Emily

=**Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0 Tools Lesson-Unit Plan**=

As a final product, participants will complete this outline as to how they can integrate the Read/Write Web tools into a lesson or unit they currently teach. In addition, participants will maintain a blog throughout the course in which they will reflect on what they are learning. Participants will be expected to view the blogs of their fellow participants periodically and leave comments several times during the course. Course Facilitators will also monitor and comment on all participant blogs throughout the course.

==== **PLEASE USE THIS SPACE THROUGHOUT THE WORKSHOP TO CREATE YOUR FINAL PRODUCT (THIS IS YOUR FINAL PRODUCT). THIS WILL KEEP YOU WELL PACED TO EASILY COMPLETE THE WORKSHOP IN GREAT FASHION. THE WORK OBSERVED HERE WILL BE YOUR GRADED FINAL PRODUCT. NOTE THAT ALL WORKSHOP PARTICPANTS CAN SEE YOUR EFFORTS WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH 21ST CENTURY LEARNING AND COLLABORATING- PUBLISHING TO A WORDWIDE (LARGER) AUDIENCE).** ====

**Basic Information**
1. Your Name: Emily Nimmo Myers

2. Lesson/Unit Title:The 1940s: A Decade of Change

3. Grade Level: 8th Grade Honors English


 * Part I.**

4. Standards 1. Design, develop, publish, and present products (e.g., Web pages, videotapes) using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5, 6) 2. Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using telecommunications and collaborative tools to investigate curriculum-related problems, issues, and information, and to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5)

5. List the content and technology standards you want to address with this unit.
 * 1.02 ** Analyze expressive materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by:
 * monitoring comprehension for understanding of what is read, heard and/or viewed.
 * reviewing the characteristics of expressive works.
 * determining the importance of literary effects on the reader/viewer/listener.
 * making connections between works, self and related topics
 * drawing inferences.
 * generating a learning log or journal.
 * maintaining an annotated list of works that are read or viewed, including personal reactions.
 * taking an active role in and/or leading formal/informal book/media talks.
 * 1.03 ** Interact in group activities and/or seminars in which the student:
 * shares personal reactions to questions raised.
 * gives reasons and cites examples from text in support of expressed opinions.
 * clarifies, illustrates, or expands on a response when asked to do so, and asks classmates for similar expansion.
 * 1.04 ** Reflect on learning experiences by:
 * evaluating how personal perspectives are influenced by society, cultural differences, and historical issues.
 * appraising changes in self throughout the learning process.
 * evaluating personal circumstances and background that shape interaction with text.

6. Lesson Goals and Overview or Description In this unit, students will be studying the 1940’s as a decade of change through literature. Students will choose from four readings (Hiroshima, Maus II, Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, The Member of the Wedding) and form a book club. These clubs will read the assigned piece and then through group activities, present the historical information from their piece to the class as a whole. We will piece together the historical happenings of the 1940’s from these readings.

7. Information on your goals, topic, and how the lesson/unit fits into your overall curriculum: My overall goal is for the students to become more aware of the events of the 1940's and how this decade is responsible for much of the way our world has changed in the past 50+ years. We will study WWII, literature and authors of the decade and race relations in the US. This unit fits our curriculum in that we are analyzing written expressive and informational texts and relating our analysis to the study of the decade, which is covered in the 8th grade SS curriculum.


 * Part II.- Blogs**

8. Blog (Your URL with a link to it here) []

9. Describe how you could use a teacher blog to engage students in this lesson or unit. During this unit, I will post reflections from the topics we discuss in class daily and students will post responses in the form of comments. This will be especially useful as we begin student presentations related to their independent research.

Explain how you could manage student blogs and how you might involve others in providing feedback for your students on their writing. If we choose to begin student blogs, I would most definitely subscribe to each student blog using an RSS feed aggregator so I would be notified as each student posts. I would be able to quickly, in one place, read their posts and immediately provide feedback.


 * Part III. -** **RSS/Social Bookmarking**

10. List some of the URL’s that you found that will be helpful for either teacher preparation or student research for this unit. Keep a record of where you have included your bookmarks or subscribed to your RSS feeds.

-ReadWriteThink [|http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/]

-Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum [|http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.html]

-Anne Frank Museum []

-American Cultural History 1940-1949 [|http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade40.html]


 * Part IV. - Wikis**

11. How might you use a wiki to enhance this unit or how could you have your students contribute to another wiki site to share their knowledge of content you are studying with the global learning community?

In this unit, the students will participate in a wiki that will be a forum for them to discuss the books they are reading in their literature circles. The students will have a choice of titles (The Diary of Anne Frank, Hiroshima, Maus II, The Member of the Wedding, and Night) Students will be able to ask and answer questions about their book and the other books students in the classroom are reading. It is important for students to participate in these conversations, as this allows them to gain information about all of the texts in this study, instead of only the text they have chosen to read. This wiki also provides the opportunity for students to interact with the other Honors English students across the county. The Honors classes in the other two middle schools in the county will also be reading these texts, so the wiki provides a place for them to collaborate and discuss that is not limited by the physical restrictions of the classroom.


 * Part V.** **Podcasting/Streaming**

12. Share the titles and links to podcasts and/or videos that you found related to your lesson topic. How do you plan to integrate them? How might you create a podcast or video with students to enhance this unit?

-**http://tinyurl.com/yaswbaf** This video will be used at the beginning of the unit to introduce the students to the various changes that took place during the decade (social, political, economic, etc.) - **http://tinyurl.com/ybunyct** This broadcast will be used with the students who choose to read Hiroshima in their book club. The students will listen to Truman's speech about the decision to drop the bomb and they will evaluate its effectiveness in educating Americans about the implications of this decision. - **http://tinyurl.com/yedrsuq** Students will view this video and focus on two survivors to add to the survival wall (bulletin board in the classroom). This video emphasizes that although Anne Frank is one of the more well-known Holocaust stories, there are countless others whose stories need to be heard. This will be viewed by all students, regardless of their book club choice.


 * Part VI****- Assessment**

13. What procedures will you follow and/or what resources will you use to assess student understanding throughout this unit.

Throughout this unit, students will be assessed in a variety of ways: -Seminar discussion (two seminars will be held, one that discusses Truman's speech about the bombings of Japan, and a second about the text "I Never Saw Another Butterfly") -Reading quizzes (specific to each book club selection) -Wiki participation (rubric provided, two posts required weekly) -Writing Assessment (based on "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson...prompt- "Should the Lottery be required 8th grade reading? Justify your choice) -Participation grades (students will be assessed based on their participation in their book club) and Penzu entries that are emailed to the teacher that are reflection pieces based on the readings in book clubs. Students will complete a wordle that will be used as a cover page for their entries if they choose to print them out and bind them as one of their artifacts from this unit.


 * Part VII** **- Internet Safety**

14. What strategies will you take to ensure student safety as you integrate these new tools. Also use this space to post any additional notes regarding integrating Read/Write Web tools into your curriculum.

Prior to beginning this unit, students will be provided with the expectations and acceptable use policy. They will then be required to produce a quick (5 slide) Voice Thread presentation about these guidelines that include hypothetical situations and 'what would you do' questions. Students will be provided with a list of sites to use when researching the author of their book club book and additional titles that link to their selection that will be read for extension activities. Students will also view several short clips of news footage from the 1940s as well as political speeches, etc. They will be monitored using the software provided by the school that allows the teacher to see each screen. At the conclusion of the unit, students will complete a self assessment that addresses their own behaviors while online.

Read/Write Tools that are utilized by this unit: wiki blogs Voice Threads Penzu Wordle Videos

Emily, I like your idea of having students sign an AUP. Our students must sign one when they are issued their laptops, but I plan to use an in-class one for students and parents to sign whenever I use Web 2.0 tools. Joyce

I like your idea for using the wiki for the literature circle so they can learn from each other and more about the other texts. I bet you will find that many of them will want to read some of the books they didn't choose after they read their peers comments on the wiki. I love that you are using this with the other middle schools so your students have a wider audience. Kelly