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LESSON PLANS

on

WORLD CONFLICT

For

SIXTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES

By

Terry M. White

FACDIS 2004

OBJECTIVES: 1. Students will develop and employ the civic skills necessary for effective citizenship by using criteria to make judgments, arrive at and defend positions and evaluate the validity of the positions or data. 2. Students will analyze how the world is organized politically and describe the role and relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs. 3. Students will use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. 4. Students will use technology tools to process data and report results. 5. Students will use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, preparing publications, and producing other creative works. 6. Students will use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

CSOs: SS.6.1.1; SS.1.3; SS 6.1.5; SS.6.2.1; SS.6.2.2; SS.6.2.3; SS.6.2.5; SS.6.2.6; SS.6.2.7; TEC.6.5.1; TEC.6.5.2; TEC.6.6.1, TEC.6.3.1 and TEC 6.3.3.

PROCEDURES: This lesson will take nine 45-minute class periods.

Teacher will initiate a discussion on world affairs after viewing Channel One news in the classroom. (This will take thirty minutes of one class period.) Class will be divided into groups of three and given the rest of the period to reflect on the discussion and pick an area of the world they want to research more about.

The next two class periods will be spent in research in the computer lab to find information about their chosen area. Students will use the search engine: http://yahooligans.yahoo.com to begin their quest. Once they search their topic and receive a list of web sites to go to, they must wait for my approval before exiting off of the search page and entering an unknown website. (The computer lab has a list of sites posted that are approved for use without teacher approval, but anything else must be checked by the teacher before they can surf. Children are aware of this rule and comply because failure to do so results in loss of computer privileges for one grading period. I have used Yahooligans searches before, and have (so far) experienced no problem with the sites children are sent to.) Questions to jump start them will include: Has your area had any recent conflicts? Does it have a history of war or peace? Why ? Give a brief history of your chosen area? Has the United States been involved with your area? What is that involvement? How would you handle their problems? What recommendations for world peace would you make?

The fourth class period the groups will work together to compile and organize their research.

The fifth and sixth class periods the groups will use the computer lab to make a six slide Powerpoint of their material. (Each member of the group is responsible for two slides of the presentation.)

The seventh and eighth class period will be used for group reporting and discussion of each Powerpoint.

The nineth class period will be used for closure. Teacher will lead whole class reflection discussion about the political shape of the world and the United States’ role in it. Period will end with a “Writing Across the Curriculum” assignment using the prompt, “By doing this research, I learned the following three things:” Individual journal entry will reflect something they want to know more about.

MATERIALS: Access to the computer lab with Powerpoint availability, and access to the projector to show their Powerpoints to the class.

GRADING: Students will receive one group grade for the completed PowerPoint. An individual grade will be given for the “Writing Across the Curriculum” paper. I use the following check off list (rubrics) for all group participation projects:

GROUP WORK CHECK OFF LIST