Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Organizing Key Concepts
Duration
Three 90 minute class periods
Objectives
(a) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of American constitutional government, (b) develop an understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship, (c) demonstrate knowledge of personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in civic life, (d) analyze the role of the media, (e) compare the differences among economic systems.
Materials
Paper, writing utensil, compare and contrast graphic organizer, class set of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, and 1-2-3-Countdown activity.
Instructional Focus
This lesson will focus on expanding students' knowledge of civics and economics through the use of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games and the use of graphic organizers.
Guided Practice
During and after reading Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games students and the teacher will identify and discuss the major themes of the story that connect to American Constitutional government.
Activities
The teacher will model how to use each graphic organizer prior to assigning them to the students. Each activity is meant to draw connections from the story to the readers' real life.
Activity 1: Using the model for the compare and contrast graphic organizer in Figure 3, students will reflect on the type of economy of The Hunger Games' Panem and their knowledge of the United States economy to compare and contrast the two forms of economic systems. This activity should be complete after students have read and discussed chapter 15.
Activity 2: Using the model for the principle pattern organizer in Figure 2, students will work independently to analyze the character traits of one character from the novel and a contemporary political leader. This activity should be complete after students have read and discussed chapter 18.
Activity 3: Using the model for the process cause and effect organizer in Figure 1, students will work with a self-selected partner to formulate the path and connections Panem and the United States have undergone to shape their government systems. This activity should be complete after students have read and discussed at the end of the novel.
Class Review
Students will share their graphic organizers with the class. Students will be encouraged to ask questions of one another for clarity as needed. The essential questions will be infused into the class discussion as a form of formative assessment.
Exit Ticket: Students will complete a 1-2-3 Countdown activity to summarize their learning. Please see Appendix 5 for activity.
Lesson 2: The Great Debate
Duration
Two 90 minute class periods
Objectives
(a) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of American constitutional government, (b) develop an understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship, (c) demonstrate knowledge of personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in civic life, (d) analyze the role of the media, (e) compare the differences among economic systems.
Materials
Paper, writing utensil, Debate guidelines sheet, class set of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, computers with internet access, Shape Up review activity, and Debate rubric.
Instructional Focus
This lesson will focus on motivating students to think critically about contemporary civics and economics issues through debates and the use of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games and civics and economics knowledge.
Guided Practice
After reading Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games and learning about key civic and economic concepts the teacher will conduct a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of living in The Hunger Games' Panem. As students give their responses the teacher will prompt students to make connections to the United States. This dialogue will be the opener for this lesson.
Debates
Students will be clustered in groups of six students, three affirmative and three negative sub team members. The teacher will explain the role of each team member. Each team will complete an issue analysis form to give them a starting point for their topic. Please refer to the Teacher's Guide to the Middle School Public Debate Program page 50 for the issue analysis form. The team will then identify the issues that they wish to discuss during the debate. Using the ARE method students will use index cards to create an ARE for each issue they will present during the debate.
Debate topic1: Effectiveness of American government
Debate topic 2: Positive character traits
Debate topic 3: American economic system
Debate format
First affirmative constructive – 5 minutes
This student makes a case for the action for debate, giving proof of the topic with three or four major points.
First negative constructive – 5 minutes
This student makes several arguments against the affirmative team's case and discredits the affirmative's major points.
Second affirmative constructive – 5 minutes
This student should repair and develop upon the affirmative's case. This student must expand the original affirmative points and disprove the negative's major arguments against the case.
Second negative constructive – 5 minutes
This student expands the negative arguments against the case, providing new information about why the negative team should win the debate. This student should answer the affirmative's answers to the negative team's original arguments.
Negative rebuttal – 3 minutes
This student must assemble the debate and explain why, given all of the arguments in the debate, the negative team should still win the debate.
Affirmative rebuttal – 3 minutes
This student should summarize the issues in the debate and explain why, even with the negative's arguments, the affirmative team should win the debate. 29
Class Review
Students will continue in post-debate discussions. Spectating peers will be able to ask the debaters questions. Students will be assessed through the use of a rubric. Please refer to Appendix 7. The essential questions will be infused into the class discussion as a form of formative assessment.
Exit Ticket: Students will complete a Shape Up Review activity to summarize their learning and give feedback on the lesson. Please see Appendix 6 for activity.
Lesson 3: Creating a Digital Story
Duration
Three 90 minute class periods
Objectives
(a) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of American constitutional government, (b) develop an understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship, (c) demonstrate knowledge of personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in civic life, (d) analyze the role of the media, (e) compare the differences among economic systems.
Materials
Paper, writing utensil, class set of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, Story board, Computers with internet access, Microsoft Photostory, Microphones, and headphones.
Instructional Focus
This lesson will focus on connecting students' knowledge of civics and economics through the use of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, graphic organizes, and debates to create their own story of American citizenship.
Guided Practice
After reading Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games the teacher will lead students in creating a cluster diagram connecting all the key civic and economic principles. Please refer to Appendix 3 for an example.
Activities
The teacher will model how to use each graphic organizer prior to assigning them to the students. Each activity is meant to draw connections from the story to the readers' real life.
Task 1: Using their cluster diagram students will create a storyboard, outlining their digital story. Students may need to use the internet or other classroom resources to deepen their research. Please refer to Appendix 8 for sample storyboard template.
Task 2: Students will use the internet to gather images, personal photographs, or graphs and charts that relate to the content in their story board.
Task 3: Using Microsoft Photostory software students will use their storyboards, gathered images, microphone, and background music (www.freeplaymusic.com ) to create their digital story.
Class Review
Students will share their digital stories with the class. Students will be assessed through the use of a rubric. Please see Appendix 9. The essential questions will be infused into the class discussion as a form of formative assessment.
Exit Ticket: Students will write a letter to the teacher, no longer than a paragraph, detailing what they liked best about the unit, what they would like to change, and summarizing the most important thing they learned.
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