Week Two (Monday) – Lesson 5 Baby Boom: Dependency Load, Pension Funds, Ecotourism
Estimated Time
 75 minutes
Enduring Understanding(s)
 Students will learn which sections of the population are supported, or dependent on the
working population (dependency load)
 Students will learn that financial planning for the future can provide comfort and security
 Students will learn environmental protection through a variety of aspects associated with
ecotourism
Essential Questions
 What is dependency load? Why is this relevant to the Baby Boom generation?
 Why might the Baby Boom generation have financial difficulty after retirement?
 What is ecotourism? How can we build environmental awareness on conservation?
Link to Culminating Task
 This lesson will work on the skill of making inferences, which is vital to the successful
completion of the culminating task. Also, the dependency load discussion will
demonstrate to the students the influence demographics can have on a society.
Learning Activities/Strategies
 The teacher will use a PowerPoint presentation to explain the concepts of dependency
load, pension funds, and ecotourism as the Baby Boomers aged
 Students will have an opportunity to watch a scene from Planet Earth which describes
the need for ecological and social consciousness
 Following the scene, students will work in groups of 4 in assessing the impact that
humans can have on the environment, both positive and negative.
 Debrief as a class.
Key Resources
Colin Bain, Jill Colyer, Dennis Des Revieres, and Sean Dolan. Transitions in Society – The
Challenge of Change. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Fothergill, Alastair (Producer). 2007. Planet Earth: The Complete Series. England: BBC Warner.
Released in 2007, Planet Earth is seen as one of the greatest nature/wildlife series ever
produced. This 11-part BBC series is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and organized so that
each 50-minute episode covers a specific geographical region and/or wildlife habitat (mountains,
caves, deserts, shallow seas, seasonal forests, etc.) until the entire planet has been represented.
The series maintains a consistent emphasis on the urgent need for ongoing conservation, in the
wake of global warming--a phenomenon that this series appropriately presents as scientific fact.
Assessment Options
 Peer Assessment (the ability to work well in a group setting)
 Teacher-Group conference
 No Homework
Week Three (Tuesday) – Lesson 10 Echo Boom: Gender Identity
Estimated Time
 75 minutes
Enduring Understanding(s)
 Students will become aware of areas associated with gender, gender roles, and gender
identity
 Students will learn how literacy strategies can help them to communicate their ideas in an
organized, effective way
Essential Questions
 How are men and women different? How are they the same?
 Describe men and women’s roles in society.
Link to Culminating Task
 Since gender is a key theme with regards to the culminating task, students will have an
opportunity to identify gender roles/identity in the early 1980’s, as well as gender roles in
modern society. This will show students how gender identity has changed and progressed
through generations, modeling question #6 in the culminating task.
Learning Activities/Strategies
 The teacher uses a diagnostic assessment in a mind map to get a sense of how the
students define gender/identity
 Using Talcott Parsons model on gender roles, students will work in pairs using a literacy
strategy called “ I Read/I Think/Therefore” in forming their ideas and opinions
 Teacher has the option to pick a television episode from the popular early 1980’s sitcom
Happy Days. During the episode, students are required to write how gender identity is
portrayed during the Echo Boom.
 After the television episode, students separate themselves into four different gender
groups (two male groups/two female groups). As a group, students answer the question
following question: What do I like about being a female/male? What do I dislike about
being a female/male?
 Debrief as a class if time permits – may need to take 5-10 minutes next class to debrief.
Key Resources
"Gender role." New World Encyclopedia. 2 Apr 2008, 07:32 UTC. 8 Apr 2010, 19:13
<http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Gender_role?oldid=679829>.
This webpage looks to define gender and gender roles in a variety of areas, such as the
influence of culture and socialization. For the purpose of this lesson, there is a chart called “The
Parson’s Model” which identifies two distinct areas: Model A- Total Role Segregation, and
Model B- Total Disintegration of Roles.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2003). Think literacy – cross-curricular approaches grades
7-12. Ontario: Queens Printer for Ontario.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/studentsuccess/thinkliteracy/files/Reading.pdf
This literacy document includes lesson plans, documents, posters, and other teaching
resources that are focused on improving students’ literacy skills. Areas include reading
strategies, writing strategies, and oral strategies, with each area clearly explaining the role of
the teacher and the role of the student before, during, and after each strategy.
Paris, Jerry (Producer). 1974. Happy Days. United States: Henderson Productions.
Happy Days is an American Television sitcom that originally aired from 1975 to 1984.
The show presents an idealized vision of life in mid 1950s to mid 1960s America. The family
consists of Howard Cunningham, a hardware store owner, his stay at home wife Marion and the
couple's two children Richie and Joanie.
Assessment Options
 Class discussion on the Talcott Parson’s model and gender roles
 Students briefly present their views on the likes/dislikes of being male/female (if time
permits)
Week Three (Thursday) – Lesson 12 Millenniums: Television and Radio Aimed towards Youth
Estimated Time
 75 Minutes
Enduring Understanding(s)
 Students will learn how media influences teenagers through popular culture
 Students will learn how to be critical thinkers when it comes to entertainment
Essential Questions
 How has television and radio affected the Millennium generation?
 How has television and radio changed from past generations?
Link to Culminating Task
 Media is a key theme that students might consider when working on their culminating
task. The generations we have spoken about thus far in the unit have all been changed by
media, and it is important for students to think critically about how popular culture has
affected areas such as education, family, world economies, gender/social identity, etc…
Learning Activities/Strategies
 Students will read an article that is posted on The Media Awareness website called
“Music and Youth Identity.” As students read the article, they will be required to write a
small reflection on what affect radio/music has had on their social identity.
 Teacher facilitates a discussion with students on how music has influenced the school
culture
 The teacher has the option to choose an episode of a popular reality television show for
youth called “Jersey Shore.” Students will watch the episode, and will be asked to
critically reflect on how the show portrays men, women, and stereotypes of others.
 For homework, students will be required to do some research on how television and radio
has changed from past generations. To do this, they can interview parents, uncles, aunts,
grandparents, etc…
Johnson, Matthew. March 30, 2010. Guest Blog: Music and Youth Identity. Media Awareness
Network. http://www.media-awareness.ca/blog/index.cfm
The article speaks to the power and influence that music has had on youth, specifically in
the area of their social identity. It makes reference to popular music throughout the different
generations we have covered in this unit, and describes the affect music has had on modern day
culture.
Beltempo, Anthony, and SallyAnn Salsano. 2009. Jersey Shore. United States: MTV (Music
Television).
Jersey Shore is a reality television series on MTV that follows eight housemates spending
their summer on the New Jersey Shore. It follows the eight housemates while they live, work and
party at the Jersey Shore.
Assessment Options
 Homework will be assessed in the next class