement to the effect that they 'sympathize with the Germans and approve of the New Order." Eighty percent have decided to obey the dictates of their conscience, but the penalty will be severe. Any student refusing to sign will be sent to a German labor camp."
- May 18, 1943
"Mr. Bolkestein, the Cabinet Minister, speaking on the Dutch broadcast from London, said that after the war a collection would be made of diaries and letters dealing with the war. Of course, everyone pounced on my diary."
- March 29, 1944
"I've reached the point where I hardly care whether I live or die. The world will keep on turning without me, and I can't do anything to change events anyway. I'll just let matters take their course and concentrate on studying and hope that everything will be all right in the end."- February 3, 1944
"...but the minute I was alone I knew I was going to cry my eyes out. I slid to the floor in my nightgown and began by saying my prayers, very fervently. Then I drew my knees to my chest, lay my head on my arms and cried, all huddled up on the bare floor. A loud sob brought me back down to earth..."- April 5, 1944On Her Old Country, Germany
"Fine specimens of humanity, those Germans, and to think I'm actually one of them! No, that's not true, Hitler took away our nationality long ago. And besides, there are no greater enemies on earth than the Germans and Jews."- October 9, 1942
"It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still
Activities to coincide with studying Anne Frank:
1. Students will maintain a diary/journal in which they will record their vocabulary and responses to what they are reading.
2. Students will also write diary entries as themselves recounting their daily lives. They will use Venn diagrams to compare/contrast themselves to Anne and her life.
3. After Session 3, students will think of many, varied and unusual things that they would need to survive
believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more"- July 15, 1944
Whole Class-Find Frankfurt, Germany on a map. Small group or individually-Students will research Frankfurt. What type of city was it in the 1940s? Now? Students will make a T-Chart comparing Frankfurt then and now. Teacher and students will find Amsterdam on the map. Individually-Using the map scale, students will find out how far Amsterdam is from Frankfurt. Whole class-What city in the US is like Frankfurt? Amsterdam? How far is Amsterdam from the US?
Whole class: Look at pictures of the Frank family and the Anne Frank timeline at http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/Timeline/#!/en/Subsites/Timeline/. What do you learn about the Frank family just by looking at the pictures? How did they live? What can you tell about the time period they live in by looking at the pictures? Teacher and students discuss how WWI affects the Frank family and leads to WWII, according to the timeline. What is the Treaty of Versailles? How did affect the German people? Why was it so harsh? What is a fascist? What do they believe? How is that different from what we believe in the US? (T-chart)
Students will be given articles about genocide, racism, and religious intolerance from current resources. Write the definitions and student definitions in their journals. Whole class- Discuss what these words mean. In small groups, students will discuss how this made them feel and list five ways in which they would try to improve that situation. Small groups, teacher and students discuss the articles. What happened in this situation? Who was involved? Who do we think were the “bad” people? Good? Why or why not? On what do we base our decision? Were you surprised to learn that people are still treated this way? Where it occurred? The people involved? How do you think the people on both sides of the issue feel? How do you feel? Have you ever seen or heard or done anything like this? If so, why or what was your reaction to the situation? Did you try to help? Were you a
if they had to leave home for a long time. They then would pretend they had 30 minutes to pack what they will take with them in a back pack. What would they take? Why? Students must have good reasons to support their decisions.
4. Students will choose a picture that is “worth a thousand words” from Anne Frank and journal why it is, in their opinion, “worth a thousand words.”
5. After session 4, students will journal about what they believe is right and wrong. They will also tell why they think that.
6. After Session 5, Students will journal the differences between how they act at home and at school. How are they the same and different in both places? Why?
7. Journal Session 6: We are at war in two countries right now. How do you feel about these wars? How do these wars compare to WWII? How do you feel about the future?
8. Journal: How do you feel about what happened to Anne and her
bystander? Why or why not?
Students will explore www.annefrank.org and look at pictures of the hiding place and listen to the commentary about
Anne Frank Vocabulary: conspicuous, mercurial, leisure, unabashed, insufferable, meticulous, fatalist, ostentatiously, inarticulate, apprehension, intuition, indignant, stealthily, ineffectually and any words that they may not know
As we read the book, students will look up the vocabulary words and in their journals, write a sentence using them and draw picture that demonstrates what the word means.
Bibliotherapy: Session 1: Who is Anne Frank? How old was she? What is happening to Anne? What does she like? What is she like at the beginning of the diary? What is a Jew? Why did she have to wear a yellow star? How did it make her feel? How would you feel? How would you feel?Session 2: After three months in hiding, Anne says, “Who would have guessed three months ago that quicksilver Anne would have to sit so quietly for hours on end, and what’s more that she could?” What is quicksilver? What does she mean by this? How do you think she feels? How would you feel? How do you think you would cope with being in hiding for that long? Why? Anne writes that, “It’s amazing how much these generous and unselfish people do, risking their lives to help and save others. The best example of this is our own helpers…Never have they uttered a single word about the burden we must be, never have they complained that we’re too much trouble.” Who are their helpers? Why are these people helping? How are they helping? Who are they helping? How do you think the helpers feel about helping the Franks hide? How do the Franks feel about the helpers? Would you help someone in a situation like this? Why? Why not? How would you feel if you were hiding someone whose life was in danger? If your own life was in danger? Session 3: Anne writes that after one year of hiding, they “…long for Saturdays because that means books…Our only diversions are reading studying and listening to the wireless.” What is the “wireless”? If you were in this situation, how would you spend your time? Why is she studying? How do you think she feels after having been in hiding for so long? Session 4: “Even though I’m only fourteen, I know what I want, I know who’s right and who’s wrong, I have my own opinions, ideas and principles, and though it may sound odd coming from a teenager, I feel I’m more of a person than a child-I feel I’m completely independent of others.” What does it mean to be independent? What does Anne mean? What does she mean-she more a person than a child? How do does she feel? How do you feel at your age? Do you feel more like a person than a child? Why or why not? Does Anne feel more “grown up”? Why would Anne feel more “grown-up”? Do you have your own ideas and opinions? Do you have ideas about right and wrong? Session 5: Anne writes, “Can you tell me why people go to such lengths to hide their real selves? Or why I always behave very differently when I’m in
company of others?” Do people act differently around others? How do people act differently? Why do you think people do that? Do you act differently around others? At home? At school? Session 6: “What’s the point of the war? Why, oh, why can’t people live together peacefully? Why all this destruction?” “It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I sill believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too will end, that peace wand tranquility will return once more.” What is war? What is the war in the book? Why are they having war when Anne is? Why do people have war? Why do you think people can’t always live peacefully with one another? How does Anne feel about people after having gone through what she has? How do we know? How would you feel after going through what she has? Do you believe that people are basically good? Why or why not? Do you think their will be a time when we are not at war? How do you feel about the future? Session 7: Students will go to http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/Home/The-outcome/ and watch the documentary about the betrayal and arrest of the Frank family, as well as the outcome for the survivors. They will also watch Otto Frank tell his story. What happened to Anne and the others? Who do you think betrayed them? Do you think Anne was as optimistic in the as she was in her diary? What does Otto do now? How does Otto feel? What would you do if this happened to your family? How would you feel?
At-Home Tie-In Students, with parental assistance, will create a costume for both their Superhero and Supervillain.
Culminating Performance Activity:
Small Group: The United States is under attack. Students must develop Superheroes and Supervillains that are based on the disciplines that are discussed in the unit. They must save the United States, using not only Superpowers, but the knowledge they have as the experts in their field of study. They must also know why the Superheroes and Supervillains are motivated to act the way they do. Students will research historical and mythological heroes and villains to determine what their motivations were for their actions. They will use this research to determine their own Superheroes powers and motivations (villains too). Students will form a “task force” and create skits that demonstrate the good vs. evil theme. Students will make their own costumes based on their characters.
Also, students will create short skits using their Superheroes and Supervillains to demonstrate the difference between good manners and bad manners, according to our culture. These skits will be edited with teacher assistance and video-taped for the morning program at school.
Alternative Activities
Students could draw a comic strip demonstrating their characters showing “good” and “bad” manners. They could write a radio show and record it.
They could write a play as a whole group or in small groups to be acted out in front of other students. They could write a narrative poem or a song about their Superhero saving the day and demonstrate the differences between right and wrong.
Resources Create Heroes and Villains: Writing an Adventure Story by Eleanor W. Hoomes, PhD. Publisher: Educational Impressions; Rubistar.4teachers.org; Livebinders-Superheroes; Marvelkids.marvel.com; Products Tool Bag 4-5th grades; (http://www.examiner.com/article/story-6-blind-men-and-the-elephant-an-indian-parable)
Students will, as a class, list many, varied, and unusual ideas for debating about good and evil. In groups of 6, students and teacher will choose a topic to debate. Three people will be on each team. The information will be researched individually and then the team will meet to organize and analyze information and draw conclusions. They also need to consider and generate possible rebuttals that could be formed by the other team. Students will then debate and be judged according to how strong their arguments were. Each team will have a Debate Rubric and each judge will have a score sheet. Emphasis will put on the winning team winning because they had a better argument, not due to judges’ point-of-view. (Debate rules provided by Amanda Faith.)
