Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Title: The Balkans
Lesson Author: Brandon Sexton
Key Words: Demographics, Political Change
Grade Level: 8th-9th grade
Time Allotted: 90 minutes
Rationale/ Purpose (so what?)
Nature and scope of topic. Why is this significant to the mission of educating future citizens?
The Balkans are often the most forgotten part of the Europe Continent, yet
they have played huge roles in wars and political conflicts
Background/Context: How does this lesson fit into a unit of study?
Looking
backwards, looking forwards
This is a lesson that fits into a unit about the region of Europe. It would
probably be done after Western Europe and former USSR countries are
covered, and the final part of the united before exam review.
Key Concept(s):
Demographics – The characteristics of a human population as used in government
Ethnicity - the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national
or cultural tradition
Nationalism - advocacy of political independence for a particular country
NCSS Standard(s)
SOL Information
NCSS Theme (s) with indicators: III – People, Places, and Environment
challenge learners to examine, interpret, and analyze the interactions of human beings and their
physical environments;
ask learners to describe how people create places that reflect culture, human needs, current
values and ideals, and government policies;
SOL* :
WG.1d: The student will use maps, globes, satellite images, photographs, or
diagrams to create and compare political, physical, and thematic maps;
WG.4: The student will locate and analyze physical, economic, and cultural characteristics of
world regions: Europe
WG.12a: The student will apply geography to interpret the past, understand the present, and plan
for the future by using geographic knowledge, skills, and perspectives to analyize problems and
make decisions
1
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Essential Knowledge
Standard ways that maps show
information: Symbols, Color, Lines,
Boundaries, Contours
Types of thematic maps: Population,
Economic activity, Resource, Language,
Ethnicity, Climate, Precipitation, Vegetation,
Physical, Political
Europe:
Physical Characteristics:
Seas: Adriatic, Aegean, Mediterranean, Black
Peninsulas: Balkan
Economic Characteristics:
European Union
Differences in Western and Eastern European
industrial development due to differing
economic systems in prior years
Replacement of communism with capitalism in
Eastern Europe
Cultural Characteristics:
Many ethnic groups with different languages,
religions, customs
Sporadic conflict among groups (wars,
revolutions)
Essential Skills
(minimum for SOL Resource Guide)
Select the appropriate geographic resource to
draw conclusions.
Compare and contrast information found on
different types of maps.
Compare maps and make inferences.
Draw conclusions and make inferences about
date.
Identify and interpret regional patterns on
maps.
Guiding Question(s):
What countries are found in the Balkans?
Why are there so many countries in an area so small as the Balkans?
The day’s big question:
How does culture and history affect the borders of countries?
Lesson Objective(s):
Obj. 1
Students will be able to recount the countries that make up the Balkan
Peninsula.
Obj. 2
Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the differences
between the Balkans countries in language, ethnicity, religion, etc.
Assessment Tool(s) to be used
2
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Assessment 1.
Informal: Map of the Balkans completed with correct poltical, economic,
language, or geographic information filled out.
Assessment 2.
Informal: Group map with all categories thoroughly completed, according
to the rubric
Assessment 3.
Formal: Letter to Secretary of State, graded to the rubric
3
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Materials: Historical
Source(s): List here and include copies
in materials section below
Additional
Materials/Resources: List here and
include copies in materials section- textbooks
etc page numbers, websites etc
Balkans through Time SmartBoard
Notebook Slides (Material A)
BalkansModernMap SmartBoard
Notebook Slides (Material B)
Balkans Map Assignment Sheet (Material
C)
Sporcle: Countries in Europe (Material D)
Sporcle: Countries in the Balkans
(Material E)
http://dmorgan.web.wesleyan.edu
/balkans/central.htm (Material F)
http://lib.utexas.edu/maps/
map_sites/hist_sites.html (Material G)
4
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Procedure/Process:
1) JUST DO IT! The “Hook”:
List every European country you can think of. You have 2 minutes to do so.
2) Instructional sequence:
Obj #
See above.
Processing Activity and Procedure –include
directions, question frames, assignment details, to be
given to students (these should all be made into
explicit materials (e.g. see material A) Do you have
opportunities for direct/guided instruction and
independent practice/engagement when appropriate
and time estimates
http://www.sporcle.com/games/europe.php
(Material D)
Just do it.
Check for Evidence
of Understanding
-Either Formal or
Informal e.g.
assessments- question
frames, quiz, choice
activities, discussion with
frame and your THAT’s A
WRAP.
(Checks Essential
Knowledge and Skills
should be in line with
assessment tools above)
Informal: Pre-test on
Balkan knowledge, as
well as comprehension
of previous lessons
Students will complete this sporcle quiz, trying to
name all of the countries of Europe in 8 minutes,
using no help (time can be shortened manually,
by asking students to ‘give up’ after 3-4 minutes)
Students will close out of sporcle, and open the SmartBoard Notebook file
Transition:
with the blank slides of the Balkans (Material _)
Objective
# 1:
Students Students will be given slides of a blank map of
the Balkans (Material A), as well as an
will be
assignment (Material C) for the different years
Informal: Significance
able to
that they will research which countries existed in Cards of Balkan
recount
the Balkans at the time. Students will be allowed countries, completed
the
to use all resources available to them. Teacher
based on the time
countries will assist when asked to, but otherwise, students period
will complete the task on their own. These
that
make up ‘signficance cards’ will then be printed, and
written on, explaining the context of the map in
the
one or two sentences.
Balkan
Peninsula
5
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Students will save file as (‘name’_balkans1) and print their slides onto one
page (4 slides per page), and open another the next set of slides, and
Transition:
start the next assignment on the same page as previous assignment
(Material C)
Students will be given blank slides with the
modern political boundries in the Balkans
(Material B). Each student group will given six
different categories (language, ethnicity, religion,
EU membership, physical geography, former
Informal: Group maps
communists) The students will be required to
with all categories
Objective research the categories, and create three maps
thoroughly completed
#2
that depict their findings. They will print out each
map, and make a significance card out of them,
Formal: Letter to
writing the category it falls under.
Secretary of State,
Students will then makeup a one page letter to
graded to the rubric
the Secretary of State, explaining why there
seem to be some many countries in the Balkans
today. It will be graded by the included rubric in
the assignment sheet. (Material C)
3) ClosureSporcle Quiz on the countries in the Balkans:
http://www.sporcle.com/games/vttbs10/balkan_countries
Students are given one minute to complete. Each question is worth one point. 10 total. One
bonus country.
Modifications/Accommodations for Diverse Learners:
Paper copies of blank maps
Copies of information needed to complete maps
These for students who might not be able to use the Internet effectively
Completed Significance Cards
6
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
MATERIAL C
Balkans Map Assignment
World Geography
2010-2011
You are a researcher for the State Department, and it has recently come to the attention of
the Federal Government that there is a lack of information on the Balkan Peninsula. You have to
complete the following tasks for the Secretary of State before she visits the regions:
I. First, you must establish the boundaries of the countries in the Balkans in the past and
present. Even today, Kosovo has just recently declared itself a country. Create maps of the
Balkans from the following five times:
Pre World War I (1900-1914)
Pre World War II (1920-1938)
Post World War II (1945-60)
Fall of the Berlin Wall (1991-1992)
Modern Day
The Secretary does not embarrass him/herself in front of the native populations, so be
sure these are accurate.
You will use the blank template SmartBoard Notebook file entitled “Balkans through
Time” to complete this assignment. Use the pen feature to fill out the map for the time period,
and the Internet to find the information you need. One site to start at is this one
(http://lib.utexas.edu/maps/map_sites/hist_sites.html). Also, this site could be useful for both part
I and part II. (http://dmorgan.web.wesleyan.edu/balkans/central.htm)
Once you have completed it, use the “Save As…” function, and rename it to
‘name_balkans1’. Print of these maps, four per page, and then be sure to label them on the back,
explaining when they were.
II. Now that you have the maps of the Balkans throughout the 20th and 21st century, you probably
have some questions about why it has changed so much over the past century. Without looking
into the history books, there is one way you can tell through demographics. Research and create
maps based on the following demographics. You may work in groups of three for this part of the
assignment:
Physical Geography (Major Rivers, Mountain Ranges, Bodies of Water)
European Union Membership
Former Communist Countries (or countries formerly in the USSR)
Language
Ethnicity
Religion
You will use the SmartBoard Notebook file entitle “BalkansModernMap” to complete
this part of the assignment. Use the pen feature to fill in the correct information, and use the
7
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Internet to find the information you need. Here is a start for the ethnicity part of the assignment.
(http://wn.com/ETHNIC_MAP_BALKAN_2010) Again, this website might be useful
(http://dmorgan.web.wesleyan.edu/balkans/central.htm)
Once you have finished the assignment, use the “Save As…” function, and rename it to
‘name_balkans2’. Label these maps thoroughly on the back, after you print them out, four per
page.
III. Finally, the Secretary doesn’t have time to read over all of your research, so you need to
write a one page letter summary of why the Balkans has so many countries today in comparison
to the past, using the maps that you have created. You may complete one paper per group. This
paper will be worth 25 points.
Rubric:
To receive 25 points, the paper must be complete and focused. It must show insight on how
language, ethnicity, and religion have affected the formation of countries in the Balkans, using
specific evidence to back it up. There should be few, if any, grammatical errors in the paper. It is
in the form of a letter, not missing an aspect.
To receive 20 points, the paper must be complete, but might not be as clear as it could be. It
shows insight into how language, ethnicity, and religion have affected the formation of countries
in the Balkans, but it might not use enough examples to back up its insight. Most parts of a letter
are present
To receive 15 points, the paper is complete, but not focused, often not finishing a thought. A
paper like this is full of generalization about the influence of language, ethnicity, and religion on
the Balkans, but it does not provide insight, but rather ‘textbook’ answers. Missing some parts of
a letter, such as address or heading
To receive 10 points or less, the paper is incomplete and not focused at all. It uses only
generalizations, with little to no evidence to support its statements. It provides no insights into
the Balkan situation. Does not look like a letter at all.
8
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Evaluation Rubric:
Complete the rubric for each lesson plan and attach cover sheet.
(You should have 1 cover sheet and 10 rubrics.)
Please Circle NCSS Theme and attach to the correct themed lesson.
NCSS THEME
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
Rating Scale (can include half points on the scale)
1) The lesson plan is focused on a specific NCSS thematic standard, is designed to answer a
specific guiding question, and has a strong content/skills focus and rationale. (Students must
make sure they meet all the required criteria as detailed above.)
Not focused
highly focused
.1__________.2__________.3__________.4__________.5
Comments:
Lesson fits well into the Theme of People, Places and Environment.
2) The lesson plan is designed to clearly address specific social studies SOL with a clearly
focused list of Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Understandings (See SOL Resource Guide), and
NCSS performance expectations and indicators. (What are students going to do based on the
theme? - See Expectations for Excellence.)
Not addressed
Clearly Addressed
.1__________.2__________.3__________.4__________.5
Comments:
The entire exercise is to build a map of the Balkans, both in different times, as well as based on
different demographics, and physical geography. It fits both the essential knowledge and skills in
the SOLs
3) The lesson plan includes clear, motivational, intriguing and relevant guiding questions (big
question).
Not addressed
Clearly Addressed
.1__________.2__________.3__________.4__________.5
Comments:
9
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
Guiding questions are pointed to the end goal of the lesson, the letter to the secretary, and what
caused the ‘break up’ of the balkans
4) The lesson plan includes well-written and explicit objectives
Unclear objectives
Clear objectives
.1__________.2__________.3__________.4__________.5
Comments:
The objectives are clearly stated, and approached cleanly in the activities
5) The lesson plan includes a tightly focused bell ringer/motivational hook that relates to the
lesson. (1-5 minutes)- (Independent student work) (Just Do it).
Unclear Objectives
Clear Objectives
.1__________.2__________.3__________.4__________.5
Comments:
The first sporcle quiz is meant as a review and a pretest. A review of previous knowledge of
Europe, and a pretest on the states in the Balkans.
6) The lesson plan includes detailed instructional activities that directly correlate with specific
objectives.
Not Focused
Clearly Focused
.1__________.2__________.3__________.4__________.5
Comments:
7) The lesson plan contains clearly focused and detailed directions for students, question frames,
and lecture outlines, when appropriate, to facilitate directions and learning. (These are also part
of the materials section)- A teacher should be ready to go with the lesson.
Not Focused/Detailed
Highly Focused/Detailed
.2__________.4__________.6__________.8__________.10
Comments:
There is no lecture, but the assignment sheet given to students is incredibly detailed, and students
are also encouraged to ask the teacher for help.
10
Fall Lesson Plan Template.
8) The lesson plan includes a focused and clear closure that either provides students with the
opportunity to answer the guiding question (assesses student understanding) or clearly
summarizes the day’s key points in relation to the key question.
Not Focused
Highly Focused
.1__________.2__________.3__________.4__________.5
Comments:
This second sporcle is pointed towards just the Balkans countries, and being able to readily name
them quickly (1 minutes)
9) The lesson plan provides a clearly designed assessment within the closure to measure student
growth/with model answer(s) that is explicitly connected to the lessons essential understandings,
objectives, and the strategies for learning
Not Clear and Appropriate
Highly Clear and Appropriate
.1__________.2__________.3__________.4__________.5
Comments:
See above
11