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A Tangible Biography through Artifacts
Lesson Plan Outline
Grade Level: 10th Grade, Honors U.S. History II
Duration: 58 Minutes
Introduction: This lesson was developed specifically with a focus on literacy through the analysis of informational texts, relative to WWI. The warm-up of the lesson, though not related directly to the curriculum content, serves to have students understand just how much information you can garner from a primary source, even something as simple as a photograph. The lesson culminates with a student-centered activity in which students take the skills from the warm-up activity, and apply them directly to the development of a biography & biographical timeline of WWI soldier.
A. Educational Standards Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
World History II:
The Great Wars, 1914-1945
WHII.17 Describe the relative importance of economic and imperial competition, Balkan nationalism, German militarism and aggression, and the power vacuum in Europe due to the declining power of the Russian, Austrian, and Ottoman Empires in causing World War I. (H, E)
U.S. History II: USII.6 Analyze the causes and course of America’s growing role in world affairs from the Civil War to World War I. (H, E)
J. American entry into World War I
USII.7 Explain the course and significance of President Wilson’s wartime diplomacy, including his
Fourteen Points, the League of Nations, and the failure of the Versailles treaty. (H)
Seminal Primary Documents to Read: President Woodrow Wilson, “Peace without Victory,” speech
(1917)
Common Core: Common Core State Standards Initiative
ELA Standards - Reading: Informational Texts (grade 9-10)
Key Ideas and Details CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
|ASSABET VALLEY REGIONAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL|
World War I: A Memory Box Honors United States History II
Instructor: Kathryn Myer
|MARLBOROUGH, MA|
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Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
History/Social Studies, Science, & Technology (grade 9-10) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.7 Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.
B. Essential Question
Was WWI the first truly global conflict? Can you tell someone’s history/story from their tangible artifacts?
C. Enduring Understandings
Primary sources, when analyzed in depth, can relay masses of information relative to historical perspectives and analysis.
D. Student Learning Objectives: Student will be able to… (Identify, describe, explain, analyze, compare/contrast, evaluate, apply…)
ANALYZE the importance of primary sources and their purpose as historical resources. EXAMINE the life of a WWI soldier through a Memory Box CONSTRUCT a biography via a timeline relative to the life of the WWI soldier
E. Learning Activities: Academic Language & Prerequisite Skills
Content-Area Terms WWI Soldier Treaty of Versailles Peace Treaty Cease fire
Academic Language Analyze Assess Biography Timeline
F. Materials and Resources
Internet Access avkmyer.weebly.com
G. Technology
Internet Access avkmyer.weebly.com
H. Accommodations for Diverse Learners
Only ONE student currently enrolled in this class receives accommodations relative to an IEP. However, if
at any time, ANY of the students enrolled in this class requires individualized or differentiated instruction,
the instructor will be prepared to assist with any and all students in the class, including, but certainly not
limited to the following:
Overview of vocabulary terms (ex. “WWI”) with secondary definitions and/or pictorial representation
of the terms, if necessary.
Connect the idea of course content to everyday, contemporary life.
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Repeat and review instructions of assignments in writing, if necessary.
Provide class notes and study guides regarding WWI, if necessary.
Provide access to computer/word processor in the library, if necessary.
I. TASK 2: Instructing and Engaging Students in Learning
STEP ACTIVITY DURATION
PRE-CLASS:
Before class begins, be sure to have the Objectives, Enduring
Understanding/Essential Questions, and Agenda written on the
white board.
Introduce students to the new classroom (D306)
N/A
BEGINNING
THE LESSON:
DO-
NOW/FOCUS
ACTIVITY
Pre-lesson Assessment: Observe the image for 30 seconds.
Analyze the people in the image
Analyze the setting of the image
Analyze the objects in the image
Analyze the activities in the image
Conclusions: How specific can you be?
Based on what you have observed, what are some things that
you might infer from this photograph?
What questions/if any does this photograph raise in your mind?
Do-Now:
15 minutes total
3-5 min intro
10-12 min activity
CARRYING
OUT THE
LESSON: THE
MEMORY BOX
ACTIVITY
Separate students into 4 groups:
Early life
War Years
Adulthood
Later Life
Explain to students that it is there job to compile the most
complete biography of the WWI soldier from the artifacts
within the memory box.
They must first organize the artifacts into various time periods,
and then each group should analyze the data to develop their
part of the story. (Also, some information from the sources will
overlap time periods).
MEMORY BOX
20-25 minutes total
3-5 min intro
25-30 min activity
o Read summaries
aloud
In the
Event that
you Finish
Early:
The Treaty
of Versailles
Packet
In the event that one or more groups finishes the activity early,
students should read copies of the front pages of national
newspapers in order to get a preliminary context related to the
material relative to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles
(tomorrow’s lesson in class).
Treaty of Versailles
Total Time Varies
(Incorporated into all
of the individual
class assignments)
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CARRYING
OUT THE
LESSON:
MEMORY
BOX
TIMELINE
When students have ALL completed their group biographies for
the WWI soldier, then should then move on and out their
portion of the biography on the class timeline, located on the
class whiteboard.
In the end, the class will present their findings to the class
Lastly, the instructor will relay the soldier’s complete
biography, and the students can compare how close they came
to the true biography.
Timeline
10 minutes total
COMPLETING
THE LESSON:
EXIT TICKET
Formative Assessment: Have students complete an exit ticket
before leaving class for the day.
Closing:
8 minutes total
HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT
DUE
12/08/2013
Complete the Treaty of Versailles Packet due TOMORROW
Complete the WWI TEST Study Guide (Reminder, TEST
WEDNESDAY)
1920s Projects & New DBQ will be distributed on THURSDAY
Reminder, WWI DBQ due FRIDAY
Homework:
15-20 minutes total
(at home)
J. TASK 3: Assessing Student Learning
Formative and Summative Assessment
Lesson Objective Assessment Tool
ANALYZE the importance of primary sources and their purpose as historical resources.
Warm-Up: Photo Analysis Activity
EXAMINE the life of a WWI soldier through a Memory Box
Memory Box Activity
CONSTRUCT a biography via a timeline relative to the life of the WWI soldier
Memory Box Activity & Timeline
Formative Ticket to Leave