Download Lesson Plan 2

RHS Lesson Plan Template
10/27/11
1/4/12
1/25/12, 1/26/12
Focused Standard/Element(s)
Warm-Up Activity (10-15 min)
Teacher: Andy Blackburn
Day Seven
The Process Paper and Annotated
Bibliography
Course/Level: CPA World Hist. /AP European Hist.
Day Eight
Checking Progress on the Final
NHD Product
Days Nine and Ten
National History Day Project
Presentations
SSWH1-21 All state standards in
world history have the potential to
be covered in this unit.
Social Studies Skills 1-12.
Information Processing Skills 1-17.
SSWH1-21 All state standards in
world history have the potential to
be covered in this unit.
Social Studies Skills 1-12.
Information Processing Skills 1-17.
SSWH1-21 All state standards in
world history have the potential to
be covered in this unit.
Social Studies Skills 1-12.
Information Processing Skills 1-17.
Discussion. What are the
requirements for the process paper?
(The process paper will be 500 words
or less where the student(s) describe
how they created and developed
their project as well as conducted
their research.)
The annotated bibliography?
(Students will list all sources that
contributed to the development of
their project. This includes all visual
materials and oral interviews. The
bibliography will be separated into
primary and secondary sources.)
What is the difference between a
primary and secondary source? (A
primary source is a document
created by the subject, or someone
that was a participant or witness to
an event.)
Have the students complete the
“Hints for Checking the Final
Product” worksheet (attached). How
has my topic changed history? What
are the positive and negative
characteristics of this change? How
has my topic impacted the lives of
people in today’s world?
Distribute official NHD judging forms
(attached) to all students. Review the
criteria for National History Day
Projects. (General areas-historical
quality, relation to theme, clarity of
presentation and rules
compliance.)(Specific areas- analysis,
interpretation, accuracy, wide and
balanced research, use of primary
sources, relation to theme, historical
significance, organization and visual
impact.) Students will be instructed
to fill out a judging sheet for each
project presentation.
Work-Time Activities
Divide students up into their project
groups. Provide examples of process
papers and annotated bibliographies.
Review some of the basics of MLA
style rules. Provide examples. (There
is a possibility of an interdisciplinary
assignment where the student’s
English teacher reviews MLA rules
and gives the students credit for
developing their NHD process paper
and annotated bibliography.) Have
each group outline the NHD process
they have experienced so far. Begin
writing the process paper using the
outline. Have the students separate
their list of primary sources from
secondary sources. Is there any
confusion identifying primary
sources? Begin writing annotations
for each source. How was this source
used in your research or how will it
be used in your presentation?
Have each student or group complete
the “Historical Context Chart” for
their topics (attached). This is
designed to help the students
formulate, clarify and present
historical interpretations. Using the
chart, have each student or group
orally cite the political, social,
cultural, economic and intellectual
impact of the innovation. How did
the revolution, reaction or reform
impact history? How did history
impact the revolution, reaction or
reform? This activity will give the
students practice preparing for their
interviews with NHD judges prior to
the competition.
Using their process papers as an
outline, each individual and group
will present their NHD projects to the
class according to the schedule that
was created previously. (Exhibits,
video documentaries, performances
and web pages. Papers are turned in
and evaluated by the instructor at
this time.) Using notes from the
judging sheets, the students are to fill
out for each project, the class will
comment on the relative strengths
and weaknesses of each effort at the
end of each presentation. The focus
will be on the strengths of each
project at this time. The students will
also offer ideas and suggestions as to
how each effort might be improved.
Closure Activity
Ticket Out the Door- Have each
research group turn in a list of their
primary source documents. Verify
that these are indeed primary
sources. As a result of their reliance
on the internet, students will often
confuse primary and secondary
sources. Provide students feedback
as to the validity of sources that they
have identified as primary sources by
making commentaries on their
papers and returning it to them.
Distribute the “Final Product
Checklist.”(Attached.) Have the
students comment on the portions of
their projects that still need work
prior to the competition. Share ideas
for addressing these needs. Have a
drawing to schedule project
presentation times for each
individual and group.
Collect judging sheets from the
students. Discuss the elements of
subjectivity in the NHD evaluation
process to help prepare students for
the NHD experience. (Personal
interests and backgrounds of judges,
variations in defining historical
significance.) Collect process papers
and annotated bibliographies for
grading. Consider the observations
from the students when evaluating
each project. Provide students
feedback on their efforts as soon as
practical. Allow students to make
corrections or additions to their
projects before the actual NHD
competition and give them credit for
any additional work they do to
strengthen their effort.
Differentiation Activities for the Unit
The entire National History Day
project unit is built around the
concept of differentiation. Students
are given the following choices:
1) Choice of Project Category
a) Research Papers
b) Exhibits
c) Web Sites
d) Performances
e) Video Documentaries
2) Working as individuals or
within a group of their
choice.
3) Choice of a topic.
4) Choice of participating in
NHD competition beyond
school-wide competition if
selected. (District, State and
National levels.)
5) The option of developing
their projects further
between each level of
competition to earn extra
credit.
In addition, other differentiation
possibilities might include giving
gifted students the option of
developing their own evaluation
rubric from the judging sheets
related to the category that they are
participating in.
Another possibility would be to allow
students to develop presentations in
two of the performance categories.
(For example, a student with the
topic “Photography: Capturing Time,”
could be allowed to develop
presentations in both the exhibit and
video documentary category. This
could be for extra credit or in lieu of
another assignment (compacting).
However, the student would have to
choose just one of the presentation
categories to advance to the actual
NHD competition, as the rules restrict
participation to one category.
Additional Notes
1) Unit Scheduling
Days One through Six in the unit are
scheduled together early near the
beginning of the first semester to
initiate work on the projects and give
the students ample time to conduct
their research and complete the
projects prior to the local
competition in late winter or early
spring.
The best time to schedule Day Seven
is after the students are well into the
research process and nearing
completion of their projects. (Just
before the Christmas Holidays.)
Day Eight should be scheduled a
week before the actual classroom
presentations.
Days Nine and Ten (presentation
dates) should be scheduled
approximately one week before the
first level of official NHD competition.
(Normally in February at Rome High.)
2) Official Competition
Students are not required to
participate in official NHD
competition beyond the local contest
at the school, even if their project is
selected to move on to the next level
of competition by the judges. They
are encouraged to do so, but it is
their choice.
3) Corrections and Additions
All student projects are considered to
be “works in progress.” It is perfectly
acceptable (and desirable) for the
students to act on suggestions made
by the judges to improve their
projects before each level of
competition. At Rome High, students
that put in additional work to
improve their projects earn extra
credit.