|
LESSON TWO
The Outbreak
of World War I
Grade: 10
Time: one period (40 minutes)
Preparation:
- Prepare lecture notes about the events leading up to, and the start
of WWI
- Check the following sites to obtain information on these topics:
- Bring in an article from the local, regional ,national newspaper
or news magazine that was written with a strong point of view about a hot
topic, that your students would find interesting. Perhaps an editorial
section would be appropriate, as it usually contains elements of fact,
opinion and bias.
- Make a transparency of this article and about ten copies for each
group to have one copy.
- Have the eight questions from the following lesson plan copied onto
the board, chart paper or onto a handout for each group.
Expectations:
Students will:
- analyze, synthesize, and evaluate historical information; locate
information using a variety of sources
- analyze and describe conflicting points of view.
- communicate the results of inquiries for specific purposes and audiences,
using media works, political cartoons, oral presentations, written notes,
reports, posters, tables, charts, and / or graphs.
- differentiate between bias, inference, and fact.
Lesson Plan:
Part One
-
Begin by briefly reviewing the terms fact, opinion and bias from
the previous lesson.
- Divide the students up into groups of three for a cooperative learning
activity. The students may choose their groups or you may preselect
the configurations. Have three roles established per group and allow
the students to choose their roles:
- reader (and encourager)
- recorder (and encourager)
- presenter, time keeper (and encourager)
- Provide each group with the 'hot topic' article you have chosen.
Have the reader read the article. Have the recorder write the answers and
ask the group to discuss and answer the following questions:
- Who wrote the article?
- Who was their intended audience?
- What was the author's point of view?
- How do you know that this was their point of view?
- When was the article written?
- Where was the article written?
- What important information can we learn from this article?
- What advice can your group give the class about reading another
person's point of view? (This advice will be posted for all of
the students/teacher to read so, effort and appropriateness
of content count)
- ...add your own question(s) to adapt for your students or the
article
- Allow the groups between ten to fifteen minutes to complete their
assignment. Remind the timekeepers to keep their groups on task.
Then ask all of the presenters to come to the front of the class or to
stand from where they are.
- Have the presenters share their responses on behalf of their group
with the class.
- Once the discussion and sharing is complete, ask that the reader
of each group to write their group's 'advice' for reading critically on
a piece of chart paper shared by all groups. Display this poster
in the class as a reminder of how to read, listen, and observe carefully
and critically. Refer to this chart throughout the unit.
- Have all of the students create a Definitions Page in their notebooks.
As a class, create definitions for inferences, facts, bias, and opinions.
Use examples from today's lesson and from the Newsletters and Valour Road
activities from the previous class.
Part Two
- Begin by explaining to the class, the events leading up to and the
start of World War I. (See Internet sites for notes and pictures.)
Try to refer to the terms opinion, fact and bias in your explanations of
these events.
Evaluation Opportunities:
- Asses the cooperative small group learning skills and ask the students
to evaluate their own and their peer's skills. Did everyone take
part in discussing and answering the questions, Were various roles
performed appropriately by members of the group?
- Assess student participation in the class discussions.
|
