Campbell

=__**Problem-Based Learning Lesson**__=
 * Grade Level:** 11th Grade


 * Subject:** Social Studies


 * Objectives:**

Students will identify several issues faced by theUnited Statesduring the age of big business as well as the progressive era including housing, pollution, population, poverty, and immigration.


 * Standards:**

New YorkStateSocial Studies Standard 1.3 - Study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.


 * Problem:**

Student groups will assume role of city council members forNew York Cityin the year 1900. The council members will be asked to propose solutions for city issues including housing, sanitation including refuse, waste, and pollution, and increased population due to immigration. Specifically, students will be presented with testimony from city inhabitants who ask for help with overcrowded tenements, the pollution of theHudson Riverdue to human and factory waste as well as garbage, and complaints by recent immigrants of unemployment and poverty. As members of the city council each group will need to propose solutions to all of these problems within certain parameters. This will allow students to identify problems faced by many US cities during this point in history and will eventually serve as a basis for a comparison of student ideas, the actions of individuals and groups of the time, and measures taken related to these issues in modern times.


 * Steps:**


 * 1) Students will be asked individually to record their thoughts on the role government should take in solving the problems of individual citizens. When all students are done, student ideas will be discussed with the whole class. It will then be explained that this idea has been an issue in theUnited Statessince its inception and that they will take on the role of government officials and must decide the proper ways to deal with public issues.
 * 2) Students will be placed in groups of 3-5 members and presented with the problem of the lesson. Each group will be given a city budget of $100,000 that results from taxes with which to work. The costs of resources such as city worker salaries and the building of new structures will be determined by the teacher to ensure each group works within the same parameters.
 * 3) Groups will be given time in class to brainstorm ideas for each issue and coordinate ideas.
 * 4) Each group will be asked to prepare a presentation of their solutions to the city problems to show at a “public forum” that will be held in class. Group presentations will be expected to include the use of technology such as PowerPoint.


 * Differentiation:**

Student groups will be comprised of students of mixed academic levels to allow struggling students the opportunity to collaborate and succeed with the assistance of their peers. Group members will be asked to assume roles within the group include facilitator, research organizer, scribe, and reader to ensure all students participate in and contribute to the group’s work. Certain classes or groups that may contain high numbers of struggling students may be asked only to brainstorm solutions to a select number of issues included in the problem so as not to overwhelm and discourage them.


 * Assessment:**

The assessment form used for this lesson will be a mix of performance-based and project-based. Student performance during group work will be assessed through the use of formative assessments including informal discussions and observations as well as during the final in-class presentation. The presentation itself will serve as the project to be created and this product and the presentation will be graded with a rubric.

I love your problem. I think it focuses well on the content you are trying to teach. As I read through the lesson plan, I kept thinking that it sounds a little like "The Apprentice" with Donald Trump. So maybe you could set it up as a sort of competition? Since groups are getting $100,000 to deal with the public issues, they could compete with other groups to see who does the best with their resources to create the best situatons for the city. You could have another group act as the panel offering insight and making suggestions (like Mr. Trump has on his show) and your decision would be final. I think students might like that application. Great lesson plans!
 * __Comments:__**
 * Brenda:**

__** Online Collaboration Lesson **__


 * Grade Level:** 11th Grade


 * Subject:** Social Studies


 * Objectives:**

Students will identify issues faced by modernUScities as well as the ways in which they are dealing with such problems.

Students will compare problems faced by US cities today as well as those faced by US cities during age of big business and progressive era.

Students will identify trends in problems faced by US cities and evaluate efforts to solve such problems.


 * Standards:**

New YorkStateSocial Studies Standard 1.3 - Study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.


 * Lesson Summary:**

For this lesson students will be placed in the same groups used for the problem-based learning lesson. Each group will be assigned a UScity and will be asked to identify issues faced by this city in both modern times as well as the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Specifically, groups will research issues related to housing, sanitation, immigration, poverty, unemployment, and crime. Research will also be conducted to identify the ways in which the city is and has dealt with these issues. Groups will post findings to a Wiki page set up for the class. Finally, students will be asked to browse the class Wiki pages and complete a written assignment in which they point out trends in problems faced and solutions proposed.


 * Steps:**

Day 1-2


 * 1) Students will reconvene with same groups used for problem-based learning lesson.


 * 1) The whole class will be introduced to the class Wiki page and a demonstration will be given on how Wikis work.


 * 1) Each group will be assigned aUScity and asked to create a page within the class Wiki page with the name of their city as the title of the page.


 * 1) Using the internet and available library resources, students will research issues faced by their city today related to housing, sanitation, immigration, poverty, unemployment, and crime and post their findings to their Wiki page.


 * 1) Groups will then research ways in which their city is attempting to deal with the issues they found. This will also be posted to their Wiki page.

Day 2-3


 * 1) Continuing in the same groups, students will be asked to research the issues facing their city during the age of big business and progressive era (late 19th and early 20th century and post their findings to their Wiki page.


 * 1) Groups will then research the ways in which their city attempted to deal with the issues they find at that time. This will also be posted to their Wiki page.


 * 1) Finally, each student will individually be asked to review each Wiki page and complete a written assignment in which they discuss the apparent trends in issues faced by US cities in the past and modern times. Also, students will be asked to identify trends in the ways in which cities dealt with issues in the past and modern times. Specifically, students will need to offer an explanation as to why cities face such problems and what solutions appear to work and not work and why. Finally, students will be asked to compare the measures taken by city leaders to the solutions they proposed to solve city issues during the problem-based learning lesson.


 * Online Collaboration:**

Wiki pages will be utilized in this lesson in order to maximize online collaboration and the sharing of ideas and insight. By requiring the use of Wiki pages students can not only read the findings and ideas of their peers but quickly and easily add insight and knowledge. Also, the use of Wikis promotes constant learning and contemplation of ideas as students can continue working outside designated class time.


 * Differentiation:**

As with the problem-based learning lesson, groups will be comprised of students of mixed academic levels to allow for collaboration and learning and each group member will be assigned a role to ensure all contribute. Furthermore, those students or groups that would benefit from more structure during the research portions of the lesson will be given a graphic organizer to plan their thinking and organize work. Also, students or groups who may require it will be given lists of possible websites or resources to consult.


 * Creative Thinking/Management:**

The creative thinking portion of this lesson will come during the final written assignment. Although students will be asked to evaluate and compile information and facts during this task, they will also be asked to incorporate their personal ideas on the how issues facing cities can be solved. Direct teacher involvement in student management will most likely not need to be an issue for this lesson as students will be working in groups and will be expected to work collaboratively, respectfully, and responsibly. Therefore, the teacher will act as more of a facilitator in the room and move between groups to offer insights and observe progress. The only direct management that may need to be done will be the checking of Wiki pages to ensure no inappropriate or irrelevant information is posted.


 * Assessment:**

Formative assessments will be used for this lesson and will take the form of observations of and conversations with groups and individual students. This will be done to ensure students stay on task, progressing in their work, and locating useful information. Summative assessments for this lesson will be the final Wiki pages and the final written assignment. Wiki pages will be graded on the amount and accuracy of information included. The final written assignment will be graded based on how well students form ideas based on information provided and support their thinking with logical thought.

**__ Digital Storytelling Lesson __**


 * Grade Level:** 11th Grade


 * Subject:** Social Studies

**GOALS**


 * Objectives:**

Students will create a digital story explaining the life and accomplishments of a person inUShistory who has influenced progressive change in relation to life inAmerica.


 * Standards:**

New YorkStateSocial Studies Standard 1.3 - Study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.


 * ISTE NETS-S**

1. Creativity and innovation 2. Communication and collaboration 3. Research and information fluency 6. Technology operations and concepts

**ACTION**


 * Lesson Summary:**

For this lesson students will build upon the knowledge, thinking, and understanding generated during the problem-based learning and online collaboration lessons to pinpoint and evaluate the contributions of historical figures. To do this, students will research an individual in UShistory who has influenced change. Specifically, students will be asked to identify an individual since the Progressive Era (late 19th – early 20th centuries) who created change related to city life. After finishing their research students will create a digital story using Windows Moviemaker that explains the life and contributions of the individual they researched.


 * Before-Class Preparation:**

At the finish of the online collaboration lesson it will be explained to students that in order to decide the best ways in which to solve the problems identified during that lesson one must understand completely the efforts of those who have tackled these issues in the past. From there, students will be presented with list of individuals who have attempted to solve problems faced byUSsociety. Using this list, students will be asked to conduct a simple internet search of some of these individuals for homework. The goal of this exercise is to have students begin to think about whom they will want to research so that class time can be used for research and the creation of the digital story.


 * Instruction:**

Steps:

Days 1-3


 * 1) Based on the searches students conducted on their own they will report to the teacher the individual they would like to research. In order to ensure no two students are assigned the same individual students will be asked to report at least three persons they are interested in.


 * 1) After all students have been assigned an individual they will begin their research. Specifically, students will be asked to find information in order to tell who their individual was, their background, their major accomplishments in regards to social change, their motivation for affecting change, and the influence of their contributions. Finally, students will need to explain the historical context of this individual. This will mean explaining why they are a noteworthy historical figure.

Days 4-6


 * 1) Students will be introduced to the program Windows Moviemaker through a demonstration by the teacher.


 * 1) After the demonstration and all questions have been answered, students will be given class time to create a digital story that includes all the information they were expected to collect during their research.

Days 7-8


 * 1) Students will present their digital stories to the class.


 * 1) Each student will be given a graphic organizer that has locations for each of the individuals researched in the class. On this graphic organizer students will be asked to record the information presented by other students.

**MONITOR**


 * Ongoing Assessment:**

Throughout entire lesson teacher will support students in both the research and digital storytelling process. This will include helping with search techniques and technical questions regarding the use of Windows Moviemaker. During this time the teacher will monitor and evaluate student thinking and learning based on observations and conversations.


 * Differentiation:**

Students who struggle with research and decision-making skills can be assigned a specific individual to research as well as given specific websites to visit in order to find information. Also, those who would benefit from extra teacher support or assistive technology will be given the proper aid. Finally, students who would prefer or gain from working in a separate location will be allowed this accommodation.

**EVALUATION**


 * Assessment:**

Formative assessments will consist of teacher observations of student focus and work during the research and digital storytelling processes. This grade will be counted as a participation grade. Summative assessments will consist of a performance grade as well as a written assignment. The performance assessment will be based on the quality of the digital story presented in class and will evaluate the accuracy and relevancy of content included in student work. The written assignment will follow the presentation of the digital stories and will ask students to compile all they have learned in the unit. Specifically, students will need to explain the issues cities face and the difficulties that arise when trying to solve these problems, why these issues appear to continue throughout history, and give advice based on their knowledge of problems and the work of past people as to what should be done in the future.