The Structure of a fulfilling Classroom
by
Richard W. Garceau
BS, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 1992
BA, Eastern Connecticut State University, 2003
A CAPSTONE PORTFOLIO SUBMITTED IN FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR
CAPSTONE SEMINAR (EDU 570)
Professor, Dr. Hari P. Koirala
Table of Contents
Table Of Contents
Page Numbers
Introduction
Constructivism in the Classroom
3
4-7
Constructivist teaching with Technology in the Classroom
8-14
Differentiated instruction in the Classroom
15-20
References
21-22
Appendix A: The Borca Simulation
23-32
Appendix B: The Shadow of my Brain
33-37
Appendix C: Political Ad Analysis
38-42
Appendix D: News Reporting Assignment
43-44
Appendix E: Make your case to the President
45-48
Appendix F: Notes Sheets
49-52
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Introduction
The noted Greek philosopher and educator, Socrates held the belief that we are all in-born with
certain skills and points of knowledge. These skills and knowledge, he believed were inherited from
previous generations to be handed down to their children. Since the days of Socrates, teachers have
continued the tradition of searching for new and innovative ways to enhance teaching and learning for all
involved.
As a relatively new teacher, I continue with the struggle of finding my style of teaching. I am finding
the struggle to be mostly between my head and heart, over traditional methods such as the traditional
transmission method and more contemporary, constructivist method of teaching. I reference the struggle
between head and heart as I often find my heart bringing me back to the traditions of the classroom I
learned in as a student, where the traditional, “Stand and Deliver” method predominated. My head has
long since told me that there are better and more impactful methods of teaching and learning. My head
tells me, having neared the completion of my Masters in Education Technology program that the
constructivist method will enhance the learning experience for all of my students.
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Constructivism in the Classroom
Constructivist theory in teaching has garnered my attention in that it allows the learner to be the
center of the learning experience (Richardson, 2003). With the guidance of the teacher, as a facilitator, the
learners create their own visions or world view based on a scenario or situation presented by the teacher.
Phillips (2000), suggested that teaching through Social Constructivism, provides the students the
opportunity to center their focus on the ways which power, the economic, political and society impacts
how groups view their world. I use this concept in my American Government class where the students
experience a nation building experience of creating a new nation from a group of individual states, with
competing economic and cultural interests (See Appendix A). This lesson was given to me during my
student teaching experience by my cooperating teacher. Originally it was intended to allow the students
to pick their own form of government. My cooperating teacher and I further modified the lesson to allow
the students to not only chose their desired form of government but also develop a constitution around
their unique needs as an emerging nation. The students are presented with a hypothetical state's current
situation and that of their competing states. The threat of invasion and conquest from a greater and more
powerful nation is a lurking threat. The four independent states must work together to put their
differences aside, form an alliance of mutual trust and understanding and write a constitution that will
unify these states into an independent confederation. The constitution is the final product where
students, in the Borca Crisis, must bring all of their needs and ideas into a consolidated and mutually
beneficial document. The overriding goal of this activity is to get the students to analyze their hypothetical
world, think outside of the box and come to a successful compromise as a group and logically articulate
their national vision in their constitution.
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Winn (2004) shows his concern that teachers are allowing students to come into their classroom to
learn to “run with the heard and sprout sill and commonplace thoughts.” Such thinking he notes is really
just “bull” and simply a way to pass time. The Borca Crisis allows students to work together, analyzing
their own situation, debate all relevant issues within the group, all the while analyzing the needs of other
groups. This exemplifies critical thinking and constructivism. Winn (2004) also shows that to have a
classroom with unfettered critical thinking the teacher should create a classroom environment that fosters
the need to:

Raise important questions and explore alternative solutions to a problem.

Maintain a keen sense of what is missing or needed to solve a problem

Deal with the complexity to form a hypothesis

Understand the sensitivity to the background of an issue

Separate important information from irrelevant information and

Have a willingness to challenge and be challenged as well as developing an
ear for what others are saying and stepping into someone else’s shoes
(p.497).
At my school, the largest minority group is the Chinese international students. The classroom
structure during this lesson/activity is one of free and independent creativity, to foster new and
imaginative constitution. As Bailey and Pransky (2005) note, “Our own cultural beliefs about learning are
not the norm for all students in our classrooms" (p. 21). This lesson therefor allows all students of multiple
cultures and nationalities to form their own learning and end product based on their own cultural
paradigms.
During a lesson, such as the one noted above, the place of the teacher should be to facilitate a
constructive and productive discussion and discourse between the two groups. This must be done in such
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a way to allow the student to interpret the information presented to them in a manner that allows a totally
unique product in the end, not what could be considered the teachers desired product.
The need to allow students total creativity and intellect during the learning process is largely based
on Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development. Piaget was interested in how humans make sense of their
environment. According to Piaget, a trained Swiss biologist, human learning resembles a biological act in
that it requires the adaptation to a variety of environmental demands (Gillani, 2003). Piaget’s notion
emphasized that children do not passively receive information but rather they seek information by
exploring their environment (Yilmaz, 2011).
Based on this idea, I have begun the fight between head and heart to transform my classroom into
a constructivist classroom. In doing this, any teacher should be providing a rich classroom environment
that fosters exploration. These children will be encouraged by their teacher to experience and assimilate
the learning needs of all their students into a rich and invigorating experience (Yilmaz, 2011). The teaching
should be tailored to the needs and background of the students (McLeod, 2003). In this classroom the
teacher will be more concern with the process of students gaining meaning from the material and
experiences than the teacher directly teaching a specific skill or knowledge base. Yelmaz (2011) further
emphasizes that the fundamentals of the optimal classroom will have these basic chacteristics:

An emphasis on the active involvement of the learner in the learning process

Metacognitive training

The use of hierarchical analyses to identify and illustrate prerequisite
relationships

Emphasis on structuring, organizing and sequencing information to facilitate
optimal processing
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
Creation of learning environments that allow and encourage students to
make connections with previously learned material
(p. 208).
Above I have painted a picture of the learning environment to create an optimal learning
environment for children. This includes the mental processes of learning as Piaget discussed. Whereas the
traditional teacher centered, behaviorist modeled teaching practicum is steeped in tradition, schools and
educators are moving into more students centered learning. As Richardson (2003) reminds us,
constructivist learning is a theory of learning, not teaching. Because of this, the research is lacking in
constructivist teaching theory. Fenstermacher and Richardson (2000) sought to examine constructivist
teachers to evaluate various pedagogical methods. What they found in the literature is that good teaching
appears to be constructivist teaching, however they also contend that ineffective constructivist teaching is
seldom presented in the literature. Much of what is taught in teacher education courses is traditional
“transmission” teaching (Richardson 2003). Teachers who are striving to achieve a true constructivist
modeled classroom will struggle as Richardson (2003) concludes; there is currently a lack of research on
teaching practices and thus a lack of theory for new and experienced teachers to base their teaching
practices on.
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Constructivist Teaching with Technology in the Classroom
Within the context of constructivist learning is the belief that all students should be enhanced and
encouraged in a positive way by their instructor to build their own knowledge base and use their intellect to
grow, personally and intellectually. As I am writing this, my colleague, Dr. Susan Powers and I are revising
our schools psychology curriculum. In doing so, both of us have agreed to make Constructivist Learning a
central theme. Within this, is our desire to bring technology out of the shadows and to the forefront of our
classes. Currently our school, Woodstock Academy, is transitioning from a book based to a digital learning
environment. Technology in the classroom has been a struggle as not all classrooms have readily available
and reliable computer and internet access. Most teachers tend to shy away from intricate technology based
learning activities as this technology is as yet unreliable.
Our desire for both constructivist learning in the digital realm, is not only out of our desire to
increase learning in general, but to create a more inclusive learning environment for all of our learners. This
is to include our English Language Learners (ELL) and students with learning disabilities. As DarlingHammond, (2010) has brought to our attention, that by excluding some students because of language or
intellectual barriers, we are in essence returning to the days of “separate but equal” where some students will
get the “separate but equal learning experience." (p.28)
An example of student learning in my psychology class, that allows all students, regardless of ability
is the “Shadow of my Brain” activity. This lesson is intended to help students learn and understand the
physiology of the human brain. (See appendix B) This lesson allows students of many differing abilities,
cultures and language bases to learn and create a successful learning experiences while learning the inner
workings of the human brain.
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With the introduction of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), much of my curriculum work is
moving more toward knowledge acquisition and development which is the basis of constructivists learning.
As Conley, 2011 notes,
The ideal result of standards implementation will be to move classroom teaching away from a
focus on worksheets, drill and memorize activities …and toward an engaging, challenging
curriculum that supports content acquisition through a range of instructional modes and
techniques, including many that develop student cognitive strategies. (pp.17-18)
Again, working toward the curriculum goal of not only aligning the curriculum with the CCSS but
encouraging my students to become constructivist learners, the Political Advertisement Analysis activity
was created to foster a sense of political consumerism in my American government students (See Appendix
C).
Here students are working in groups to become educated and thinking consumers of political
advertisements. The goal is for each student to fully understand what methods political campaigns use to
persuade voters to vote for their candidate. Students are assigned a specific presidential election year. by
going to "thelivingroomcandidate.org" students can view Republican and Democratic presidential
advertisements from that year. By viewing and then presenting for display and analysis to the class, their
assigned advertisement, the students will become active political thinkers and not simply passive citizens of
political thought.
Whereas my technology examples and current teaching is in the form of using applications and
websites to engage and educate my students to think and create learning for themselves, my focus for the
future is the possibilities that Web 2.0 technologies can potentially bring to the classroom. As mentioned
above, many teachers at my school feel technology is more apt to let them down and ruin a carefully
planned lesson and as a result, avoid technology based lessons. I have often found myself with the desire to
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conduct technology based lessons but avoid the frustration that a poor infrastructure and unreliable
computers may bring.
Understanding these concerns, Woodstock Academy has begun taking the steps of upgrading our
connectivity and purchasing an I Pad-mini for all teachers and students. Currently every faculty member has
a school owned I Pad for experimentation. Next school year, every student will be given their own I padmini as well. The future of technology is approaching for my learning community and next year, I
anticipate, will be one of unprecedented learning experiences for Woodstock's students.
Because I admittedly lack significant experience with technology in the classroom, I feel compelled
to turn my focus toward the future. Call it my Teaching 2030 discussion in that I am looking more toward
the future than my past, as it is limited. Because of this limited experience and my work studying ways that
I anticipate bringing technology to my classroom, I am focusing the remainder of my technology discussion
to the use of Web 2.0 technology in the classroom as I hope to begin using it in my classes this next school
year.
The early 2000s saw a shift in web-site development more toward an all-inclusive form of
programming. This new philosophy in web development has been dubbed, Web 2.0 (Vernacchia, 2012).
With this new programming style, the world is changing and the way teachers look at teaching and learning
will need to change as well (McGilvery, 2013). The current literature indicates that the development of Web
2.0 sites is on the rise. With so many new and enticing web-sites available, teachers and students must be
willing to explore this exciting new world; and be willing to put the time into developing effective lessons
that will incorporate these technologies. The potential for full and inclusive constructivist learning is
tremendous with teachers having the ability to reach for lesson ideas never before dreamt of.
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Web 2.0 is a second generation programming philosophy, which was introduced in 2004. This
programming style is intended to create applications that allow the website and its users to interact through a
variety of portals. These platforms were intended to create more interactive websites (Kassens-noor, 2012).
No longer will students be limited to working within the confines of their own classroom, but the teacher
can create learning opportunities that transcend the classroom. As I teach in a rural region, situated between
the two major media centers of New York City and Boston, I feel my students are close but still too distant
to experience all that these major cities may have to bring them. Web 2.0 can break the barrier of distance
and allow fully inclusive constructivist learning with students from around the world, not just our classroom.
The literature illustrates that there is a tremendous rise in online learning opportunities. As Karen
Russell, a noted blogger and social networking educator, discusses in her usage of Twitter, a Web 2.0
microblogging website, in the classroom,
My experience is that when you throw students into Twitter together as a group, where as a
part of the assignment they are required to follow one another, it is an instant community for
them that really helps show what the tool is all about, (Sweetser, 2008, para 4).
If the goal of constructivist education is to both increase knowledge and bring other groups and
cultures together, the opportunities of online cooperative learning seems limitless. Online learning is a
virtual space created by the teacher, harnessed for educational purposes. It is critical that students are given
ample opportunities to connect with both their peers and instructors in this virtual community (McGilvery,
2013). Although the current literature suggests a place for Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom, little
empirical research is being conducted to lend itself toward determining if this technology is worthwhile
(Cetintas, Si, Aagard, Bowen & Cordova-Sanches, 2011).
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Micro-blogging is now being used as a communications tool between teachers and their students
(Luo & Gao, 2012). Students are already using these technologies for peer to peer communication, for
educational and social purposes (Cetintas Et. al, 2011). Micro-blogging is a blogging platform that allows
users to post short messages to their community in real time. Common micro-blogging tools are Twitter and
Facebook. Whereas Facebook is currently the most popular of all Web 2.0 platforms, the lack of scholarly
literature of Facebook in the classroom, suggests there is little educational value for this portal. The
research does suggest that educators have been quicker to embrace Twitter as the preferred micro-blogging
tool (Cetintas et. al, 2011). The literature also predicts employers will be looking for employees who are
literate in the use of these Web 2.0 platforms (Kassens-noor, 2012). Using micro-blogs, such as Twitter will
allow students to ask and answer their own questions, constructing their own learning and knowledge. From
a constructivist perspective, this has the potential to be a tremendously powerful tool. As mentioned above,
these are the skills and application employers of the 21st century will covet as well.
Teachers constantly try to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of students. To make this a
simpler task, instructors search for commonalities to link students together and differentiate for the group as
a whole. The process, then becomes simplified and more meaningful to the entire group. The Pew
International and American Life Project studied high school students between the ages of 12 to 17 who had
aspirations for higher education. This study found that 59% of these students have already shared content
online through Web 2.0 portals and that 55% of these students have created their own SNS pages (McArthur
& Bostedo-Conway, 2012). "Meeting" students in the classroom of their choosing begins the process of
constructivist learning. As John Dewey noted in 1938, keeping students active in that same classroom by
teaching in a manner they grasp and understand will also lead to engagement. Dewey said that experience in
education is a key element to the learning process (Kassens-Noor, 2012). Certainly Dewey was not thinking
in terms of digital media but activating learning experientially, which is what Web 2.0 in the classroom is
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about. In the traditional classroom, when students leave the room, the learning typically stops. With digital
media outlets like Twitter for example, Kassens-Noor, 2012 showed how the learning will continue. As
Terry Freedman, author of The Amazing Web 2.0 Projects Book, noted:
Imagine a 20 minute lecture where all your students back channel about what you're
saying. Outside guests or experts are invited in. Someone acts as a 'rudder' to keep
the conversation on track. The discussion could be displayed on a SMARTboard or
with a projector (Grosseck & Holotescu, 2008, p. 8).
This type of learning will continue long after the students have left the classroom. Informal learning
is a course related activity outside the classroom that centers around students self directed and independent
learning from peer to peer interactions (Aspden & Thorpe, 2009). Although the research into Web 2.0
technologies in the classroom is limited, we are seeing basic, yet powerful constructs for constructivist
learning in the classroom using this technology.
One of the greatest criticisms of the internet in general, is the worry that a computer is doing all of
the thinking for the user. That somehow, humans will begin to lose the ability to think, which took early
man thousands of years of evolutionary brain development to bring into being. Ironically, this evolutionary
brain development, that has allowed us to develop these technologies could reverse brain evolution. Has the
digital age, in its ability to process so much data for users, taken away one of humanities greatest abilities as
a human? The literature alleviates this fear. The literature presented above, illustrate that the digital age
still fosters human like qualities and brain development and allows for constructivist learning in the
classroom. The difference is the constructivist classroom is potentially the world, no longer reined in by
walls.
Teachers often worry that their students will lack a complete education, in that they are prevented
from being exposed to other cultures, exciting and innovative ideas and expert guest speakers. Web 2.0 is
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Johannes Gutenberg's printing press of the 21st century. No longer will students need to be deprived of
connections to the outside world. Distance on the internet has ceased to exist as exciting new
communication tools such as Twitter and Skype, Blackboard and Google have brought the outside world to
the front doors of this community of learners. School systems that make the decision to not embrace and
include the next generation of Web technology in its curriculum will be doing a grave disservice to the
futures of their students, which is why I am working toward this end.
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Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom
One of the greatest challenges of the teaching profession is, in the age of inclusion, is the challenge
of ensuring an appropriately challenging level of rigor for all of your students. This includes challenging the
most gifted and talented students while not leaving your lower level learners behind. This means meeting
the needs of socially challenged and students who come to your class with different cultural and linguistic
needs. Many learning issues that students have does not always involve apparent learning issues like a
language barrier but more subtle aspects of learning such as socio-economic factors as well. Regardless of
what issue is present in the learning of children, the solution always begins with the leadership of the
teacher in the classroom and leadership of the administration in supporting the needs of the teacher
(Auerbach, 2009).
My school is located in a rural region situated between New York City and Boston. Located on a
picturesque small New England town green within a historical district, Woodstock Academy sits on a hill
side that allows views of the valley below all the while surrounded by classic New England architecture.
Until you begin to peer into the lives of all of the students at this school you may find it difficult to find that
this school struggles with many of the same issues of poverty that many urban schools have. Masumoto,
(2009) identifies several key leadership characteristics. Those characteristics include but are not limited to
strong personal convictions, relationship and empathy skills and the ability to motivate and influence
others. People with these leadership skills not only improve teaching strategies for those teachers in the
classroom but children want to learn in an environment where they feel the people at the top care and
have a vision for those in the school. From the schools administration comes the teacher in the classroom
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and their vision for the students in their charge. Regardless of the learning needs of their students, is the
requisite to meet the complex needs of all students.
At Woodstock Academy, perhaps the greatest need for differentiation regards the indispensable
need to bridge the cultural divide between our native born, small town American students and the Chinese
born, generally large city students. Whereas the language barrier is at times problematic, the cultural
divisions between the American and Chinese students is wide. Gay (2013) rightly argues that
The education of racially, ethnically and culturally diverse students should
connect in-school learning to our of school living; promote educational
equity and excellence; create community among individuals from
differently cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds; and develop students’
agency, efficacy and empowerment. (p.49)
As a teacher of American Government, I have found myself with many Chinese students who are in the
United States on a student visa. These are not immigrant children with vague memories of their homeland
but children with very real, deep seated belief and cultural mores based on their national identity.
Because of the stark differences between the American and Chinese students in my class there is often a
cultural divide between the two groups. I found a need to make connections to both the differences and
in some cases similarities between the government of China and the United States. I also needed to
address the cultural differences between the two by increasing the understanding of China for the
American student and America for the Chinese students. When I did this, the cultural divide was
diminished, which led to increased understanding between the two groups and increased success for
especially the Chinese students. To do this I implemented a daily, in class warm-up activity. Each class
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begins with the Daily News Story (See Appendix D). This assignment is intended to broaden the scope of
what government does while connecting American and Chinese culture. A schedule is made and each
student has several dates during the semester as to when they will be presenting the news. Although the
title of the course is American Government, the news story does not have to involve The United States
government but must involve government in some way. Since all of my American Government classes are
multi-cultural with students from the United States, China, Puerto-Rico, Italy and Guatemala it opens the
world to all of the students through a daily news story and current events. We all, including myself, gain
insight and understanding of each other’s cultures and the differences in world governments and how they
impact their people. Whereas this is a fairly simple activity, it very often spurs questions among the
students which daily, closes the cultural gap this was intended for. As Gay (2013) discusses and defines
culturally responsive teaching as “using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of references,
and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and
effective for them” (p. 49-50). Regardless of the culture or language of the student, the involvement of
that child’s family is critical to the academic or social success of any child is greatly enhanced by their
family.
Keeping parents involved in the education of a child is of tremendous importance for the success or
failure of that child (Brandes, 2005). The problem, however is that engaging and involving parents in
school activities and learning has proven difficult. One of the prohibitive factors for family involvement in
schools is basic attitudes in how parents should be used by a school system. Parents are great when they
don’t “bother” us, but are available for fundraisers, are attitudes that may lead to involvement but not
engagement that will lead to greater student achievement (Ferlazzo, 2011). School involvement built on
relationships can produce multiple benefits from better grades in improved behavior and attendance
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(Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 2002). Ferlazzo, (2011) insists that schools should be
striving for not only family involvement but family engagement. Whereas family involvement is almost
always a good place to start, family engagement produces much better results for not only the students,
but families and their communities (Ferlazzo&Hammond, 2009).
Ferlazzo, (2011) suggests that if the parent will not go to the school then perhaps in some facet, the
school should go to the parent. At Luther Burbank High School, an urban school in Sacramento, California,
teachers, counselors and classified staff make hundreds of home visits to families of incoming freshmen.
This visit however is not to direct the parents on how to better raise their children, but instead for parents
to discuss the need of their children and use the parents experience to better teach the children when
they arrive on campus. Evaluations of these visits do show they have tremendous academic benefits for
the student’s families that have a visit (Cowan, Bobby, St. Roseman, & Echandia, 2002). Regardless if the
family is simply involved or engaged, the final goal should be on student achievement and success.
Many parents avoid helping their children at home because of a lack of confidence in their own
academic abilities, and this starts and ends with the parent’s reading skills. Many schools, in an effort to
counter this are offering workshop sessions on reading by helping parents to help students reading skills
and encouraging reading for pleasure at home (Epstein & Salinas, 2004). In an effort to engage the
community, student and overall family engagement in the writing process, Woodstock Academy has begun
the Author series to bring the community and students together to hear accomplished authors discuss the
writing process, often followed by a reading by the author. Many students are encouraged by their
teacher and members of the community usually fill the school’s library for these events.
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Many schools have also taken to encouraging parents of various cultures and ethnicities to create
books or videos about their lives and experiences in their home countries (Epstein & Salinas, 2004). I
found this to be a tremendous idea as it, not only involves parents in learning but bring a better
understanding of different cultures to the student body which fosters unity in the classroom. Regardless
of economic, social or cultural differences amongst our students, often a commonality that is most difficult
to bridge is the child who for many reasons is cognitively challenged with a variety of conditions that lead
to learning challenges for the student and teaching challenges for the educator in the classroom.
Irrespective of any success I may have with cultural diversity or building relationships with parents
and families, is the satisfaction I have when a student with limited cognitive abilities realizes their own
success within their ability. Although this challenging aspect of educating our students with special needs
may be difficult, educators should first change their mindset from this is a difficult problem to solve to the
realization that we as teachers should accept that human differences are not only normal but preferred
(Tomlinson & Javius, 2012). Each person regardless of ability or socio-economic status has something to
contribute to their own learning and the learning of the group.
It is this mindset that has led me to trying to create group lessons that gives a variety of dimensions for
different students of varied abilities equal ownership of a project. Appendix E is one such activity that is
geared to this. Generally, in most classes students can be relatively grouped into three learning levels
from high achieving, standard learners and general learners. Within this leveling of groups you will also
find students of varied interests from more kinetic, linguistic based or artistic learning styles. This form of
differentiation has led me to keep more students involved and meet our class goals. Students who work
with teachers that differentiate the instruction with flexible grouping, in cooperative reading activities
have shown greater mastery of phonemic and decoding skills as well as improved attitudes toward
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reading which will increase reading enjoyment (Rock, Gregg, Ellis & Gable, 2008). The problem without
differentiating instruction leads teachers to teaching to the middle level of their learners. Studies have
shown that high achievers will manage and often challenge themselves but lower level learners will suffer
from a lack of varied instructional abilities and will suffer in relation to their same-age classmates (Friend &
Bursick, 1999). Often the high school level students with special need find themselves in classroom
settings with the general population, having to take notes. Many special needs students feel left out when
they are not included in an activity, or even basic note taking. When giving lecture notes, I began
transferring my notes to a PowerPoint format to allow special needs students to have a visual to help. I
believe this did help to some degree but many special needs, especially students with Autistic Spectrum
Disorder would get lost in too many visual cues. Working with a Special Education teacher at my school,
we developed a simple note taking sheet that allowed special needs students the ability to take notes,
while only having one or two specific words that they would need to focus on to complete the note taking
process. This also allowed these students to have the same notes for test preparation as the other
students. Appendix F is an example of a note sheet that students use. The master PowerPoint that is
presented to the class has no blanks but the special needs student is challenged to find the missing word
and write it in the space provided. I will also make the master note sheet available to the special
education teacher so they have all of the notes to further help the student learn the content and still be a
part of the full learning experience.
Regardless of the difficulty a student is having in school from very legitimate learning disabilities,
cultural, socioeconomic or linguistic challenges teachers and families always have the unprecedented duty
to educate all of our students. The challenge is fraught with difficulties along the way but the satisfaction
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of the teacher seeing that moment of learning appearing on the face of a challenged learner is well worth
the difficulties encountered.
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Appendix A Overview:
The Borca Crisis Simulation is an activity which attempts to recreate the deliberations central to the early
history of the United States. This activity originally was designed to have students think about different forms of
government and their implications over various circumstances. This lesson was originally given to me during my
student teaching experience by my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Kim Jalet. Since then, I have added several
modifications beyond the simple exploration of forms of government, which is still an integral part of the activity.
I modified this lesson to demonstrate my students ability of looking at historical events and relating the
experiences of America's Founding Father's ability to represent their individual states and reach compromises to
develop a national government intended to unite a body of diverse individuals. This lesson is the culminating activity
in an early American History unit. The underlying "Big Picture" is how did the Founding Fathers use their experiences
from the American Revolution and the ability to deliberate and come to compromises to strengthen the group.
CCSS. ELA-LITERACY RH.-9-10.6; Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the
same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts, is addressed
in that the students spend a considerable amount of time in advance of this activity studying the differing
perspectives between the needs of the colonists and the expectations of the Crown and Parliament. Also prior to
this lesson, students are exposed to the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. This lesson
demonstrates Constructivist learning in that it allows students to examine documents and experiences of the
Founding Fathers and apply them to an, albeit fictitious national convention, where the final product is a rule of law
which would guide their new country.
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SITUATION
Borca is an emerging nation somewhere in Asia. This nation has recently gained its independence
after years of colonial rule. Prior to colonization by European powers, Borca was divided between the four
major ethnic groups. These groups each rule their areas independently. With the newly acquired freedom
came the decision that in order to survive in the world today, it will be necessary for the four groups to unite
under one government. In the long run, this unity is necessary if the groups hope to compete in the world
economy. Of more immediate concern is the military threat posed by the Madawans.
Historically, the Madawans have been enemies of all four Borcan ethnic groups. Prior to
colonization, the Madawans regularly invaded and raided the different regions of Borca. The Madawans,
who have been independent for many years, view Borca’s independence as an opportunity to expand their
territory, to gain access to more natural resources, and to gain a seaport. The only way to prevent a
Madawan conquest is for all four ethnic groups to unite into one nation.
As with any emerging nation, there are other problems to be solved. These are described in the
handout and include political, economic, and social problems. In order to solve these problems and prevent
the Madawan invasion, a type of government must be chosen that is acceptable to all four ethnic groups.
You are a member of one of the four dominant ethnic groups of this emerging nation. You and
several others have been chosen to represent your ethnic group at the convention that will decide on the
future government of Borca. The number of delegates at the convention and their ethnic differences reflect
the size of each of the ethnic groups. A description of each of these groups and their interests is included in
the handout. It is your job to see that a government is chosen that will best meet the needs of your ethnic
group. You and your fellow Borcans must also write a functional constitution that will address all of the
needs of Borca. At the same time, it is important to remember that if the convention fails to decide on a
government in 4 days with a functional constitution that meets the needs of the nation and your group, the
Madawans will invade and will control all of Borca.
Intro to Borca
Today new nations in African and Asia have many of the same problems that troubled the young
United States of America. They also must create new governments which can deal with those problems.
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The country of Borca is imaginary, but its problems would sound very familiar to the American colonists and
to the leaders of many of today’s new countries.
Borca is a land of variety. In the south, the plentiful rainfall and rich soil ensure good harvests. In the
north, the dry, treeless lands support cattle and goat herds. In the northeast, the flatlands give way to the
rugged Sirik Mountains. The few people who live in the Siriks make their living by hunting. Their lives are
hard.
Four tribes live in Borca: the Duda, Lakali, Kan-Kan, and Woodzi. They have recently decided to
unite and become one nation. The leaders of the tribes are meeting in the Lakali city of Synburg to choose
a form of government for Borca. The question the leaders must answer is: what form of government will
best suit the people of Borca—dictatorship, oligarchy, or representative democracy? The many differences
between the four tribes make this question difficult to answer. Here is a brief description of each of the
tribes.
The dudas
The Duda tribe, with 800,000 people, makes up over half of the entire Borcan
population. Most Dudas are farmers. Their land is rich, and they grow more than
enough to feed their families. What they don’t eat themselves they sell to Kan-Kan and
Lakali. A typical Duda farmer builds his own house; clears, plans, and harvests his
own crop; and makes his own tools from wood and stone. He greatly enjoys his
independence and is not used to taking orders from others. He values education,
which helps him grow better crops.
The lakalis
The Lakali region is laced with many rivers. Because of its rivers
and fine harbor at Port Saz, Lakali is naturally suited for trade. The
Lakalis are the merchants of Borca. They trade Borcan farm products and
beef for products from Easa, Wesa, and other countries. Trade has made
the Lakalis rich; the 300,000 Lakalis control most of Borca’s money. The
Lakalis value education, and many of them have studied overseas. The
fine university in Synburg is the only university in Borca. Wealth and
education have made many Lakalis smug. Evidence of this feeling is a
jump-rope rhyme often heard on the streets of Synburg:
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The Lakalis must ‘cause the Woodzis won’t
While the Kan-Kans can’t and the Dudas don’t.
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The kan-kans
The 400,000 Kan-Kans live in the dry northern plains of Borca. Across their border is the warlike
country of Madawa. The Kan-Kans seem shy and peaceful as they herd their goats and cattle. However,
Madawa has never been able to defeat the stubborn Kan-Kan warriors. Constant warfare with Madawa has
affected the Kan-Kans. They distrust everything and everyone foreign. They refuse modern medicine and
education, and up-to-date methods of doing things. Most Kan-Kans have adopted the practice of polygamy.
This practice of having more than one wife at
the same time
arose because so many Kan-Kan warriors
were killed in
battle and the tribe was growing smaller. The
Kan-Kans are
interested in Borcan unity only because the
tribe needs
financial help from Lakali and food from
Duda.
The woodzis
The Woodzi tribe is very small; it has less than 100,000 people. The Woodzis live in small bands
which wander from valley to mountaintop in search of game. The hard life of an
ordinary Woodzi makes him value hunting and tracking skills much more than
city manners and fine dress. Whenever a young Woodzi boy comes down from
the Sirik Mountains, he is laughed at. Due to backward manners and rough
clothing, the Dudas and Lakalis treat the Woodzis as outsiders. Usually,
Woodzis who venture down from the mountains quickly return to the only place
of acceptance: the Sirik Mountains.
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Convention Scenario
The evening before the assembly opened,
many visitors and residents gathered in Synburg’s
main square. Borca’s most respected newspaper,
the Syn-Times, put up this large poster in the
square. It was a list of Borca’s pressing problems.
The paper wanted to encourage the assembly to
form the kind of government that could deal with
such problems.
The crowd hotly debated the issues on the
poster. “It’s true enough we need hospitals,” said
one man, but I can’t see wastin’ too much money on
schools.”
“Well, where are all the doctors for your
hospitals gonna come from then?” someone called
out.
************************
BORCA NEEDS
Our Constitution must address
************************
1. A Leader to Unite the Borcans
2. More Schools and Hospitals
3. Better Roads and Railroads
4. A Strong Defense Against Madawa
5. A Economic Growth and Development
Plan
6. An
to hardly
Discrimination
“Aw, them wild Woodzi kids’ll never go to school anyhow.
YouEnd
can
get ‘emAgainst
inside athe
building—
much less teach ‘em.”
Woodzis
A Kan-Kan man also doubted the need for schools. “A father teaches his sons, and a mother
teaches her daughters; this is the oldest and best way to live.
A young man pointed to the poster and said, “I think we need these things all right, but where will
the money come from? Railroads aren’t exactly cheap!”
“Taxes!” cried several voices at once.
“Well, they’d better take it easy on us,” said a old woman. “What with the price of meat gone up the
way it has, we’re barely able to make do now.”
“Don’t worry,” cackled an old man. “You look well enough off to me. It’s the real poor who end up
paying the taxes—the rich just pay off the tax collectors!”
“They better not try any of that funny business on us.”
“We’d show ‘em a thing or two.”
Just then, music was heard, and the Daughters of Duda Marching Band entered the main square.
They led a parade of the Dames of Duda, who were carrying banners with the slogans ONE FOR ALL and
ALL FOR ONE. This was not simply a demonstration in favor of unity, as the crowd learned when the
women began to sing:
“All good ladies sing this song,
Duda! Duda!
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Just one wife is never wrong,
Oh, Duda Dames!”
Most of the Kan-Kan men pretended not to notice the words of the song, although several of their
wives seemed interested.
The Woodzis just laughed; they have no strict tribal rules about marriage. They believe that family
arrangements should be left to the people involved.
However, the Dames were determined to get signatures on a petition to the assembly. They wanted
a law forbidding any Borcan from practicing polygamy. Many women and a few men signed the petition.
Then people started to go to their homes or hotels since it was getting late. Finally a thunderstorm broke,
and everyone ran inside.
The Assembly/Convention
THE QUESTIONS
The question facing the tribal delegates at Synburg is: what form of government would be best for Borca?
One of the Kan-Kan delegates, Jav T. Baken, known throughout Borca as “the Old One,” just announced to
the assembly that six questions are being distributed to each tribal delegation. Consider the interests of
your tribe and answer these six questions.
1) Borca needs a leader or group of leaders to unite the people. We need leadership that all
Borcans will respect. Would a dictatorship, oligarchy, or representative democracy be most likely
to provide the kind of leadership we need? Why?
a. The constitution must address the selection and representation in Borca.
2) Borca needs hospitals, schools, and highways. The money for these projects will have to come
from taxes. Which form of government—dictatorship, oligarchy, or representative democracy—
could most quickly pass tax laws and collect money.
a. Your constitution must address healthcare
b. Your constitution must address education
c. Your constitution must address transportation infrastructure
3) The people of Kan-Kan and Woodzi are afraid of unexpected attacks from Madawa. They want
a government that will be able to help them on short notice. Which form of government could
organize the quickest defense, yet still be accepted by Kan-Kans and Woodzis? Why?
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a. Your constitution must address a strong military to deter attacks from the warring
Madawans.
b. Who will serve, for how long and how will this military be financed.
4) Borca needs to become more modern. An intelligent plan for developing trade, farming, and
industry will speed up its progress. The planners should be well-educated Borcans with expert
knowledge and experience. With what form of government will Borca get the best planners?
Why?
a. Will you be an isolationist nation or will you reach out for help from foreign nations?
b. How will you ensure you can feed your people?
5) Which form of government can best end discrimination against the Woodzis? Why?
a. Unity is impossible when a minority group is discriminated against. How will you ensure
civil rights not just for the Woodzis but for all Borcans?
6) If a representative democracy were chosen, would you support equal representation from each
tribe or representation based on population? Why?
a. How will you ensure fair representation for all Borcans?
Speech
As a tribe, you must get ready to present your ideas at tomorrow’s convention. What that entails is outlined
here.
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THE TASK
Your ethnic group is responsible for delivering an introductory speech to the entire delegate
assembly. You will need to write a short speech (maximum of three minutes) that introduces your group’s
ideas to the other delegates. You will also need to choose someone who you feel can effectively deliver this
speech.
THE PURPOSE
This speech will serve two purposes, both of which are very important to attaining your group’s
goals. Your first purpose is to clearly state your group’s ideas since many of the delegates may be
unfamiliar with your ethnic group and may be hearing these ideas for the first time. Your second purpose is
to persuade. There will be many different opinions at the convention, and you hope to persuade as many
delegates as possible to your point of view.
THE CONTENT
Your speech must include all of the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
your ethnic group’s needs
your ethnic group’s concerns
what your ethnic group has to offer
your ethnic group’s willingness to cooperate in the process
YOUR GRADE
Everyone in the group will receive a grade for the speech. Thus, it is important that everyone has
some input into the speech’s content and also that your groups takes care in choosing the person to deliver
the speech. The grade will be based on content, persuasiveness, and delivery.
The Convention
The first task is to select a leader who will run the convention. This should be a carefully considered choice.
There may be times when the leader must calm people down. There will be times when the leader must
provide order and direction to the convention.
The second task is to select a secretary to record the decisions regarding the new Borcan
constitution. This person will keep records of the convention.
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Once a leader/moderator and secretary is elected, each tribe will be given a chance to deliver its
opening speech. After speeches have been delivered, the debate will begin. The task is to choose a form of
government for this newly united group. Your tribe’s grade depends upon how well you consider your
group’s interests and how well you fight for those interests. Plus, everyone’s grade will be affected by
whether Borca’s delegates reach a decision or not.
BORCA JOURNAL
You will keep a journal of your experiences as a delegate to the assembly in Synburg. You do not
need an actual journal or notebook to complete this assignment. You may use notebook paper or type your
entries.
You will need to have an entry for each day that you are involved in this process. You will record
each day’s experiences and also your impressions and thoughts on the day’s proceedings. Remember, you
are writing this journal as a delegate to the assembly – not as a Woodstock Academy student. You may
choose to make things up to include in your entries, but these things need to remain consistent with what
really happened that day. Don’t be afraid to be somewhat creative. Also, don’t get so carried away with
creativity that you overlook the basic task at hand. The more effort you put into this, the better your grade
will be.
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Appendix B
The Shadow of my Brain
Overview:
The Shadow of my Brain, represents a learning experience for my Advanced Psychology class that not only
are my students using technology to create their own learning experience, but in the end, generally create a product
that they take a great deal of pride in. Several years ago, as a new teacher, I was asked to teach our schools
psychology class. As a social studies teacher, I found this to be a difficult assignment. Much of the course, in the
school's curriculum map was treated as a social studies course but much of the course seemed to be more of a
science, which was a challenge. I struggled to explain the structures and functions of the brain to my students and I
was fully aware that I was failing them in their needs based on a variety of assessments.
As many teachers to, I often find myself looking at the world, while I am away from my classroom through
the eyes of a teacher, finding things in the "real world" that perhaps I could incorporate into my classes. While
walking through a craft fair in my home town, I found a woman who was cutting the facial profiles, into construction
paper, of children of her customers. The final product were two "shadow" likenesses of the child facing each other.
My thought was that if I could use the schools projectors to project images of their choosing onto a piece of poster
board, and have the children use the schools I pad lab to access 3D Brain, I could largely take myself out of the
teaching equation and instead guide my students though their learning.
The plan is rather useful in its simplicity. A student first takes a piece of poster board and tapes it to the
classroom wall. Using a computer or device, they project a profile image onto the poster board and trace the
images. Some students who are more artistic choose the freehand their drawing. From there, the students use a
device to access the popular brain imaging app called 3D brain. This app allows the student to explore the brain and
all of its regions. The student then illustrates all of the major brain structures into their profile and include
appropriate labels and descriptions of what those specific structures do. The students are largely self driven and
largely self paced to create, not only their own learning that is meaningful but in many cases graphic pieces of art.
This past semester, the creations were so well crafted, I used the schools Twitter page to create a virtual art show
for all of the schools followers. As my discussion of Web 2.0 explained, students were able to share their work with
their classmates but also the entire school and members of the community that follow the Twitter page.
Appendix B
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Shadow of My Brain
Concept / Topic To
Teach: Anatomy of the Human Brain
General Goal(s):
Students will have a better understanding of the structure and function of the brain, brain communications
and basic anatomy of the human brain.
Specific Objectives/Essential Questions
1. What is the brain and what does it do?
2. What are the major parts of the brain?
3. What are the functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems?
4. What is the communication process between the brain and body?
Required Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Poster board
I pad or similar tablet with 3D Brain App installed
Digital projector
Colored pencils
Tape
Anticipatory Set:
1. Begin class by asking students to list three things they did today before class.
2. Have the students then write down how they did this task.
3. Ask some volunteers to give their answers.
a. As the students are discussing what and how they did it work the discussion toward
how involved their brains were in this task/event.
b. Students will generally be able to tell you all about how and why they did something
except the most important part, the involvement of their brain.
4. Explain to the kids that over the next couple of days we will be learning about the different
structures of the brain and how it helped us accomplish the tasks on their cards and
everything else we do.
Step-By-Step Procedures:
1. Tell students to get a partner
a. Using the I pad or computer, find a cartoon character that you would like to use for
your project.
i. Students may want to do a self-portrait. This can be accomplished when a
student has a friend use the I pad to photograph their profile image to create.
2. Have each group get one piece of poster board and cut it in half (the short way across)
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3. Tape one piece of poster board on a wall where light from the projector will be projected
(shoulder height for the student)
4. The students will project their desired images on the wall, and trace the image onto one half
of the poster board then trace the opposite image to the other side of the poster board.
5. Once the profiles of each partner have been traced, the partnership ends and each student go
back to their seat and draws in the appropriate hemisphere for the respective profile.
6. Student should draw in their brains. On one profile they should emphasize the lobes and
depict their functions
a. On the other profile they should emphasize the lower brain structures i.e. Thalamus,
Hippocampus…
7. Profiles should look similar as below. Your actual profiles, assuming you are using white
poster board will have white space to fill in the brain.
Plan for Independent Practice:
Students will work independently (after having their shadow’s drawn) creating their brain and likeness on
paper.
Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):
Students will present their brains by discussing showing the location of one assigned “brain part” and
showing its location, explaining its function and how they used that part of their brain recently.
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We have just begun the study of the brain. The Cerebral Cortex as you know is the part of the Brain
that makes us US. To better understand the correlation of our cerebral cortex and its components, we will
make shadow portraits of our heads and then you will take the time to draw in, color and label the parts of
your brain as it is positioned within your head!
Process:
Cut a piece of poster board in half, or use a big piece of paper (if you have a small head) and get
together with a partner or two as it will be very difficult to create your own shadow alone. Using the light
from one of the overhead projectors, create a profile shadow of the right profile of your head looking toward
the center of the poster board. You will then trace the outline of your head or a favorite cartoon character
with a pencil. Next you should turn around and have your partner trace the outline of the left side of your
head so that the two profiles are facing each other. You will then draw in the different hemispheres, which
are appropriate for the profile you are working on as well as the different lobes and other portions of the
cerebral cortex.
You should not only label the different lobes of your brain you should also in bullets under the labels
write what that portion of the brain does for us. Why is it important?
Feel free to be creative with your head. Include facial features, hair, earrings, and any other features
that will not interfere with the actual depiction of the brain.
Grading
50 Points total
Content of the Brain (accuracy) = 30 Points
Neatness (is the work sloppy or did you take care to do a good job) = 15 points
Cooperativeness (Did you work well with the other students and not distract others from completing their
work) = 5 Points
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Student work
This was created by a young man who was an average to below
average student but excelled at art work. This image was drawn largely
in one class period (block periods) and accurately drew in the labels. One
thing that was missing were descriptions of the functions of the brain
parts.
This piece was created by a student of average academic ability
but was an excellent artist and will be pursuing graphic design in college.
This student is a below average student who also was a below
average artist. Using the technology provided, she was able to accomplish
a relatively pleasing piece of work and properly labeled the content
portions as well
This piece was done by a student who was average in both art and
academics and was also undergoing a difficult period in her life out of
school.
She performed excellently and found this project relaxing, as she
later expressed to me. Out of all of the students she may have had the
most visible pride in her accomplishment when we displayed these for the
student body.
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Appendix C
Political Ad Analysis
Overview:
Appendix C is a cooperative, constructivist activity that encourages small groups of 2 students to work
together to analyze, compare and contrast a political advertisement from a previous presidential election year. The
years that we have available to analyze date from 1952 to the most recent of 2012.
One of the goals of my American Government and Politics class is to get my students to understand not only
the political process but to become sophisticated and skeptical consumers of political thought and discourse. When
my students finish this lesson, they should be capable of looking at a political advertisement or listening to a political
speech and not take everything that is said or shown at face value but instead develop a questioning mind. My
students should be capable of finding the real message and content of an advertisement while ignoring the noise of
useless information and distractions such as music and attractive illustrations of the candidate kissing babies and
saluting the visiting factories. Ultimately what this lesson hopes to draw out of my student's is the ability to find the
real message of a candidates argument.
The students are first broken into groups of two. The two students select a presidential election year and
notify me of the year. This is done to prevent redundancy and show how presidential television advertisements
have evolved over the decades. The students, using computers in our library go to www.livingroomcandidate.org
where they will find all of the more significant presidential television advertisements. They are asked to watch
several from the Republican and Democratic candidates and ultimately select one of from each political party. From
there, students answer questions about the advertisement. Because everyone has differing political views, having
groups of two allow the students to compare their views of the political advertisement and come to fair and
balanced view points of the candidates and their strategies. After discussing their views with their partner, the
students gradually construct an understanding and discerning viewpoint of Presidential candidates.
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Appendix C
Political Ad Analysis
http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/
Name _________________________________
1. Identify the ad you are analyzing:
2. Who or what group made the ad? Circle one:
The candidate’s campaign
A political party (fill in which one) __________________________
An interest group (fill in which one) __________________________
3. Does it promote or attack a particular candidate? Explain.
4. What does it ask voters to do (for example, vote for the candidate or call a candidate and tell him what you
think)?
5. How well does the ad explain the issues? Consider the following questions:

Does the ad use more of a rational or emotional appeal?

Is it a positive or negative ad?

Does it help voters to understand any more about the issue(s) involved? Explain.
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
Does it tell voters where to go to obtain more information on this issue?
6. Many ads, both commercial and political, make use of propaganda techniques. Some of these techniques are
listed and defined below. If the ad you are analyzing uses the technique, put a check next to it and provide a
brief explanation of how you see that technique in the ad.
_____ bandwagon: relating the candidate to a large number of people who support him
_____ case making: selecting or arranging facts in order to shed the best (or worst) possible light on the
candidate (or his opponent)
_____ glittering generality: relating the candidate to words or images that promise everything, but specify
nothing. For example, “God, mother, and country”
_____ plain folks: relating the candidate to the supposed common sense of ordinary folks
_____ testimonial: relating the candidate to someone people admire by having this person speak in his favor
_____ transfer: relating the candidate to something people like or dislike
7. Many ads depend on structural features to convey their message. Some of these features overlap with
propaganda techniques, while others involve technical aspects of film-making. Some of these structural
features are listed and defined below. If the ad you are analyzing uses the structural feature, put a check next to
it and provide a brief explanation of how you see that technique in the ad.
_____Candidate mythologies: Use of mythical images to portray the candidate as, for example, war hero, man of
the people, father, savior, or friend. For example, friend might be visually represented as a handshake.
_____ Background locations: Use of the place where the candidate (or his opponent) is shown to convey an
important idea about the person
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_____ Props: Use of objects in a scene to convey an idea about the candidate. The most common prop is the
American flag. Negative props—such as a tree without leaves to show what an opponent may do to the
environment—are also used
_____ Emotion-communicating faces: Use of human faces, for example, the candidate (seen at best), an
opponent (seen at worst), or members of the crowd reacting to either
_____ Appeals: Use of appeals to some quality or emotion in the viewer. For example, patriotism, greed, fear.
_____ Music and background sounds: Use of music to portray candidates as, for example, inspirational
(orchestral music) or fearsome (horror movie track). Background noises, such as sirens, or drumbeats,
are also employed.
_____ Film editing and camera use: Use of film techniques to emphasize, for example, the candidate’s
truthfulness (close-up shot) or appeal to crowd (scene shot from above). Black and white pictures
suggest that the topic is serious and, most likely, negative.
_____ Depicted actions: Use of actions to convey positive or negative ideas about candidates. Positive actions
including getting off a plane (has international expertise), signing papers, (gets things done), or
interacting with family (is caring). Negative actions show an opponent doing something silly or perhaps in
company with an incriminating “other.”
_____ Supers and code words: Use of supers (words on screen) to draw attention to something in the visual. For
example, an opponent who RAISED TAXES. Supers use code words that carry vast stereotypes and
sometimes unconscious meaning for viewers. For example, “values” (the candidate has them and the
opponent doesn’t).
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8. Do you think the ad was intended to appeal to a certain group of voters, such as laborers, businesspeople,
women, etc.? Explain.
9. In some ads, candidates stress their own qualifications and strengths. In other ads, they stress the weakness of
their opponent(s). Which approach was taken by this ad?
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Appendix D Overview
I found when I began teaching American Government to international students that they had a
tremendous disadvantage in that they did not fully understand American History and it's implications on
the creation of the American Constitution as well as American culture. Most of these students were from
China where the governmental and cultural differences were magnified.
I wanted to show the full breadth and scope of not only American government but the similar nature of
what all governments do and how they function. I decided that a student's reporting on and leading a
brief discussion on a current event from around the world may do this. Much to my surprise, this was
accomplished and in a way greater than I imagined.
The parameters are that the story must be government related and they must discuss how the
government is involved and how this story impacts people. Since there are no stipulations that the story
has to be American government related, as expected the international students generally focus their
attention on governmental stories in their home nation. As the teacher in the room and with the help of
classroom discussion, we are able to make connections to American government as well as the handling of
the news story by the international government.
What this does for both groups in the class is to introduce diverse cultural perspectives of the group and
help bring better understanding with appropriate connections for both the international students to fully
grasp not only US government but also the international governments and how they are all
interconnected.
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Appendix D
News reporting assignment
10 points
During this course, the topic of government and politics will be studied. The history and
development of government and politics is important but government is a timely and
relevant topic for all of us, regardless of our home country or culture
Each day one of you will open our day’s class with a brief (3 minutes or so) discussion of a
current news story that is related to government and or politics. The news story should be
no more than 48 hours old. It may be a story that is related to another story presented to
the class by a classmate. These can involve any nation, not just The United States.
You will be required to turn in your story, at the start of class. The story MUST be written
out on the News Reporting Worksheet.
You will be expected to present your story orally in front of the class and be prepared to
answer any questions your classmates or I may have regarding the story.
All students will be expected to listen attentively to the presenter, as you would wish your
classmates to listen to you.
You will be expected to discuss and tell us the name of the source and…
o Who was involved in the story
o What happened that makes this story important and relevant to government and
politics.
o When did this happen
o Why did this event/occurrence happen
o How did this happen (include any pertinent background that may apply)
o Can you make any connections to us? Why is this important to us?
o What is your source
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Appendix E overview
This lesson was developed with the purpose in mind that students would be required to persuade the
President of the United States that he should focus his administration on not only promoting the rights
granted to us under the Bill of Rights but he should also actively promote that right granted to American
Citizens.
The focus is on this lesson is not simply for the students to have a better understanding of the Bill of Rights
but to develop persuasive writing and speaking skills. As the teacher, I play the role of the President of the
United States. They are tasked with creating a public relations campaign, designed to persuade me that
the American Public is supportive of this right. As Popular Sovereignty dominated the American political
theater, by convincing the American people, they are in turn convincing me, the President.
Often in American classrooms we see various levels of academic ability. This group activity is designed to
firstly bring children of differing skills and abilities together. It also allows kids with greater proficiency in
differing areas to work independently of the group on their area of specialty while contributing to the final
product.
The product is centered around a poster but also includes the creation of a social media campaign and a
speech which is presented to the class.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1.b
Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus,
taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual
roles as needed.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1.c
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader
themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge
ideas and conclusions.
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1.d
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and,
when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in
light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
Appendix E
Make your case to the President
60 Points total
Presidents have many people to think of when making a decision from other departments/advisors in the executive
branch; members of congress, political supporters, financial contributors to their campaigns and of course the
voters. Convincing the president to agree to your ideas isn't always easy.
Yesterday you and your group of presidential advisors began the process of ensuring the government is promoting
the rights that you as an American deserve. You identified an important Right and began brainstorming ideas to help
the president and government do a better job. Now it's time to make your case. Which is the most important Right
we as Americans have. Think of a plan you could explain to the President on how he could best ensure the
government works to preserve your most important Right.
To support your plan:
 Create a mini poster



Find poster board at the front of the room
you may cut a whole sheet in half (I'm a tree hugger :-))or use a full sheet.
On your poster your plan should either have a catchy name for your plan or slogan that expresses the main
idea of your plan.

Three GOOD reasons why the president should support your plan
Your poster should include (5 Points each)
Details on the poster capture the important information about the topic and increase the
audience’s understanding.
All graphics/illustrations are related to the topic and make it easier to understand.
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Information is very organized with clear titles and subheadings.
All information on the poster is in focus and can be easily viewed and identified from 6 ft. away.
No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.
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A Speech




Every politician loves a microphone.
o You and your group will take the essence of your poster and write and deliver a speech supporting
your plan.
Your speech should explain your rational as to why you think the government should work to support this
right of ours.
How you plan for the government to make matters better
The Three arguments from your poster
The presenter will do the following
5 Points for each category
Introduction
(1) Gets attention (2) Clearly identifies topic(3) Establishes credibility
(4) Previews the main points
Body
Main points are clear, well supported, and
sources are documented
Conclusion
(1) Reviews main points(2) Brings closure
(3) Memorable
Eye Contact
Eye contact with audience virtually all the time (except for brief glances at notes or poster)
Clarity
Speaks clearly and distinctly all the time with no mispronounced words
A Social Media campaign (10 Points)
Politicians are attempting to attract the attention of people any way they can. Even
President Obama is on Twitter!! @BarackObama if you were curious.
Select three Social Media platforms and create a plan (WITHOUT ACTUALLY
IMPLEMENTING) for promoting your plan to the people. Could social media activity
persuade the president to follow your lead?
(Be creative. Honestly you may have far better and more creative thoughts and possibilities
than I would. I am not creating a rubric for this, because I wouldn't know what to include. I
am curious to see what your ideas would be.)
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Appendix F Overview
Having a large number of students with cognitive disabilities, the special education teacher that I
was teaming with and I decided to adapt a simplified form of note taking.
Children with limited cognitive abilities, such as Mental Retardation or Autism often get lost in
note taking, even though this is a skill that all students should work on. The difficulty is not
always writing down information, as many of these children have reasonable abilities in coding
information onto paper but it is their inability at times to find the important information.
Depending on the child, will often depend on the numbers of blanks on the page available for the
child to fill in. As the child improves with keeping up, I will sometimes, with the help of a
PowerPoint animation keep portions of information absent from the slide for all of the students,
even those without a notes sheet. The reason I do this is to try to get the less able students to
begin making predictions as to what information will be next and guessing at the content of the
blank.
On notes days, I hand out sheets of paper which have three powerpoint slides on it with key
words left out. The notes session provides the missing words and the students involved fill in
the blank word. The format of the notes sheet are also designed to provide blanks to the right of
the slides which allows for the addition of supplemental notes that the student may include from
my comments or class discussion of the slide.
These children seem to find note taking less challenging and often rewarding when they feel that
they are keeping up with the other kids. The master PowerPoint can also be easily shared with
parents or other special education teachers to help their students with test preparation.
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Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style
are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
Appendix F
Chapter 5-1
Parties and what they do
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What Is a Party?
• A political party is a group of persons who seek
to ______________government by winning
elections and holding office.
• The two major parties in American politics are
the _______________and Democratic parties.
• Parties can be based on Values, Issues, or
elections.
2
3
4
5
Chapter 5, Section 1
Political Ideologies
• CONSERVATIVES • believe in personal responsibility,
_______________ government, free markets,
individual liberty, traditional American values and
a strong national _______________. Believe the
role of government should be to provide people
the freedom necessary to pursue their own
goals. Conservative policies generally emphasize
empowerment of the ________________to solve
problems.
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Political Ideologies
• LIBERALS –
• believe in __________________ action to achieve
equal opportunity and equality for all, and that it is
the duty of the government to alleviate social
problems and to protect civil liberties and individual
and human __________. Believe the role of the
government should be to guarantee that no one is
in need. Believe that people are basically
good. Liberal policies generally emphasize the need
for the government to solve ________________.
What’s your guess??
Issues
Conservative
1. Affirmative Action
1. Oppose
2. Death Penalty
2. Support
3. Economy
3. Free Market System
4. Environment
4. Business 1st/Environment 2nd
5. Gun Control
5. Support 2nd Amendment
6. Health Care
6. Against Universal Healthcare
7. Patriot Act
7. Support
8. Immigration
8. Oppose amnesty to illegal immig.
9. Same Sex Marriage
9. Oppose
1o. Taxes
10. Support lower taxes & smaller gov’t
11. Welfare
11. Oppose
12. Abortion
12. Oppose
Liberal
1. Support
2. Oppose
3. Want government regulation of economy
4. Environment 1st/Business 2nd
5. Oppose 2nd Amendment
6. Support Universal Healthcare
7. Oppose
8. Support amnesty for illegal immig.
9. Support
10. Support higher taxes & larger gov’t
11. Support
12. Support
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How do these ideologies relate to
political parties??
• Republicans…tend to be ____________________
• Democrats…tend to be ___________________
• Moderates…tend to carry some beliefs of ____________
How does CT stand??
Legend
Democrat
Republican
Split
Non-Partisan
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Explain how the following factor helps
maintain the two party system
• Historical Basis
– The two party system is rooted in the beginnings
of the United States when the ratification of the
__________________ gave rise to the first two
political parties
– Goes back to the Founding Fathers experience
with dealing with ______________________.
Explain how the following factor helps
maintain the two party system
• Tradition
– Most
_______________
have always accepted
the idea of a two
party system because
there has always been
one.
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Explain how the following factor helps
maintain the two party system
• Electoral
system
– In presidential
elections the
winner must get a
______________of
votes. With only 2
candidates this is
much __________
Explain how the following factor helps
maintain the two party system
• Ideological consensus
– Compared with other
_____________, the
Republicans and
Democrats have a lot in
common so they
generally
_____________ large
members to one or the
other.
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Policies generally supported by the
Democrats
• Social ___________
programs
• Government
______________ of
business
• Efforts to improve the
status of
_____________ groups.
Policies generally supported by the
Republicans
• Allow ____________ of
the market forces of a
free market to drive the
economy.
• _________ government
regulation of business
• Make people less
_______________ on
social welfare programs.
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What Do Parties Do?
• Nominate Candidates—_______________, choose, and present candidates
for public office.
• Inform and Activate Supporters—Campaign, define issues, and
__________________ other candidates.
• Act as a Bonding Agent—Guarantee that their candidate is worthy of the
office.
• Govern—Members of government act according to their partisanship, or
firm allegiance to a party.
• Act as a Watchdog—Parties that are out of power _____________ the
actions of the party in power for a blunder to use against them in the next
election.
2
3
4
5
Chapter 5, Section 1
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Appendix F Student work
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