Ralph E. Russo
Lesson 1 Initiating Activity 1-2 days
K-W-L Activity.
Reflective Writing: Written in Student Journals
a. Students should think about and write
what they know
about the Green. Students will list any current or historical facts.
b. Have students sketch a map of what they think the Green looks like. They should list or draw as many places and things that they can remember about the Green. They should also include a description of what they think the Green is used for.
c. Have students pair share to compare their lists and maps. Have them combine information to make one list and map.
d. Repeat activity by combining pairs in the room.
e. Give out poster board and have groups report their combined list. On a second piece of poster paper have them draw a map and label it with landmarks, paths, streets, trees etc.
f. Have students present and discuss their work. Point out similarities and differences with what the groups come up with. Perhaps point out that even people in the same room can come with different interpretations of the same place.
g. Have students discuss
what they would like to know
about the Green. This can be done as a reflective writing exercise and then as discussion. Tell the class that they will investigate things that they want to know about the Green.
h. At completion of the unit students will write reflectively about
what they have learned
about the Green.
Lesson 2 Observations at the Green: Written in Journals 1 day
a. Bring students to the Green. Have students watch activity for five minutes. Have them describe in writing what they see happening: ie. What I see happening at the Green…. Who is doing what?
b. Have students sketch a map of the green based upon the visit.
Lesson 3: Reading Strategies 5 days
1. Historical Narratives
a. Reading Aloud/Reading Silently. Have students read selections from historical narratives such as Blake, Osterweiss, Brown, Hegel, and Shumway et al. Read some selections aloud to the students, have them read aloud to the class, and have students read some selections silently.
b. Prepare a packet of multiple texts: a biographical piece, a news paper article, historical account, a letter, a photograph or illustration. Have students read the items in the packet and list the rule/laws, common practices, and assumptions they can infer from each piece of evidence. Some discussion of what rules/laws, common practices, and assumptions are will have to take place.
Guide Questions for this reading strategy:
What are the laws/rules/policies (both written and unwritten) which have been designed to govern the behavior of the individuals in that particular society?
What are the common practices which are considered to be "normal " or "natural"?
What are the dominant assumptions whuch seem to underlie the belief system of most of the individuals in that society?
c. Coding Text and Using Post-it Notes. Teach students how to code text and use post-it notes to construct, process, and question ideas as they read.
d. RAFT. Have students adopt a role, audience, format, and topic. For instance students might adopt the role of a public school student at the centennial celebration. He or she might identify an audience such as a classmate who is sick and cannot attend the celebration. He or she might adopt a letter as the format. Lastly he or she would write a letter to the sick classmate on the topic of what happened at the celebration and why having that celebration on the New Haven Green is such a big deal.
Lesson 4: Student's Guidebook for the Green: An Inquiry Project into How Things Are and Should Be Remembered. 5 days
Goal: Students will create and appreciate memory in regard to preserving our community's history and linking it to events in national and world history.
Performance Objective: Students will create a guide book for historical events and places that took place on the Green between 1638 and 1876 after assessing their own knowledge of the Green. Students will pick an event or topic in New Haven history associated with the Green and explore what type of remembrance, if any, there is to remind/educate us about it. Possible topics include: religion, government, slavery, abolition, nature, economics, and science. If there is no memorial then students will make a case as to what kind of memorial if any should be on or around the Green.
Activities:
1. Reflective writing in journal:
a. Think about the last time you were at the Green in New Haven. Think about statues, stones, and things that look like monuments. Write down what you remember about these statues, stones, signs, and monuments. (ie Do they say anything?)
2. Discuss student responses and write their examples on poster paper.
3. Tell the class that they are going to explore why these statues, stones, signs, and monuments are there. Tell them that you are going to explore other events and places on the Green that may be new to them and discuss whether or not they think that there should be memorials to these places and events. Tell the students they may be able to propose and create a model for a new memorial for an event they learn about and present it to the class.
4. Take the class to the Green to explore the remembrances discussed. Assign groups of students (2-3) to investigate sites on the Green and then report back to the large group. For instance, if a group is going to explore the elm trees on the Green, (after making sure they know what an elm tree looks like) their job would be to count and plot elm trees on the Green. Another group might be assigned to report on the fence. They might make note by sketching what the fence looks like and plot where the fence and gates are located. Other topics will include:
the Water Fountain The Center Church
The Second Congregational Church The Episcopal Church
The Drinking Fountain The Pathways/Walkways
Temple Street
Some topics are not directly on the Green but have a close association
The Amistad Memorial City Hall
The Court House
Some topics no longer exist but were historically significant to New Haven
The State House First School/Meeting House
Investigating he Old State House The Franklin Elm/Hillhouse Elms
Assessment: Student work would be assessed based upon a rubric.