Justin M. Boucher
Lesson 1: Defining Place
Goal
: To define place for the purposes of using the concept throughout the unit.
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to,
1.
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Discuss the question "Where are we?"
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2.
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Define place.
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3.
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Create a written description of their current location.
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Materials
:
Board, marker, notebooks, pens, paper
Anticipatory Set:
Students will write 5 lines in their notebooks answering the question "Where are we?"
Procedure:
1. The teacher will lead the class in discussion of the anticipatory set putting all possible answers on the board.
2. When the class has sufficiently covered all possible versions and scales of the teacher will lead the class through guiding questions in defining place.
3. With a definition on the board, including climate, culture, architecture, and geography the teacher will break the students into small groups (if groups are to be used), and explain the assignment.
a. Assignment: Write an explanation, in writing, of where we are now (from your perspective), which specifically deals with the elements of our definition of place.
4. The teacher will circulate around the room checking on the work as it progresses and helping those who need it.
5. When the students have completed their work the teacher will lead the class in reviewing their new understanding of their current location
Closure
:
The teacher will review the lesson, and the definition, making sure that each student is prepared to do the homework.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based on the work that they produce.
Homework
:
Write 1 page describing your home as a place, making sure to address the 4 elements of our definition.
Lesson 2: Home as a Place
Goal: To explore the concept of place as it applies to one's home.
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
1. Brainstorm the concept of home.
2. Define and Discuss home, keeping in mind our definition of place.
3. Create a cognitive map of their home, which must include the school.
Materials
:
Blank white paper, pens, notebooks, board, marker,
Anticipatory Set:
List 10 things that make up your home as a place.
Procedure
:
1. The teacher will begin by discussing/brainstorming the anticipatory set with the class, putting their answers on the board.
2. When this is complete the teacher will lead the class in defining home, ensuring that our definition of home is in keeping with the class definition of place.
3. The students will then be asked to complete a cognitive map of their home, which must include our school.
a. Assignment: each student must use the blank paper provided to create a hand-drawn map, which includes all of the things that they have put on their list, and all of the places they would consider home.
b. These places should be defined as any place regularly frequented, or important to each student's life.
c. These places should be labeled on the map. (See Diagram)
4. The teacher will circulate to ensure that the work is coming along and answer any questions the students might have.
5. When the map are complete or seem to be complete the teacher will lead the class in discussing the activity, discussing boundaries of home, and offering the chance for some of the students to present their maps.
Closure
:
The teacher will review the boundaries of home, and the mapping process.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based upon the work they produce.
Homework
:
1 pg. What does your cognitive map say about you and your culture.
Lesson 3: How does home affect an individual?
Goal
: To explore how a person's home affects their culture.
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
1. Brainstorm the qualities of culture.
2. Explain what elements of culture derive from place.
3. Create a "fair" description of a place that they share with other students in the room.
Materials
:
Board, Marker, pen, notebook
Anticipatory Set:
Write 5 lines on the way in which your home affects who you are.
Procedure
:
1. Class will begin with a brief review of the qualities of home through brainstorming.
2. When this is complete, then the teacher will lead the class in discussing the anticipatory set.
3. The teacher will then put the word "Culture" on the board, asking the students to list everything they can come up with that might be part of a culture
a. The teacher will use every opportunity given to show how individual answers derive, in part, from place.
4. The students will then be asked to list (individually) elements of their own culture that derive from place, or places
5. When this is complete the teacher will lead the students in sharing their work, or parts of it.
6. The students will then be tasked with using their cognitive maps to find someone in class whose map includes some, or at least one, of the same places.
7. The groups (organically formed around common places) will then have the remainder of the class to create a common description of that place, one that derives from the differing experiences of that place
Closure
:
The teacher will review what was done today, and assign the homework.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based on their contributions, their descriptions, and their homework
Homework
:
Create an assessment- Write one page on how you feel about the description created by your group.
Lesson 4: What is the value of home?
Goal: to critically evaluate elements of their own homes in terms of their value as a place and their value to each individual student.
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
1. List the 10 things about their home, which they consider to be the most important elements of their home.
2. Design ways in which these things could be saved for future generations.
3. Determine what of the 10 things is most important, and defend their choice
Materials
:
Board, marker, art supplies, pen, notebook
Anticipatory Set:
Create a list of the 10 most important elements of your home (the list can be made up of anything)
Procedure
:
1. The teacher will lead the students in brainstorming their ideas, listing them on the board.
2. With a sound list of all the most important elements of the student's homes on the board, the teacher will ask the question "what is the importance of saving these things for the future?"
3. The class will discuss the question- the teacher will make sure that all the elements of place are addressed
4. The students will then be asked to choose the one thing on their list that is more important than anything else
5. Using whatever means are available (essays, art supplies, computers, etc.) the students will be tasked with designing a means of saving their choice for future generations.
6. The students will be given time to work, but time should be set aside at the end of class for discussion of their work.
Closure
:
The teacher will lead the class in discussing what they chose to save, and how they intended to save it.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based on their work in class and their homework.
Homework
:
1 pg. Why is it important to save elements of our culture for future generations?
Lesson 5: Place as a Concept in a Foreign Environment
Goal:
To explore the concept of place as it pertains to a foreign location
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
1. Read descriptions and view pictures of the natural environment of East Africa
2. Discuss East Africa as a place
3. Synthesize these descriptions into a basic explanation of what life would have been like in the natural environment of East Africa
Materials
:
Excerpts from
Green Hills of Africa,
William Kamera "Poem in Four Parts," Amin Kassam "Sunset," Yusuf Kassam "The Splash," Rose Mbowa "That Game," Internet linked computers, board, marker, notebooks, pen
Anticipatory Set:
5 lines, Describe Africa as a place.
Procedure
:
1. The teacher will begin class by reviewing what a place is and the elements that go into one
2. The teacher will follow up on this by brainstorming with the students what they know/how they would describe Africa as a place (this should derive purely from the student's prior knowledge)
3. With a deeper understanding of the student's prior knowledge in place (as a function of this activity) The teacher will explain the student's task
a. At the end of the class the students will be asked to write a description of the natural environment of East Africa.
4. The students will then be broken into 6 groups
5. Then each group will be directed to one of 3 stations (each containing one of the three resources- poetry, narrative, or computers)
6. The groups will have 15 minutes to make use of the resources (read the poetry or the narrative and take notes, or use the computers to do a Google image search for images of the natural environment of East Africa)
7. After 15 minutes the groups will be asked to move to the next station, and after 15 minutes they will move again, so that after 45 minutes they have been to each station.
8. When this is complete the teacher will lead the students in brainstorming a description of Africa again, now with their enhanced understanding.
Closure
:
The teacher will wrap up class by reviewing the information briefly, and discussing the homework assignment
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based upon their homework assignment
Homework
:
Write a 1-2 page description of the natural environment of East Africa, on a human scale.
Lesson 6: Hypothesizing Lifestyles and Culture in Ancient East Africa
Goal
: To assess student understanding of the impact of place on a culture
Objectives:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
1. Review culture as a concept
2. Describe the hunter gatherer lifestyle through the inquiry process
3. Hypothesize one characteristic of the culture of ancient East African hunter gatherers and defend your choice
Materials
:
Patterns of Interaction
, notebooks, pen, board, marker
Anticipatory Set:
The students will list 10 things that make up a culture.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will begin class by going over the Anticipatory Set, by leading the students in brainstorming the elements of culture.
2. The teacher will then put the question "What would life have been like for an ancient East African hunter gatherer?" on the board
3. The teacher will then lead the students in brainstorming ways in which one might answer this question/ the elements of the answer to this question. In this way the teacher can ensure that the students all know what elements are necessary to answer the question in a satisfactory fashion.
4. The students will then break into pairs and use the book
Patterns of Interaction
to answer the question.
5. The teacher will circulate around the room to ensure that the students are completing the task and answer any questions students may have.
6. When this process is complete the teacher will lead the students in a discussion of what this lifestyle would have been like.
7. The students will then be tasked with hypothesizing one element of the culture of these people. Given the challenges and the lifestyle that these people faced the students will have to choose one element of their culture, one challenge they faced and imagine how the ancient Africans might have dealt with this challenge.
a. It may be necessary at this point for the teacher to review what a hypothesis is.
8. The teacher will check each hypothesis before the end of class.
Closure
:
The teacher will wrap up class by clarifying/assigning the homework.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based upon their homework, and their class work.
Homework
:
For homework the students will be asked to come up with 5 separate arguments to support their hypothesis.
Essay Assignment.
Introduction
As a culminating project for our unit on place, and culture, I am asking you to put your hypothesis to the test. You have used facts and your imaginations to create a hypothesis, or educated guess as to what ancient East African culture might have been like. Now I want you to make use of your vast skills in written expression to show me the proof of your hypothesis.
Question
:
Describe one trait of ancient East African culture at the beginning of humanity, and explain why you believe your hypothesis to be true.
Specifications:
Your essay should be written in the five-paragraph format, with an introduction, conclusion, and 3 supporting paragraphs. It should be between 500 and 600 words, and may be typed or hand written. In either case it must be double-spaced and must include a word count at the end. You will be graded on each of these elements, and therefore should pay close attention to them.
Rubric:
Argument: (25 points)- You will receive a 25 in this area only if you have created a solid hypothesis.
Defense: (25 points)- You will receive a 25 in this area only if you have soundly proven your hypothesis using facts and sound argument.
5 Paragraph Format: (10 points) You will receive a 10 in this area if your work includes an introduction, conclusion and 3 supporting paragraphs.
Length: (10 points) You will receive a 10 in this area if your work is of sufficient length and includes a word count.
Double Spaced: (5 points) You will receive a 5 in this area if your work is double spaced.
Mechanics: (25 points) This is a formal essay and therefore you will receive a 25 only if your essay meets mechanical specifications and is completely free of grammatical errors.