Kate Franklin/ Nicolle Gilsdorf
Elementary Social Studies: 1/10/04
Guiding Question: What does it mean to be a peacemaker?
Grade: 5/6
Unit length: 5-7 days
Resource: Fertig, G. (2005). Using Biographies to Explore Social Justice in US History. Social Studies and the Young Learner. Sept/Oct 2005.
Unit EALRs:
Reading 3.4.3: To analyze literature from a variety of historical periods for themes
Social Studies: 1.1 e organize information into graphic organizers
History: 1.3.1 Describe the contributions of people from various cultural groups to the development of U.S. history
Math: 1.4 Investigates cause and effect relationships and their impact on people.
Civics: 4.3.1 Describe how one person can make a difference in a community.
Communication: Makes short presentations clearly
Key Concept: Justice
Goals: to have kids gain historical information from biographies
For kids to identify what key characteristics of a peacemaker are
For kids to make short presentations clearly and evaluate each other on doing so
Kids emerging disposition/definition clarified of a Peacemaker
Assumptions:
We have worked on summarizing info from stories and texts before
We have worked in pairs and groups before
We have done class discussions based on journal entries before and have established a
safe place for people to share intimate things
Outline of Unit:
Day One:
Preassessment:
Part 1: Journal entry about a time when they have been treated unfairly: What happened? How did it make them feel? What did they do about it?
[An open question, analysis]
Part 2: Our guiding question is who and what is a peacemaker?
Who do you know that has been a peacemaker in American History? What made them become a peacemaker? What are key characteristics of a peacemaker?
[Analysis, synthesis, and evaluation]
-Make chart from what people said and tease out themes, issues, and places where people have different ideas. Connect why it might be important to study peacemakers in light of the injustice people have experienced.
Day Two: (Lesson plan developed, see below)
Modeling: Read excerpt of a biography; model using the graphic organizer to come up with key events and ideas for artifacts.
Day 3/4:
-Hand out rubrics and directions. Introduce variety of books. Kids pair up and choose topics.
-Kids read together in pairs, fill out graphic organizer and check in with teacher. They make their artifacts.
Day 5/6:
-Teacher goes over what is expected in presentations and who kids will evaluate each other. Teacher assigns groups for kids to present in, kids practice presenting with partner.
-Kids present in groups of four, each student has 5 minutes each; kids evaluate each other; they discuss theme of key characteristics of a peacemaker again
Post assessment:
Kids do journal entry about an example of a peacemaker, what made them a peacemaker, and in general, what are key characteristics of a peacemaker.
Metacognitive Moment/ Wrap Up (Last day of unit – making connections)
-Teacher summarizes preassessment journal themes on a chart paper and post assessment journal themes on a different chart paper and then reviews with class how they are different, clears up any content knowledge issues, and reflects how they did skill wise on working in pairs/groups and presenting.
Summary of Assessments:
Pre assessment: Journal entry
Formative Assessments: Graphic Organizer for Artifacts
Artifacts
Rubrics for presentations completed by class members
Summative Assessment: Journal Entry
______________________________________________________________________
Day 2: Modeling the graphic organizer
Objective: Having read out loud an excerpt from a biography and modeled filling out half of a graphic organizer, students will be able to finish filling it out by choosing two other important events from the biography, telling why the event was important, coming up with an artifact and saying how the artifact and event are related.
Day 2 EALRs:
Social Studies: 1.1 e organize information into graphic organizers
History: 1.3.1 Describe the contributions of people from various cultural groups to the development of U.S. history
Materials: Parks, R. (1997). I am Rosa Parks. New York: Dial Books.
Adler, D. (1993). A picture book of Rosa Parks. New York: Holiday House.
Copies of the biography x 30
Copies of the graphic organizer x 30
An overhead of the graphic organizer
Overhead and pen
Configurations: students are at their desk
Accommodations: Using a graphic organizer
Having it on the overhead, using different colored pens
Explicitly modeling my thinking about getting info from the text
Reading aloud, later reading in pairs
Will give some pairs extra time or may reduce the number of events and
artifacts that need to be made.
Total Time: 60 minutes (flexible)
Procedures:
Pre-assess: from previous journal entry and ...
Ask students: What is a biography? [Knowledge] Have you read a biography before? What was it like? [Analysis]
A: A biography is a story about someone’s life. This means that biographies are non fiction- they are true and actually happened. Sometimes biographies are historical- in that, they are about someone who lived in the past. Biographies are an interesting way to study history because they give us an insight into what it was like to live in that time period and actually experience history.
Activities:
1. Tell students that we are going to be examining the question of what does it mean to be a peacemaker. Everyone is going to be researching their own person and looking at key events in that person’s life having to do with peace making. Then they are going to represent an artifact that symbolizes that event. Eventually, you will be giving presentations using these artifacts to talk about the person you studied. I will be giving you more detailed information on this project in the next class.
2. But today I am going to help you with a way to organize your thinking around reading and creating these artifacts. We are going to use this visual organizer – show on overhead – to organize our thoughts. (Have some one pass out the visual organizer and biography). So I am going to read this biography about Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was an important civil rights activitist in Alabama during the 1960s. As I am reading, you can read along with me. I want you to underline what you think are the main events in this person’s life that have to do with peacemaking.
3. Read the article
4. So, this first time I am going to model my thinking out loud. After this, I am going to ask you for help on the next one. The third event you will choose on your own and then we will check back in as a group.
5. So, based on what I read, I am looking for an important event that has to do with peacemaking: One crucial event was that Rosa refused to get off the bus to make space for the whites. Even though this seems like a small act, I know this is an important or significant event because that’s what started a lot of the changes that came later. A non example is her living in Alabama is fact about her but it doesn’t really have to do with peacemaking per se. For drawing an artifact, I would draw a bus with an African American woman sitting in it. In this space, you can either draw it or write what you would draw- eventually when you are doing your own project, you will draw or construct it somehow. The artifact shows Rosa not getting off the bus because she thought she should be treated the same as whites.
6. Ok, so now we need to come up with another important event. Look over your article and see what you underlined. I will give you a minute to think about it and then I will call on someone for a suggestion. Remember it can’t be just anything about Rosa’s life; it needs to be important and connected to peacemaking. [comprehension]
7. Take suggestions and lead through a second event. Possible Ideas: not paying fine and appealing in court; not riding the bus later; organizing a boycott, going on marches; protesting
8. Now, have kids do their own. Brainstorm ideas on board if they seem lost. Walk around and see how they are coming along. If time, they can do a second one. Were they able to fill out all categories as directions stated?
9. Summarize how they did and clarify any misunderstandings. Now show kids the part about characteristics. Ask them what characteristics they think this person had to have to be peacemakers? List some qualities if they seem lost.
Closure/Exit task or reminder:
Tell the kids that in the next class, I will be handing out project guidelines and they will be able to choose someone to work with and who to read about.