Unit Plan Template

Unit Plan that Incorporates the Use of Thinking Tools

Author
First and Last Name=	Ph= il Berndt
School Name	= Herington Middle School
School District	USD #487
= School City, State	Herington, Ka= nsas 67449
Classroom Informati= on
Subject Area
Am= erican History
Grade Level(s)<= /p>
Ei= ght
Unit Ov= erview
Unit Title
Fa= me vs. Impact: How are Histori= cal People Defined
Unit Summary
Have you ev= er wandered why a person is famous? Have you ever wandered if there is a difference between fame and t= he impact that a person has had on history.= This unit will identify and discuss 100 people whose fame has had a large impact on the world and our American History. Activities in this unit will foc= us on understanding the differences between fame and having an impact on histor= y.
Building the Founda= tion
Habits of Learning Taxonomy <= /span>
Knowledge: Students will access prior knowl= edge of famous people. Extension and Refinement of Knowledge: Learners must de= velop in-depth understanding and apply and refine that knowledge. Finding Humor and Applying P= ast Knowledge to New Situations.
Standards
= Kansas State Social Studies Standard 4.4: The student engages in historical thinking skills
Learning Objectives
1.= The students will list character= istics of individuals who have had an impact on American History. 2.= The students will be able to ide= ntify people who have had an impact on American History through the last millen= nium and their accomplishments. 3.= The students will identify a per= son who has had an impact on American History and list three characteristics = as their rationale for their selection.
Curriculum-Framing Questions	Essential Question
Wh= at defines a persons place in history?
Unit Questions
How have individuals accomplishments changed history. Wh= y do people have different interpretations of who has changed history.
Content Questions
= What characteristics do famous individuals possess? = What characteristics do individuals who have impacted history possess? = Who has become famous or impacted history as a result of their accomplishments?

= Student Assessment Plan

Assessment Summary

A variety of assessments wil= l be used in monitoring the progress of the students while participating in the unit. Assessments include q= uizzes, completion of classroom study guides, informal assessments, computer activities, and printout of Showing Evidence T= ool.

Assessment Timeline


Before Project Work Begins	While Students Work on Projects=	After Project Work Ends

= · = Visual Ranking Activity	<= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Completion of Vid= eo Study Guides <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Quizzes <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Fame vs. Impact E= xcel Table <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Seeing Reasoning Activity <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Power Point Text Boxes	·= Showing Evidence Printout

=	=	=

Visual Ranking Elements (Complete this section if this tool will be used in the unit)<= /font>

Visual Ranking Project Name (For the Visu= al Ranking workspace)<= /font>

Fa= me: What Makes Them Famous?

Project Description (For the Visu= al Ranking workspace)

The students will be looking at a list of famous people and determining which individuals they feel are the most famous. The students will be thinking ab= out the various factors that make a person famous and how those factors tie i= nto their own beliefs. This wil= l also be a basic step to introducing the students to the ultimate question of a= re people more important based on their fame or the impact that they have ha= d on history.

Prompt (For the Visu= al Ranking workspace)<= /font>

Rank the following individua= ls from most famous to least famous (Most famous is at the top).<= /span>

Sorting List (For the Visu= al Ranking workspace)<= /font>

Michael Jordan, George Washington, Brittany Spears, George W. Bush, Bill Gates, Adolf Hitler, Abraham Lincoln, Tiger Woods, Eminem, Wright Brothers

Practice Ranking (For your future quick reference)<= /font>

Te= acher ID:

Practice Team ID 1:

Practice Team ID 2:

Pa= ssword:

Seeing Reason Elements (Complete this section if this tool will be used in the unit)
Seeing Reason Project Name (For the Seei= ng Reason workspace)<= /font>
Fa= me vs. Impact on History: Characteristics of Each
Project Description (For the Seei= ng Reason workspace)
The students will discuss different characteristics of people that have either become famous or have had an impact on history. The students will begin to under= stand through the study of these characteristics that there are some similariti= es and differences between fame and those who have had an impact on history. Starter characteri= stics may include such factors as popularity, wealth, accomplishments, the bene= fits to society, the degree of risk-taking, and how fame or their impact on history is affected “as time passes.”
Research Question (For the Seei= ng Reason workspace)<= /font>
Do famous people possess different characteristics than people who have had a large impact on hist= ory?
Practice Map (For your future quick reference)<= /font>
Practice Team ID:	Pa= ssword:

Showing Evidence Elements (Complete this section if this too= l will be used in the unit)
Showing Evidence Project Name (For the Show= ing Evidence workspace)<= /font>
Im= pact on History: Your Top Choice=
Project Description (For the Show= ing Evidence workspace)
We have studied many famous individuals throughout this project. We have also identified the characteristics of individuals that have either been famous or have had an impact on history. The stud= ent will now identify the one individual who they feel has made the most impa= ct on American History over the last millennium.
Prompt (For the Show= ing Evidence workspace)<= /font>
Wh= at person impacted American History the most in the last millennium?<= /font>
Practice Case (For your future quick reference)<= /font>
Practice Team ID: Re= viewing Team ID:	Pa= ssword: Pa= ssword:
Claims
Students will present their = own claim to who they felt had the largest impact on history based on individ= uals studied in this unit.
Evidence <= /span>
Students will choose at least three characteristics from the following list to support their claim for = the person who had the largest impact on American history. Students will also present an explanation for their choice of characteristics that support their claim = for the person who has had the largest impact on American history. The list of characteristics to b= e used includes popularity, wealth, “as time passes”, accomplishment, risk-taking and their benefit to society. Students will need to identify t= he web site used to support their evidence.

= Unit Details

Approximate Time Ne= eded

Th= is unit will take three weeks with the class meeting five days a week for 45 minutes each day.

Prerequisite Skills=

Kn= owledge of some famous people and their accomplishments to begin the unit is needed. A working knowledge= of Microsoft Power Point and how to use the internet for research purposes a= re also necessary.

Procedures <= /font>

Visual Ranking

Students will use the Visual Ranking Tool to determine who they feel is the = most famous person to the least famous person. Prior knowledge of the people and their accomplishments will be used to determine this.

Top 100 People of the Millennium Video Series

Students will watch a series= of videos highlighting famous people of the last 1000 years. Students will take notes over the people mentioned and their accomplishments. Students will also pass a series= of quizzes assessing their knowledge of the famous people mentioned. Class discussions will focus on characteristics of famous people and if their accomplishments changed history.

Class Discussion

Once students have knowledge= of some of the most famous individuals of the previous millennium, a class discussion will focus on whether the individuals mentioned are famous or = if they have been included because of the way their accomplishments have impacted history. Focus of = the discussion will also center on whether many of these people have similar characteristics that have helped lead to their fame.

Seeing Re= ason Tool

Famous people possess certain characteristics that have led to their fame. Students will use the Seeing Reason Tool to identify some of these characteristics and understand their effect on whether a person is famous= or if their accomplishments have had an impact on history.=

Top 100 People of the Millennium Video Series

Students will finish watching the video series focusing on the final 25 people of the millennium and the complexity of their accomplishments.&nbs= p; Students will take notes and also pass a quiz on these people.

Power Poi= nt Project

Students will establish a fi= nal list of the five individuals they feel have impacted history the most in = the last millennium. Students w= ill rank their individuals 1-5 in Power Point. Through class discussion and Int= ernet research of the five individuals they have chosen, students will be able = to use the Power Point as a means of re-ranking their choices. Students will need to drag web s= ites used to their work space to document reasoning for their selections.=

Showing Evidence Tool

The students will select one person they feel has had the largest impact on American History. Using the Show= ing Evidence Tool, students will explain the three characteristics= possessed by their choice that helped lead to their fame/impact on history.

Accommo= dations for Differentiated Instruction