SUBJECT: World History
GRADE: High School
TECHNOLOGY: Internet, Word Processor
BY: Brian Swets, Christoph Fehrenbach

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

 

Target Grade/Subject

 

            We are creating a Social Studies Lesson plan for 21 eleventh graders (16-17 year olds) in an regularly-tracked American History class from an affluent suburban school.  Judging by the input from parents at the beginning of the year, teachers can assume that students have the resources at home to have a solid understanding of pertinent technology.  The class is a World History Survey course.  We will be focusing on the chapter about World War II.  These students are not necessarily interested in History; this is a course they must all take as a school requirement, so it is our job to relate the information to them in an interesting manner.  World War II is different from the other topics covered in class because the students have been more directly affected by it, through movies, television shows, and even family members who participated in the war.  The internet would be well suited for this situation.  The kids and the teacher are both starting to become bored with hour-and-a-half lectures, and as a result, they have not been fully grasping the course material.  Because of the fact that students haven’t seemed to understand the material so far, we want to design a lesson that is more left up to the students, to concentrate on parts that they are interested in.  It is our hope that more direct interaction with the material would stimulate internalization of the lessons. 

 

Objective(s)

 

SOL (9.10)

            -The students will have go the History Channel’s web site (historychannel.com) and conduct basic research into the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Students will also write an essay displaying FDR’s involvement in the American war effort.  The essay will include a bibliography with proper internet citations. 

            -Students will need to show they have done basic research on the essay through citing the web site and also use a search engine to find a site on how to cite an internet source.

 

Materials

-State-of-the-art computer lab, with internet connections.

Lesson Description

 

-Classes will be held in the computer lab to allow students access to computers and the internet.

-A computer lab teacher will be present to assist students with any technological questions they may have.

-Students will have two days of class time in the computer lab to work on their essays.  If students finish their research the first day, then they can begin outlining and writing their essay.  Otherwise, they will complete the written essay at home. 

Evaluation

 

1.    Students will be required to hand in an opinion pyramid along with their essays.  The opinion pyramid will contain these parts:

·      Ten facts found within the History Channel web site

·      Five relationships built upon the ten facts from the lower level of the pyramid

·      One opinion (thesis) built upon the five relationships

 

 

1.    Pertinent information (50%)

-is information accurate and relative to the topic?

2.    Clarity (25%)

-is information concise and easily understood?

3.    Organization (15%)

-does presentation flow in logical, linear manner?

4.    Use of technology (10%)

-does the opinion pyramid show that they web sites were used correctly?