Goals & Objectives
Students will complete a group project focusing on new inventions and discoveries used during World War II. Students will create a visual aide using poster paper, then will do a classroom presentation sharing the information they find regarding their topic. Due to time restraints, the students will share approximately five to seven supporting facts on the topics they chose.
California State Content and Common Core Standards
10.8 Students analyze the causes and consequences of World War II.
10.8.3. Identify and locate the Allied and Axis powers on a map and discuss the major turning points of the war, the principal theaters of conflict, key strategic decisions, and the resulting war conferences and political resolutions, with emphasis on the importance of geographic factors.
10.8.3. Identify and locate the Allied and Axis powers on a map and discuss the major turning points of the war, the principal theaters of conflict, key strategic decisions, and the resulting war conferences and political resolutions, with emphasis on the importance of geographic factors.
Lesson Introduction
The teacher will have the students do a gallery walk using posters from past group projects as an example of what they will need to do. Only the better projects from the past will be hung on the walls for the students to examine. After the students have had a chance to view all of the posters, the teacher will explain the expectations of the group project.
Vocabulary
Students will critically think about the following categories:
- Technology
- Communication
- Espionage
- Medicine
- Maritime Warfare
- Weaponry
- Technology
- Communication
- Espionage
- Medicine
- Maritime Warfare
- Weaponry
Content Delivery (Lecture)
Earlier in the school year, one of the first things the teacher did was give the class a learning style survey inventory. This allowed the teacher to see what type of learners they had in the classroom whether it be linguistic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, or naturalistic. This is an based off of the idea that Howard Gardner had in regards to multiple intelligences. This makes it easier on the teacher when deciding what students to put into which groups. With a class of twenty-four students, the teacher is able to divide the class equally into six groups of four. The teacher assigns clever labels to each group member that aligns with his/her learning style. This illustrates for students their individual role within the group and that each role is as important as any other. (leading-learning.blogspot.com) Each group will have one of each type of learner:
Linguistic Learner (Nicknamed "The Head" of the group)- these students use words to explain complicated subjects. They like to engage in question-and-answer. This person will normally be the presenter, or main speaker of the project.
Visual-Spatial Learner (Nicknamed "The Eye" of the group)- these students use art projects to create representations. They organize with color. They are normally the artists of the group when creating posters/visual aides.
Interpersonal Learner (Nicknamed "The Heart" of the group)- these students like to give and receive feedback. They prefer to talk out problems when they arise in the group, and they love group projects. These types of learners are leaders who help keep the group on track.
Naturalistic Learner (Nicknamed "The Hand" of the group)- these learners like to observe and record data. They are the masters of creating a living system for the material the group is trying to learn. This will be the data recorder within the group.
This will be a two-day project. Day one, the teacher will explain the assignment to the class. Each group is to pick one of the approved topics to do their project on: Technology, Communication, Espionage, Medicine, Maritime Warfare, or Weaponry. For example, if one of the groups chose “Communication”, they might go into detail regarding the Native American code talkers used during World War II as their project focus. The project is to include a quality visual aide on poster paper, and five to seven facts regarding their topic. Day two, the students will have five minutes to get last minute details out of the way, and then each group will present their projects to the class.
Linguistic Learner (Nicknamed "The Head" of the group)- these students use words to explain complicated subjects. They like to engage in question-and-answer. This person will normally be the presenter, or main speaker of the project.
Visual-Spatial Learner (Nicknamed "The Eye" of the group)- these students use art projects to create representations. They organize with color. They are normally the artists of the group when creating posters/visual aides.
Interpersonal Learner (Nicknamed "The Heart" of the group)- these students like to give and receive feedback. They prefer to talk out problems when they arise in the group, and they love group projects. These types of learners are leaders who help keep the group on track.
Naturalistic Learner (Nicknamed "The Hand" of the group)- these learners like to observe and record data. They are the masters of creating a living system for the material the group is trying to learn. This will be the data recorder within the group.
This will be a two-day project. Day one, the teacher will explain the assignment to the class. Each group is to pick one of the approved topics to do their project on: Technology, Communication, Espionage, Medicine, Maritime Warfare, or Weaponry. For example, if one of the groups chose “Communication”, they might go into detail regarding the Native American code talkers used during World War II as their project focus. The project is to include a quality visual aide on poster paper, and five to seven facts regarding their topic. Day two, the students will have five minutes to get last minute details out of the way, and then each group will present their projects to the class.
Student Engagement
Students will be placed into groups according to the learning style survey taken in the beginning of the school year. Each group will have a linguistic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, and naturalistic learner. Once the individual roles are assigned, the students will decide on which topic they would like to do their topic on. Topics can be duplicated as long as the teacher approves and makes sure that the ideas within that topic are different for both groups. Students will be given a copy of the rubric the teacher will be grading them with so they know exactly what the teacher is looking for. The students will work within their group to assemble a quality visual aide, and five to seven informational facts regarding their topic. On day two, the students will have five minutes to go over any last minute details, and will then present their project to the rest of the class.
Lesson Closure
Students will do a quick pair-share with a neighbor. Each student will share with the other what they thought was the most interesting fact, learned from a lesson other than from their own project, that day. They will need to share the fact, and why it was interesting.
Assessment
Formative- The teacher will walk around the room to hear overall thought process. If there are any questions, or the teacher sees a group might be off track, then they will be there to help the groups along.
Summative- Students will receive a grade according to the rubric created for this project.
Summative- Students will receive a grade according to the rubric created for this project.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
Allowing students to brainstorm constructively and openly during a group project is a type of interactive instruction that might help students with special needs and striving readers. By knowing what type of learners the students are, this gives an advantage to the teacher. If there happens to be an English learner who is a bit shy, and doesn’t like to work in big groups, then having them do the poster artwork would be a good idea. If a student with special needs doesn’t care for speaking in front of the class, maybe they can observe and record the data/facts found by the group. This lesson allows for numerous accommodations for different students with different needs.
Lesson Resources
Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html
Leading and Learning
http://leading-learning.blogspot.com/
Rubistar
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html
Leading and Learning
http://leading-learning.blogspot.com/
Rubistar
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/