Title III Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

Overview

This following learning unit and learning experiences serve as a CULMINATING EXPERIENCE to help students draw connections between a piece of literature in English Language Arts and the content taught in World History 10. All necessary classroom course work needs to be taught prior to using the activities listed here. The materials are laid out in the "Dimensions of Learning" model and reference specific strategies from that model. The specific text studied is A Separate Peace by John Knowles. The historical information centers around the world at war during the first 50 years of the 1900’s. The activities herein will be compiled to create a final presentation by the students demonstrating and illustrating the shared content gleaned from the novel and the history textbook.

Content Knowledge

Declarative Knowledge

• Main events of World War II
• Pros/cons list for war strategies
• Strategies list with graphic organizer
• Identifying popular trends during World War II
• Literary elements in A Separate Peace

Procedural Knowledge

• Create a literary criticism
• Write an essay (support/refute)
• Write an argumentative essay
• Create propaganda
• Analyze propaganda

Essential Questions

Is peace really peace?

When is violence justified?

Connections to NYS Learning Standards

Standard 1 - Language for Information and Understanding

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

Commencement - Listening and Reading

1. Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas, discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written, and electronic sources.

Students:

• interpret and analyze complex informational texts and presentations, including technical manuals, professional journals, newspaper and broadcast editorials, electronic networks, political speeches and debates, and primary source material in their subject area courses
• synthesize information from diverse sources and identify complexities and discrepancies in the information
• use a combination of techniques (e.g., previewing, use of advance organizers, structural cues) to extract salient information from texts
• make distinctions about the relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas
• make perceptive and well developed connections to prior knowledge
• evaluate writing strategies and presentational features that affect interpretation of the information.

Commencement - Speaking and Writing

2. Speaking and writing to acquire and transmit information requires asking probing and clarifying questions, interpreting information in one's own words, applying information from one context to another, and presenting the information and interpretation clearly, concisely and comprehensibly.

Students:

• write and present research reports, feature articles, and thesis/support papers on a variety of topics related to all school subjects
• present a controlling idea that conveys an individual perspective and insight into the topic
• use a wide range of organizational patterns such as chronological, logical (both deductive and inductive), cause and effect, and comparison/contrast
• support interpretations and decisions about relative significance of information with explicit statement, evidence, and appropriate argument
• revise and improve early drafts by restructuring correcting errors, and revising for clarity and effect
• use standard English skillfully, applying established rules and conventions for presenting information and making use of a wide range of grammatical constructions and vocabulary to achieve an individual style that communicates effectively.

Standard 2 - Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.

Commencement - Listening and Reading

1. Listening and reading for literary response involves comprehending, interpreting, and critiquing imaginative texts in every medium, drawing on personal experiences and knowledge to understand the text, and recognizing the social, historical and cultural features of the text.

Students:

• read and vies independently and fluently across many genres of literature from many cultures and historical periods
• identify the distinguishing features of different literary genres, periods and traditions and use those features to interpret the work
• recognize and understand the significance of a wide range of literary elements and techniques, (including figurative language, imagery, allegory, irony, blank verse, symbolism, stream-of-consciousness) and use those elements to interpret the work
• understand how multiple levels of meaning are conveyed in a text
• read aloud expressively to convey a clear interpretation of the work
• evaluate literary merit based on an understanding of the genre, the literary elements, and the literary period and tradition.

Commencement - Speaking and Writing

2. Speaking and writing for literary response involves presenting interpretations, analyses, and reaction to the content and language of a text. Speaking and writing for literary expression involves producing imaginative texts that use language and text structures that are inventive and often multilayered.

• present responses to and interpretations of works of recognized literary merit with references to the principal features of the genre, the period, and literary tradition and drawing on their personal experiences and knowledge
• produce literary interpretations that explicate the multiple layers of meaning
• write original pieces in a variety of literary forms, correctly using the conventions of the genre and using structure and vocabulary to achieve an effect
• use standard English skillfully and with an individual style.

Standard 3-Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

Commencement- Listening and Reading

1. Listening and reading to analyze and evaluate experiences, ideas, information, and issues requires using evaluative criteria from a variety of perspectives and recognizing the difference in evaluations based on different sets of criteria.

Students:

• analyze, interpret, and evaluate ideas, information, organization, and language of a wide range of general and technical texts and presentations across subject areas, including technical manuals, professional journals, political speeches, and literary criticism
• evaluate the quality of the texts and presentations from a variety of critical perspectives within the field of study (e.g., using both Poe's elements of a short story and the elements of "naturalist fiction" to evaluate a modern story)
• make precise determinations about the perspective of a particular writer or speaker by recognizing the relative weight they place on particular arguments and criteria (E.g., one critic condemns a biography as too long and rambling; another praises it for its accuracy and never mentions its length)
• evaluate and compare their own and others' work with regard to different criteria and recognize the change in evaluations when different criteria are considered to be more important.
• Commencement- Speaking and Writing

2. Speaking and writing for critical analysis and evaluation requires presenting opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information, and issues clearly, logically, and persuasively with reference to specific criteria on which the opinion or judgment is based.

Students:

• present orally and in writing well-developed analyses of issues, ideas, and texts, explaining the relations for their positions and analyzing their positions from a variety of perspectives in such forms as formal speeches, debates, thesis/support papers, literary critiques, and issues analyses
• make effective use of details, evidence, and arguments and of presentational strategies to influence an audience to adopt their position
• monitor and adjust their own oral and written presentations to have the greatest influences on a particular audience
• use standard English, a broad and precise vocabulary, and the conventions of formal oratory and debate.

Standard 4 - Language for Social Interaction

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Commencement - Listening and Speaking

1. Oral communication in formal and informal settings requires the ability to talk with people of different ages, genders, and cultures, to adapt presentations to different audiences, and to reflect on how talk varies in different situations.

Students:

• engage in conversations and discussions on academic, technical, and community subjects, anticipating listeners' needs and skillfully addressing them
• express their thoughts and views clearly with attention to the perspectives and voiced concerns of the others in the conversation
• use appropriately the language conventions for a wide variety of social situations, such as informal conversations, first meetings with peers or adults, and more formal situations such as job interviews or customer service.

Commencement - Reading and Writing

2. Written communication for social interaction requires using written messages to establish, maintain, and enhance personal relationships with others.

Students:

• use a variety of print and electronic forms for social communication with peers and adults
• make effective use of language and style to connect the message with the audience and context
• study the social conventions and language conventions of writers from other groups and cultures and use those conventions to communicate with members of those groups.

Standard 2 - World History

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

Commencement

1. The study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and civilizations, including an analysis of important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions. This study also examines the human condition and the connections and interactions of people across time and space, and the ways different people views the same event or issue from a variety of perspectives.

Students:

• define culture and civilization, explaining how they developed and changed over time. Investigate the various components of cultures and civilizations including social customs, norms, values, and traditions; political systems; economic systems; religious and spiritual beliefs; and socialization or educational practices
• understand the development and connectedness of Western civilization and other civilizations and cultures in many areas of the world and over time
• analyze historic events from around the world by examining accounts written from different perspectives
• understand the broad patterns, relationships, and interactions of cultures and civilizations during particular eras and across eras
• analyze changing and competing interpretations of issues, events, and developments throughout world history.

2. Establishing timeframes, exploring different periodizations, examining themes across time and within cultures, and focusing on important turning points in world history help organize the study of world cultures and civilizations.

Students:

• distinguish between past, present, and future by creating multiple-tier timelines that display important events and developments from world history across time and place
• evaluate effectiveness of different models for the periodization of important historical events, identifying the reasons why a particular sequence for these events was chosen
• analyze evidence critically and demonstrate an understanding of how circumstances of time and place influence perspective
• explain the importance of analyzing narratives drawn from different times and places to understand historical events
• investigate key events and developments and major turning points in world history to identify the factors that brought about change and the long-term effects of these changes.

3. Study of the major social, political, cultural, and religious developments in world history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

Students:

• analyze the roles and contributions of individuals and groups to social, political, economic, cultural, and religious practices and activities
• explain the dynamics of cultural change and how interactions between and among cultures has affected various cultural groups throughout the world
• examine the social/cultural, political, economic, and religious norms and values of Western and other world cultures.

4. The skills of historical analysis include the ability to investigate differing and competing interpretations of the theories of history, hypothesize about why interpretations change over time, explain the importance of historical evidence, and understand the concepts of change and continuity over time.

Students:

• identify historical problems, pose analytical questions or hypotheses, research analytical questions or test hypotheses, formulate conclusions or generalizations, raise new questions or issues for further investigation
• interpret and analyze documents and artifacts related to significant developments and events in world history
• plan and organize historical research projects related to regional or global interdependence
• analyze different interpretations of important events, issues, or developments in world history by studying the social, political, and economic context in which they were developed; by testing the data source for reliability and validity, credibility, authority, authenticity, and completeness; and by detecting biased, distortion of the facts, and propaganda by omission, suppression, or invention of facts. (Taken from National Standards for World History)

Standard 3 - Geography

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live - local, national, and global - including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth's surface.

Intermediate

1. Geography can be divided into six essential elements which can be used to analyze important historical, geographic, economic, and environmental questions and issues. These six elements include: the world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical settings (including natural resources), human systems, environment and society, and the use of geography. (Adapted from The National Geography Standards, 1994: Geography for Life)

Students:

• map information about people, places, and environments understand the characteristics, functions, and applications of maps, globes, aerial and other photographs, satellite-produced images, and models (Taken from The National Geography Standards, 1994)
• investigate why people and places are located where they are located and what patterns can be perceived in these locations
• describe the relationships between people and environments and the connections between people and places.

2. Geography requires the development and application of the skills of asking and answering geographic questions; analyzing theories of geography; and acquiring, organizing, and analyzing geographic information. (Adapted from The National Geography Standards, 1994: Geography for Life)

Students:

• formulate geographic questions and define geographic issues and problems
• use a number of research skills (e.g., computer databases, periodicals, census reports, maps, standard reference works, interviews, surveys) to locate and gather geographic information about issues and problems (Adapted from The National Geography Standards, 1994: Geography for Life)
• present geographic information in a variety of formats, including maps, tables, graphs, charts, diagrams, and computer-generated models
• interpret geographic information by synthesizing data and developing conclusions and generalizations about geographic issues and problems.

Standard 5 - Civics, Citizenship, and Government

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the government system of the U.S. and other nations; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Commencement

1. The study of civics, citizenship, and government involves learning about political systems; the purpose of government and civic life; and the differing assumptions held by people across time and place regarding power, authority, governance, and law. (Adapted from The National Standards for Civics and Government, 1994)

Students:

• analyze how the values of a nation and international organizations affect the guarantee of human rights and make provisions for human needs
• consider the nature and evolution of constitutional democracies throughout the world
• compare various political systems with that of the United States in terms of ideology, structure, function, institutions, decision-making process, citizenship roles, and political culture
• identify and analyze advantages and disadvantages of various governmental systems.

Initiating Activity

Using a concept attainment strategy such as "word webs", students will organize information into three categories. Have the students "web" or map out the following words: war, peace, adolescent friendship. Encourage them to link and list what they know. "Inspiration" software would be a valuable resource to help the students create graphic organizers of their words and the relationship to one another. Once organized, students will complete the K and W portions of a K-W-L strategy around the topic of "preparatory schools". This will relate to the teaching of the world in conflict and the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles.

Learning Experiences

Students will identify the strategies of war and will create a pros and cons list. After reading their text (pages 362-397 – Prentice Hall) and viewing the following website http://www.nara.gov/exhall/people/people.html, students will construct meaning by using the declarative strategy BEFORE, DURING, AFTER. Students will organize their information by using a NOTE TAKING STRATEGY. They will store this information by using CREATE AN EXPERIENCE.

Students must have an understanding of literary elements prior to reading the novel. As they are reading, students will construct meaning by using a THREE MINUTE PAUSE to identify key elements. To organize the information, students will use various CHARTS AND GRAPHS depending on the elements discussed. Storing of the information will be done in journal form using WRITE IT.

Students will understand the main events of World War II after reading the text (page 362-397), listening to lecture and viewing http://jumboshrimp.simplenet.com/WW2/ww2index.html. Students will use THREE MINUTE PAUSE to construct meaning. They will implement the strategy PICTOGRAPH as a way to organize the information. They will complete a MIND MAP to help store the knowledge.

As the class is reading the novel, they will create an entertainment guide for the 1940’s. Students will brainstorm a list of topics for their guide and then will construct meaning by filling out a K-W-L chart for each of their topics. To organize knowledge, students will be provided with ADVANCE ORGANIZER QUESTIONS. Storing of their knowledge will be accomplished by the actual creating of the entertainment guide using Microsoft Publisher 98 or higher. All information for the guide should be found utilizing Ebsco Host, or any other periodical program that gives full text articles from the time period.

Students will write a support and refute essay based on the following critical lens:

After students have read the critical lens, using CREATE A FLOW CHART students will construct meaning for the critical lens. They will shape their learning by IDENTIFYING THE PITFALLS AND ERRORS of the critical lens. Students will internalize the process by repeating the steps with another critical lens.

Students need to be aware of literature from the time period. After selecting one of the authors (Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, T. S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Erich Maria Remarkque), students will write a literary criticism. This is a formal style of writing used in English class where the student researches an author and finds out what critics have to say about the author's contribution to the world of literature. An annotated bibliography of work might be attached. This will give a synopsis of the works by a particular author. The final product will be typed using Microsoft Works 4.5 or any other word processing software. To construct meaning, the teacher will use both THINK-ALOUD and WRITTEN SET OF STEPS. They will shape their research of their author by identifying with the process through a VARIETY OF SITUATIONS discussion. To internalize the process of writing a literary criticism, students will practice the steps, create additional essays, or peer edit and revise another’s work.

Students will analyze propaganda and create propaganda. After students have viewed examples of World War II propaganda at the following website:

http://www.bunt.com/~mconrad/links.htm students will use A WRITTEN SET OF STEPS (see attached chart for the activity) to construct meaning for the process of making a piece of propaganda. They will shape their learning by analyzing published examples of World War II propaganda. Students will internalize the process by creating an original piece of propaganda.

To bring the two disciplines together, students will use the following quote from the novel:

A COMPARE, CONTRAST, CONCLUDE, DEFEND (CCCD) strategy will be used to:

• Compare the quote to a specific event in the marking period.
• Contrast it to a specific event in the marking period.
• Conclude by drawing a conclusion about the quote.
• Defend your opinion.

TO EXTEND AND REFINE:

Students will use INDUCTION to draw conclusions about the strategies of World War II. They will communicate this by completing the DRAWING CONCLUSIONS chart.

Students will use DEDUCTION to identify specific events of World War II. They will communicate this by completing a MULTIPLE EFFECTS CHART.

Culminating Performance

To evaluate the compiled information, have students package the information creatively by using some sort of display. What works well is setting the classroom up as a "job fair" or "craft fair" where the students will man a booth of their information to present to another class studying the same content. Presentations take the form of students showing, describing, and teaching the four or five best pieces of material gathered over the course of the unit. Several methods of displaying the materials can be used. Foam core, poster board, or scrapbooks have worked well. The peers viewing the presentations will provide "warm" feedback for the presenter. The teachers will use the following rubric for scoring the presentation. Each component of the compiled material may be individually graded as desired. The rubric below serves to score the presentation!

Pre-requisite Skills

Students should have knowledge of the following items prior to starting this unit:

• Literary terms
• Definition of propaganda
• Typing rules
• Standard essay format
• Research skills
• Internet searching
• Note taking
• Computer skills using the software listed in the "technology used" section of this unit

Modifications

There are some general modification that can be made for your particular situation. The activities involving technology can be done in small groups. The tasks can be done with one computer in the classroom or with a cluster of computers. Simply assigning the role of "technology researcher" to a student in the group will allow one student to find the information for the group and present it using a peer teaching strategy.

For students with special needs, the following modifications may be necessary:

• Selective group placement
• Extended due dates
• Written copy of project
• Samples and models to work from
• Planning guide with due dates
• Bookmarked websites
• One-on-one presentation with the teacher

Unit Schedule/Time Plan

The teaching of the novel, the historical content, and the creation of the products should take 6-8 weeks of a marking period with one period every other week dedicated to working on the final presentation. The actual presentation should be presented in the ninth week of the unit and can be done in 80 minutes (if you have the flexibility).

Technology Use

The unit has been successfully completed using the following:

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Works
• Microsoft Publisher
• Internet Explorer
• Netscape Communicator
• Inspiration
• Ebsco Host
• Eyewitness History of the World CD-ROM (for research)
• Microsoft Powerpoint for presenting the final product
• Real Player for audio options during presentation
• Hyperstudio

Appendix of Strategies Used

Please contact the writers and all materials can be sent!