California Prep World History Sample Lesson Plan

Welcome, California Prep!

The following documents go along with today's lesson plan:

• New Teacher Demonstration Rubric: [ Griffith ]
• New Teacher Demonstration Rubric: [ Blank Form ]
• Common Core Lesson Plan Template:  [ Griffith ]
• Common Core Lesson Plan Template:  [ Blank Form ]

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World History > World War I > Disillusionment, Perspective, and Point of View

We all know the story of the Three Little Pigs -- and some of you may have even read this book, "The True story of the 3 Little Pigs!" -- but let's take 5 minutes and listen to this story.  It's the same story but from a different perspective or point of view.

Next, we have Star Wars.  While some of you may have never seen the movie, we have all heard of it.  It's a story about a young hero named Luke Skywalker who saves the galaxy from some very evil people.  Or is it?

Does the way you look at a story (or history) change what you think about that story?  Looking at the hero (Luke Skywalker), is he a hero from the perspective of the families and workers aboard the Death Star?  Was his attack on the Death Star a terrorist attack?  How many "bad guys" were among the 300,000+ killed?  When is war justified?  When is the mass extermination of innocent people justified?  Is "collateral damage" okay if it's for the greater good?  What if this was the story of a young Muslim who became orphaned by U.S. bombing efforts, became radicalized, got indoctrinated and joined ISIS, and managed to nuke Washington DC?  Perspective and point of view matter.

All Quiet on the Western Front:

The links below include the full text off the book and a Reading Guide.  We won't be reading the entire book, though you are welcome to do so; I do highly recommend it.  The book was released in January 1929.

 

• All Quiet on the Western Front (Full Text)
• All Quiet on the Western Front (Reading Guide)

If you open the Reading Guide and look at the word list (barrage, billets, etc.), I would like you to define those in your own words based on your reading.

Next on the Reading Guide there are instructions for making a list of characters in the book.  As we read through Chapter 1 I would like you to begin this list.  It actually starts with Paul Baumer who is the main character and narrator of the story (the Guide uses him as the example for building this list).  

As you read this book and get into the characters, you will see the foods they eat, the brotherhood that develops, their love of country and family, their hopes and dreams, their hatred for the "bad guys", etc.  You will have favorite characters that you are pulling for.  And many times you will realize, "These are the Germans.  They are killing Englishmen, Frenchmen, and Americans.  Then who are the 'good guys'?"

This is perspective and point of view.  Are Muslims good or bad?  Point of view.  Are Christians good or bad?  Point of view?  Are Republicans good or bad?  Democrats?  The 2nd Amendment?  North Korea?  I'm not saying that there isn't such thing as 'evil', but we have to be open to looking at our perspective and asking why do we believe the way we believe?  You may remember a few years ago when "Boys are gross" or "Girls have cooties" -- but you may feel differently now.  Your point of view changed.

After you've read the book, you might want to check out the movie.  They have been making movie versions of the book since it first came out, but this version is done well -- and it came out before gratuitous sex and violence.

Why is America the greatest country in the world?

This is obviously a controversial opinion, but this causes discomfort in people who are very Nationalistic.  We ARE America.  Should we punish people who kneel during the National Anthem?  Should we require the Pledge of Allegiance?  Are we so proud of our freedom that we're willing to take it away from people who believe differently?  Why are we so proud of America?

Journal: In the book, "All Quiet on the Western Front" the narrator, Paul Bäumer, and his friends join the army partly because of the nationalistic lectures of their teacher (Kantorek). Nationalism was an extremely powerful force in Europe through the first half of the 20th century and played a part in causing both the First and Second World Wars. Knowing what you know about Nationalism (believing your country is better than ALL other countries) and what we have discussed about perspective and point of view...

• Create a journal discussing why countries believe they are the best.  Then discuss how that Nationalism can lead to problems around the world. 

Quiz: 

• TBA

Historical Perspective: True Story of the Three Little Pigs / Lies Your Teacher Told You

May the 4th: Historical Perspectives: Star Wars

Does the way you look at a story (or history) change what you think about that story?  We know the story of Luke Skywalker, the hero of the Star Wars series -- but is he a hero from the perspective of the families and workers aboard the Death Star?  Was his attack on the Death Star a terrorist attack?  How many "bad guys" were among the 300,000+ killed?  When is war justified?  When is the mass extermination of innocent people justified?  Is "collateral damage" okay if it's for the greater good?

This is not a shot from Star Wars but from The American President.  In this scene, the President has ordered an air strike on Libya's intelligence agency building.

Anyway... back to Star Wars:

The Samurai were warriors that would go out to do the bidding of their lords or emperors.  Is there a similarity between Samurai and Darth Vader?

What about similarities between Samurai and Jedi?

 

 

 

Imagine if an old, science fiction serial like Buck Rogers (episodic stories tied together with woven story lines) got an update -- but used story lines and scene compositions from old Japanese Samurai films by Akira Kurosawa.

 

 

:: Scenes with Lukes Family ::
:: Scenes with Luke finding his family dead ::
:: Episode of Troops ::

Begin Semester

Some Maps

The Big Questions

When you think about an event in history, the event really involves 7 "Big Questions".  If you want to tell someone about the history of something, ask yourself the following questions:

Discussion: Education

We'll discuss the economic implications of changing educational paradigms and the business of testing.  We will also discuss the tendency to assume that someone is "smart" or "dumb" based on their ability to pass a given test.

Finally, we will discuss "Changing Education Paradigms" to look at education from a different perspective.

Videos for Class Discussion: Apathy, Empathy, Education and Holding On

I have a couple videos that I want to use for class discussion.  Throughout this course I will be giving you videos or pictures such as these as journal writing topics.  Please get a notebook that you will use as a journal. Apathy: A Poem

Under the Surface: Empathy Film  

Don't Stay in School:  Finish Line: PSA Foundation [Keep Holding On]

City Web Site Planning

https://jhseconomics.blogspot.com/2017/11/city-web-site-planning.html

http://jhseconomics.blogspot.com/2017/04/making-difference-jellico-area.html

Extra Credit: Story Corps: The Great Thanksgiving Listen

Your extra-credit homework assignment is to interview someone -- a grandparent, an elder in your community, someone who has been through a harrowing experience (war, natural disaster, plane crash, racial tension, immigrating to America, etc.), someone who has worked a job which may not exist in the near future (coal mining, living in a house without electric or plumbing, etc.). You can download an app on your phone or laptop or use a recorder or video camera to conduct an interview.

Here's a TED Talk discussing the StoryCorps project: https://www.ted.com/talks/dave_isay_everyone_around_you_has_a_story_the_world_needs_to_hear?language=en 

Please check out StoryCorps: https://storycorps.org/

Note: If you don't have a phone that allows you to download the StoryCorps app, you can do this old school with a recorder or video camera.

Come up with some great open-ended questions that allows the person you are interviewing to talk about things -- and make sure you are listening to the answers, not just moving them from question to question.  For example, asking them "How old were you when you got married?" is going to get a response like, "24" -- while a question like, "Tell me about the day you got married." might bring on a 5 minute story about things that were memorable and important to the person you are talking with.

Some open-ended question examples might include (depending on the person you are interviewing):

• Can you tell me a little bit about your childhood?  What were you like as a child?
• Do you know the story of why and how our ancestors came to this country?
• Who were your grandparents?  Do you have any memories of them?  What kind of work did they do?
• Can you tell me about your grandparents?  Your great-grandparents?  (This can be especially valuable to you if you happen to be interviewing a great-grandparent)
• Tell me a favorite memory of me.
• Can you tell me about one of the most difficult moments in your life?
• Can you tell me one or two people who have been kindest to you in your life?  What if they were here, what would you say to them?
• Can you tell me about one or two people who have been the biggest influences in your life?
• Tell me about a teacher or other adult that has had a big impact on your life when you were growing up.
• Can you tell me one of your happiest memories?
• What are you proudest of -- both personally and professionally -- in your life?
• Can you tell me about some of the most important lessons you've learned in life?
• Can you tell me about a historic event that had an impact on your life?  What are your most vivid memories of that event?  How did it make you feel?  (Topics might include: World War II, the Holocaust, the Korean War, the civil right movement, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the March on Washington, 9/11, etc.)
• What are your hopes for me, and someday, for my children?
• If you knew this was going to be our last conversation, is there anything you've never told me that you want to share with me now?  Is there anything you want to ask me that you have never asked me before?
• How has your life been different than how you imagined it would be when you were young.  Do you have any regrets?
• Thinking about your family many generations from now, and knowing that they may hear this recording, is there anything you want to say to them?  Any wisdom or advice you would like to share?
• How would you like to be remembered?

At the end of the interview, take a few moments to tell your partner what they mean to you.

Here's an example of a self-interview.  Mostly it's one soldiers story about one experience in Iraq.

Join Our Group!
https://archive.storycorps.org/communities/jellico-high-school/

Movie: All Quiet on the Western Front

Focus Activity: What are the general characteristics of your parents’ generation or grandparents’ generation?  How would you describe your own generation?

Journal Writing:  Take 10 minutes to free-write about your impression of the older generation and younger generation.  In general, do you respect the opinions of persons older than you?  Do you think older people have the same values or perspectives that younger people do?  Do you think all young people have the same values and points of view?  Explain.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
(Download the Worksheet Here)

1. What is the title of this film? When was it made? Who wrote the original novel?
2. Why did the students join the Army?
3. What role did the mailman (Himmelstoess) have? Was he particularly mean to these recruits? Give an example.
4. How were conditions at the Western Front different from their expectations in training camp
5. What was the impact of the shelling on the new recruits?
6. What happened after the bombardment?
7. In the attack, what did the machine gun do to the glory of war and individual heroism?
8. How many of the company died in this first battle? How do you know? Why were they able to eat so well finally?
9. Who did they blame for this war? Who did they omit in their list of potential villains?
10. What happened to Kemmerich's boots? How did the doctors' react to Kemmerich's plight?
11. How was Sgt. Himmelstoess received when he arrived at the front?
12. What was the pattern of a battle? What preceded the attack? What followed it?
13. What happened to Paul Baumer when he found himself in a shellhole in No Man's Land with the French soldier?
14. Why did the French girls - ostensibly the enemy - accept the German soldiers?
15. After four years of war, how has the German homefront been affected? Were there still the parades, crowded streets, and joyous sounds of going off to war?
16. What were the attitudes of the men in the beer hall? Were they willing to listen to what Paul had to say?
17. How does Paul Baumer confront his former teacher? How do the young students react to his vision of the war?
18. How has the company changed during Paul's absence?
19. What is ironic about Kat's and Paul's deaths? [Note: The war ended on November 11, 1918.]
20. Describe the attitude of this movie towards World War I and all wars.
21. What is the significance of the title of the movie All Quiet on the Western Front.
22. Where was the Western Front?
23. Why does Paul Baumer feel betrayed by the adults in his life?
24. Which advancements in science and technology during World War I were depicted in the battle scenes in All Quiet on the Western Front?
25. Why does Paul Baumer feel separate and different from his family and the people in his town when he goes home to visit?
26. Are there any heroes in All Quiet on the Western Front? What is the nature of their heroism? Are there any villains in the novel? What makes them villainous?
27. Hitler banned the book All Quiet on the Western Front at the beginning of World War II and had copies of the novel burned.  Is there ever any good reason for censorship of antiwar material? Why or why not?
28. Was Remarque (the author of the book the movie was based on) making a statement with the ironic way he kills off some characters — veteran soldiers who survive many terrible fights but end up dying anyway when they aren’t in battle?  Why?
29. World War I was known as a “total war” because it involved the efforts of many civilians in addition to the military. Today, however, warfare can be drastically different. How would All Quiet on the Western Front be different if it were told from the perspective of a modern day American soldier during, say, the war in the Persian Gulf? What events would be different? What ideas and issues might change.

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Worksheet for reading the novel:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwhy5BkICGK1YmF3NUhIekNyXzQ/view?usp=sharing

As you watch the movie, "All Quiet on the Western Front", answer the questions on your handout and complete a "cluster diagram (see below) of the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings you see portrayed.  Sights and sounds are easier, and feelings can be implied... but smells will probably be the most difficult to imagine.

10.2: The Home Front

Assignment:  All of these should be answered in complete sentences and in your own words.

• How did the United States ready its military, economy, and people for war?
• Compare and contrast the reasons some Americans did not support the war.
• How did the war provide new opportunities for women, African Americans, and Mexican Americans?
• Geography and History (p.298): How did World War I contribute to the prosperity and labor shortage that caused migration?
• What Are the Limits of Free Speech? (p.300)
• In one solid paragraph, summarize what was happening on "The Home Front" during this time and why it is significant.

Terms and People:  For each item below, write a sentence explaining how it affected the American home front during World War I.

• Selective Service Act
• Bernard Baruch
• CPI
• George Creel
• conscientious objector
• Espionage Act
• Great Migration

Extra Credit: Tree Decorations

I've been considering putting up a holiday tree, but I want to make it history-focused.  I will give extra credit for someone making a history-based tree ornament.

I have "doll pins" in limited quantity (30) for students to make historical figures (Presidents, civil rights leaders, etc.) but the ornaments don't have to be made of doll pins -- or even be a specific person.