SED 741 Overheads
 Creating Good Lessons - How can we create thematic and standards-based lesson plans that are intellectually challenging and relevant to our students’ lives?

Below, please find the overheads for discussions that will take place over the next three weeks.  Remember, each overhead is separated by a solid line.

Discussion Questions

• How should we address the state standards in our lessons?
• What are the basic components of a good lesson?
• What does it mean to raise the bar?
• How do we design good hooks?
• How can teachers and students become historical detectives?
• How do we create a course syllabus that emphasizes the topics and themes that we wish to address?

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To access the narrative form of lesson plan that you will use throughout the credential year, go to http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/sed741/lessontemplate.html

To access the block form used for the School of Education, go to http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/sed741/lessonplanSED.html

Getting Started on Your Lesson Plan

1.     Begin with a broad topic.  For example, you have to write a lesson plan on the 1920s.

• Read related chapter(s) in a good university-level textbook.
• Read the related chapter in your students' textbook.
• While reading both sources, jot down some issues that interest you and that you may want to teach..

2.     Think about how the topic and your issues fit into the Standards.    Your topic is the 1920s and you can find an easy fit with Standard 11.5 - “Students analyze the major political, social, economic, technological, and cultural developments of the 1920s.”

• Find a fit between your topic and the Standards.  Sometimes you will have to manipulate your topic and the Standards to find a fit.  Sometimes, your topic will not fit one of major standards, but rather it will match some of the issues.  If you have a subject assignment - like the 1920s, then you already have issues determined for you.
• Determine which sub-topics/issues are of particular interest to you.  Which do you already know a great deal about?  Which would you like to learn more about? Which do you think would be of interest to your students - as well as relevant to their lives today?  For instance, let’s say that of all the topics dealing with the 1920s, you are most interested in the Ku Klux Klan, the Harlem Renaissance, and how the mass production of the automobile changed American life.  These should form the core of what you will be teaching for this unit.

3.     Research your selected topic and  issues.

• Read a book, article, poem, or historical novel about your topic and issues.  Take notes for use in your lesson plan.
• See a movie(s) and/or listen to music related to your topics.  This should be a pleasurable experience - something you do to relax and enjoy.  For instance, for the 1920s, you could watch Ragtime with your friends or family and/or listen to music from the Harlem Renaissance.
• Third, and only after you have done all the above steps, you can consult the Internet for more information.  By this time, you will have a broad grasp of the subject matter and a better understanding of where you want to go with your lesson.  This means you will be able to conduct a more efficient and useful Internet search.

4.     Determine how your topic and issues fit into one or more of your overall course themes.

• For instance, the course theme that you decide to illustrate should be the one related to economics.  Possible themes are: Economic interests shape our society; The economy shapes our political and social lives; What goes up must come down; Money makes the world go ‘round.
• Make sure that you make the connection in your mind - and then in your lesson - between your topics and themes.

5.     Determine the "bottom line" goals/messages you want emphasize in your lesson and how these relate to your overall theme(s) or questions(s). 

• For instance, for the 1920s you may want students to study the economic realities of the period and understand the major consequences of ignoring such economic realities - the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression and to compare and contrast the economic realities of the 1920s with those today and then determine why the 1920s legacy is such an important factor in contemporary society.
• Then, you will want to remind them that these messages illustrate one of your course themes: Economic interests shape our society; and/or The economy shapes our political and social lives; and/or What goes up must come down; and/or Money makes the world go ‘round.

6.   Think about how you want to present your information.  Once you have a good understanding of the topics and your themes, you can begin to think about how you will teach the information. 

• Write down all the information you want your students to understand, being sure to emphasize your topic and theme/question.
• Determine how you will introduce your lesson and what you will use to “hook” your students’ interest.
• Decide how you will present the information - will you primarily use lecture/discussion?  If so, will you supplement them with photos, slides, overheads, documentaries, movies, maps?  Will you combine some lecture/discussion with group projects, moot court cases, research, interactive group discussions?  Will you use literature, poetry, music, guest speakers?
• Decide how you will weave your theme or question into the content.

7. Decide how you will conclude your lesson in a way that emphasizes your overall theme(s) or question(s).

8.  Decide how you will evaluate your lesson in a way that demonstrates that your students understood the contents and the way they connected to your theme(s) or question(s).

• Jaime Escalante On Being a Teacher at http://www.youtube.=FFMz8JRg8Y8&feature=relatedcom/watch?v
• Local Teacher Has Innovative Ways to Teach Calculus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fzPcCsfXO0&feature=related
• Teaching History http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDFjyh0R3rw

SAMPLE HOOK AND TRANSITION

A Case Study of the GI Bill

Hook: Show a 4 minute clip from the 1946 film, The Best Years of Our Lives.  This piece is located approximately 9-1/2 minutes into the movie (including credits).  It begins with, “Hey Al, remember what it was like when we went overseas?” and ends about four minutes later with “Hey, we got to get out of the nose” – right before they leave the plane. 

• Before showing the clip, provide the students with the following background information about the clip.
• It consists of a conversation between two soldiers and a sailor who are returning home from the war to their small mid-western city:
• an Air Force Captain from lower class background who was a soda jerk before the war and is returning to the rail yard slums of his parents and wife;
• an Army Sergeant from the upper class who was a VP of a small bank before the war and is returning to his lovely wife and two perfect children who have been leading their own lives while he was away; and
• a Navy grunt from a middle-class family who was a high school student before the war and has lost both his hands and has had them replaced with hooks. An interesting point is that this young man was not a trained actor, but an actual veteran who had lost his hands in World War II.   In this conversation, the veterans discuss their hopes, dreams, and fears about the future.  

(Note about the movie:  This was one of the most important and timely movies ever made right after the war – and it is as relevant today as it was 58 years ago.

• The film chronicles the returning soldiers’ relationships with the family and friends from whom they've been parted for so long, and realistically shows that the world they're returning to is not the same one they left years earlier.
• These three men, whose paths would have been unlikely to cross before the war - and even now back in civilian life, there are worlds between them - find themselves turning to one another for support, united by their experiences in the war and their disconnection from their homes.
• After WWII, this sort of behavior was kept quiet,  or at the most, labeled as “shell shock.”  It was not until the Vietnam War that physicians called this behavior what it really was – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• A great description of the film – which won 7 Oscars in 1946 including Best Picture – is available at http://www.filmsite.org/besty.html.)

Discussion after the clip:

• What do these three veterans of WWII have in common?
• How would you define their American Dream? 
• Do you think they will achieve their dreams?  How and why?
• How would you compare and contrast the dreams of soldiers returning from WWII with the dreams of soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq?
• Do you think today’s veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars will achieve their American Dream?  How and why?

Transition from Hook to Lecture/Discussion:  In The Best Years of Our Lives, the three veterans shared a fairly simple American Dream – a small house for their family and a steady job.  Today, we are going to look at the history of how the federal government has helped – or failed to help – Veterans returning from war reassimilate into American society.

The Teacher as Historical Scholar

As historical scholars, we must:

To access NARA document analysis forms, go to http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/

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The Teacher as Scholar
Modeling a Scholarly Investigation of John Brown

Part I:  Selecting a thesis. 

• Two choices:  John Brown was a failure, or John Brown was a great man.  Pick one thesis statement and write no more than one page explaining your choice.
• In your explanation, you must include a definition of failure or greatness.

What you do:  Make a choice, write why you selected it, define failure or greatness, and share your written work with the class.

Part 2: Using primary sources to defend your thesis.

1. Find a primary source document that you feel is THE MOST IMPORTANT in defending your thesis.
2. Write no more than a 1-2 page paper explaining why you chose this source as your key primary document.  You must include the following: specific quotes in the document that persuaded you to adopt your thesis and a bibliographic reference for your document.

What you do:  Select a document (in this case it is John Brown’s “Declaration of Liberty” written in 1858 to contrast directly with the “Declaration of Independence”); write your explanation; select your quotes; make your bibliography; and share your written work with the class.

Part 3: Using primary and secondary sources to support your thesis.

1. Find three other primary sources that will support your thesis.  You may use images and maps if they help support your case.
2. Find one secondary resource – a book or article - that supports your thesis.
3. Write no more than a 1-2 page paper explaining how and why these primary and secondary documents further support your thesis. You must include the following: specific quotes and images from the documents and book/article that persuaded you to adopt your thesis and a bibliographic reference for each of your primary documents and the selected book or article.

What you do:  Select your primary and secondary sources; write your explanation; select your quotes; make your bibliography; and share your written work with the class.

Part 4:  Using primary and secondary sources to test your thesis.  

1. Find at least two primary sources that refute your thesis.
2. Find a book or article that refutes your thesis.
3. Write no more than 1-2 pages explaining how and why these primary and secondary documents refute your thesis. You must include the following:  specific quotes from the documents and books that refute your thesis; how and why these documents either reinforced your own thesis or encouraged you to reconsider your thesis; and a bibliographic reference for each of your primary documents and the selected book or article.

What you do:  Select your primary and secondary sources; write your explanation about how they support or refute your thesis; select your quotes; make your bibliography; and share your written work with the class.

Part 5:  Reflecting upon your work as an Historian.
Write no more than 1-2 page essay in which you reflect upon the thesis you selected.  This paper must include the following: a discussion of any doubts that arose in the course of your research about your thesis choice; an explanation of why you continued to support your thesis – or if you changed your mind, what resources were most influential in changing your mind; and a statement describing the 2-3 most important points that you found in all of your resources to either support or reject your thesis.

What you do:  Write about why you finally continued to support your thesis, or why you changed your mind; and describe the most important points that led to your decision.

Interpreting Slavery and the Trans-Atlantic Trade, 1619-1865

A major part of an historian’s work is interpreting information, creating a thesis about that information, and defending that thesis.  Today, you are the historian and you will be creating, interpreting, and defending a thesis about the role of slavery in Trans-Atlantic trade in colonial America.  There are five parts to the assignment and it is worth __ points.

Part I:  Selecting your thesis. 

1. Think clearly about your opinion on the role slavery played in the Trans-Atlantic trade in the colonial era. 
2. Turn your opinion into a thesis statement and write no more than one page explaining your choice.

This part is due on ____________________________ and is worth _______ points.

Part 2: Using a primary source to defend your thesis.

1. Find a primary source document that you feel is THE MOST IMPORTANT in defending your thesis.
2. Write no more than a 1-2 page paper explaining why you chose this source as your key primary document.  You must include the following: specific quotes in the document that persuaded you to adopt your thesis and a bibliographic reference for your document.
   

This part is due on ____________________________ and is worth _______ points.

Part 3: Using other primary and secondary sources to support your thesis.

1. Find three other primary sources that will support your thesis.  You may include a map and an image if these are appropriate.
2. Find a secondary source – a book or an article – that supports your thesis.
3. Write no more than a 1-2 page paper explaining how and why these primary documents and the book/article  further support your thesis. You must include the following: specific quotes and images from the documents and book/article that persuaded you to continue supporting your thesis, and a bibliographic reference for each of your documents and your book/article.

This part is due on ____________________________ and is worth _______ points.

Part 4:  Using primary and secondary sources to test your thesis.  

1.   Find at least two primary sources that refute your thesis.
2.   Find a book or article that refutes your thesis.
3.   Write no more than 1-2 pages explaining how and why these primary and secondary documents refute your thesis. You must include the following:  specific quotes from the documents and books that refute your thesis; how and why these documents either reinforced your own thesis or encouraged you to reconsider your thesis; and a bibliographic reference for each of your primary documents and the selected book or article.

This part is due on ____________________________ and is worth _______ points.

Part 5:  Reflecting upon your work as an Historian.

1. Write no more than 1-2 page essay in which you reflect upon the thesis you selected.  This paper must include the following: a discussion of any doubts that arose in the course of your research about your thesis choice; an explanation of why you continued to support your thesis – or if you changed your mind, what resources were most influential in changing your mind; and a statement describing the 2-3 most important points that you found in all of your resources to either support or reject your thesis.
2. Be prepared to share your interpretation of your thesis with your classmates on _____________________.

This part is due on ____________________________ and is worth _______ points.

Creating a Course Syllabus

Mandatory Components of a Course Syllabus:

1. Goals for the course
2. What students can expect from you
3. What you can expect from your students
4. Outline of unit topics to be discussed, topic alignment with state standards, and timeline for each unit.

Optional Components of a Course Syllabus

1. Management/Discipline Policy
2. Assessment/Grading Policy
3. Attendance Policy
4. Class themes or questions

Steps to take when creating the Outline:

1. Identify the course you will be teaching and where you will begin your instruction.
2. Consult the Standards to give you a general idea where they want you to go in your course of instruction.
3. Look at the broad subject matter in the Standards to help you determine what units you wish to teach and then select the topics in which you are most interested.
4. Determine how long you think each unit should take, based upon your estimates of how long each of the topical discussions will take.

Components of a Good Introductory Letter

Remember, you want to give the parents a good idea of who you are – this “unknown” teacher person who is taking over the class of a “known teacher.”  So, at the very least, include the following in your introductory letter:

• Name and contact information – school address and your email ONLY.
• Some background information – when you graduated and from where, interest in history, traveling and/or teaching experience, visions for teaching, etc.
• Short explanation of your goals and expectations for the class.

You have the option of attaching the course syllabus.

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Components of a Good Extra Credit Film List

Remember, the idea behind providing a good extra credit film list is to encourage your students to think about the actual content of the films they watch and to encourage students and their families to watch films together.  The must include the following in your Extra Credit Film List, which you will attach to your introduction letter:

• Explanation of why you have provided a list of extra credit films, including the idea that they will help their students think historically (like historical scholars).
• Explanation that some of the films are “R” rated and that none are required viewing.  Each film is parent optional.
• Organization of films according to chronological discussion of topics.
• Title of film, date it was released, and rating.
• The procedure students must follow to receive extra credit for film viewing.

You have the option of annotating the list, but it is not necessary.

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Suggested Essay Rubric

An “A” piece of work has...

• a well-stated and clear thesis/theme/central idea;
• a polished appearance - it is neat, has correct grammar and spelling, has clearly been revised, and contains no crossouts or scribbling;
• depth and originality of thought that demonstrates clearly communicated ideas;
• a point of view that is clearly expressed;
• a wealth of specific facts to support your thesis/theme/central idea;
• a clear introduction and conclusion, supported by well-organized paragraphs;
• the minimum number of pages as explained in the assignment;
• been turned into the teacher on or before the due date.

A “B” piece of work has...

• a thesis/theme/central idea;
• good organization with an introduction and conclusion;
• addressed at least the minimum pages assigned;
• fulfilled the requirements of the assignment in terms of content;
• good connects with specific facts that support the thesis/theme/central idea.

A “C” piece of work...

• doesn’t quite cover the required number of pages;
• is fairly well-organized;
• contains some facts and connections, but not alot;
• proves that you had some understanding of the material you read, watched, or listened to;
• is OK.

A “D” piece of work...

• is barely readable and minimally organized;
• contains a minimum of ideas;
• shows a minimum of effort;
• doesn’t have many specific details from the material;
• has obviously been written in haste

An “F” piece of work...

• is a mess;
• contains no proof that you read or thought about any material;
• is difficult to follow with no organization;
• lacks pride or caring about work;
• is below your capabilities.

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Suggested Presentation Rubric

On a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the highest), rate yourself/your classmate(s)

I spoke clearly ____
My partner spoke clearly ____
He/she spoke clearly ____

I made good eye contact _____
My partner made good eye contact ____
He/she made good eye contact ____

I clearly stated my theme/thesis ____
My partner clearly stated his/her thesis ____
He/she clearly stated his/her thesis ____

My presentation was well-organized ____
My partner’s presentation was well-organized ____
His/her presentation was well-organized ____

I was well-prepared ____
My partner was well-prepared ____
He/she was well-prepared ____

The students understood my presentation ____
The students understood my partner’s presentation ____
The students understood his/her presentation ____

I kept the audience’s attention ____
My partner kept the audience’s attention ____
He/she kept the audience’s attention ____

I answered questions ____
My partner answered questions ____
He/she answered questions ____

Note Taking – the Squeeze Approach

The Squeeze concept of note taking is catching on in schools across the nation.  So, what is it?  The idea is that students will learn to squeeze the information that they verbally learn in class into a small amount of information written in their own words.  This is a learning tool that will take a least a couple of weeks to master, will require you to be patient as students learn,  and must be carefully taught at the beginning of the school year through several steps:

First step -  Teaching the concept.  Students work in groups of three and will read a primary document selected by the teacher.  Each group gets the same document.  Then, they do the following:

1. Each student in the group reads the primary document (can be done individually or aloud).
2. After reading the document, each student writes, in their own words, a 1-2 paragraph summary of the main points in the document. 
3. Then, each student shares their summary with the other group members while the group verifies each summary – explaining where they agree or disagree with each summary. 
4. Each student squeezes their summary into 1-2 sentences, then shares their 1-2 sentences squeeze with the group members, and discuss how they compare and contrast.
5. Each group picks one of the squeeze summaries to share with the entire class.
6. The teacher leads a discussion about the squeeze summaries.

Second step:  Refining the concept.  Students work individually and will read a primary document selected by the teacher.  Then, each student does the following:

1. Writes a 1-2 paragraph summary of the document in their own words.
2. Squeezes the content of their summary into 1-2 sentences.
3. Shares their 1-2 sentences squeeze with their classmates and discuss how they compare and contrast.

Third step:  Broadening the squeeze concept.  The teacher will give a 10-minute lecture and students will not take notes. Each student writes a 1-2 paragraph summary in their own words of what they learned in the lecture.  Then, the students then move into groups of three and do the following:

1. As a group, students verify each of the summaries by asking if they agree or disagree with the summaries.
2. Each student squeezes the summary into 1-2 sentences.
3. Students then share the squeeze with their classmates and discuss how they compare and contrast.

Fourth step:  Applying the concept.  Students work individually.  Using the Cornell note taking format, have them draw a line down their note taking paper.  Then, each student does the following as the teacher delivers a 10-15 minute lecture/discussion:

1. On the right-hand side of the line, write no more than 1-2 paragraphs of notes in their own words while the teacher is talking.
2. At the end of the lecture/discussion, give the students 5-10 minutes to squeeze the information they learned into 1-2 sentences that they write on the left-hand side of the line.
3. Have the students add to the left-hand side of the line any questions they had after writing their summaries and squeeze.
4. Have the students share their squeeze and any remaining questions aloud.

Fifth step:  Finalizing the concept.  Students work individually, using the same Cornell note taking format is described above in Step 4. Then, each student does the following as the teacher delivers a lecture/discussion of the teacher’s desired length:

1. On the right-hand side of the line, write no more than whatever number of paragraphs (determined by the teacher and based on the length of the class lecture/discussion) in their own words while the teacher is talking.
2. At the end of the lecture/discussion, give the students 5-10 minutes to squeeze the information they learned into 1-2 sentences which they write on the left-hand side of the line.
3. Have the students add any questions they had after writing their summaries and squeeze to the left-hand side of the line.
4. Have the students turn in their squeeze and any questions they had after writing their summaries and squeeze. 
5. Read each squeeze and questions, make appropriate comments, and return to students as soon as possible. 

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