North Oakland Community Charter School

NorthOaklandCommunityCharterSchool

Fall Trimester

2010 - 2011

Teaching for Understanding Unit

Struggle for Human Rights in Early America

Grades 7/8

Teachers:

Maggie Knutson

Unit Abstract

In this unit students study and explore the Human Rights. Students learn key vocabulary terms used in the Document of Human Rights (DOHR), view digital media promoting the DOHR, study some of the key articles in the DOHR and learn about current and historical violations of Human Rights. As final products, students create a poster that defines Human Rights, identifies 5 specific Human Rights, 3 examples of violations of Human Rights and discusses why we as citizens should care about our rights and the rights of others.

Students also learn about Human Rights within the context of American History. Students study history of the United States through written text, video/documentary and primary source documents. Stemming from that study, students choose to focus on the struggle of one group in the United States during the period of pre-colonization through the industrial age. As a culminating activity, students will draw conclusions about how the new nation was shaped by each of these struggles.

Unit Understanding Goals & Performances of Understanding:

1. What are Human Rights: Students will study the Document of Human Rights and apply the articles to historical and current events.

X Social Studies

Science

Content

Process

Associated Performance(s) of Understanding:

A. Initial – “mucking about”

• Students discuss their rights as students at NOCCS.
• Students read and summarize a short piece about the history of the Declaration of Human Rights (DOHR).
• Students explore some key vocabulary terms used in the DOHR.

1. Guided

• Students paraphrase the articles in the DOHR on post-it notes and place on white board for future reference.
• Students examine current events related to HR issues in Junior Scholastic and in The Guardian newspaper, identifying the players in the article and the rights being violated.

C. Culminating

• Students work in groups to make posters that identify: 1) the definition of a human right, 2) five examples of human rights from the DOHR, 3) examples of HR violations throughout history and 4) thoughts about why we should care about HR.
• Students are tested on the above 4 items and the HR vocabulary.

Associated California Standard(s):

8.2Students analyze the political principles underlying the U.S. Constitution and compare the enumerated and implied powers of the federal government.

1. Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights (e.g., key phrases such as “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”).
2. Enumerate the powers of government set forth in the Constitution and the fundamental liberties ensured by the Bill of Rights.

1. How did the struggle for Human Rights shape a new nation?

X Social Studies

Science

Content

Process

Associated Performance(s) of Understanding:

1. Initial – “mucking about”

Discuss and list some of the key struggles that influenced the shaping of early US development. (Explorers/N. Americans, England/Separatists, Colonies/England, Slaves & Abolitionists/Pro-slavery).

1. Guided

In a small group (3-4) students will pick one issue (above) and investigate: the oppressors, the oppressed, the issues behind the oppression, the means of oppression, the response of the oppressed (forms of resistance) using a graphic organizer.

1. Culminating

Working in pairs, students will create presentations (video, focusing on one of the groups identified in the in using both text and images. Presentations will address the factors in section B above and relate their significance to the development of American constitutional democracy.

Associated California Standard(s):

• 8.1 Students understand the major events preceding the founding of the nation and relate their significance to the development of American constitutional democracy.
• 8.4 Students analyze the aspirations and ideals of the people of the new nation.
• 8.9 Students analyze the early and steady attempts to abolish slavery and to realize the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

1. What are the components of productive collaboration – as an individual and part of a team?

∏ Social Studies

Science

Content

X Process

1. Initial – “mucking about”

• Ask students to share their ideas about collaboration and their experiences.

o What is it and how does it work?
o Discuss how learning is impacted by collaboration.

1. Guided

• Provide time for groups to get to know each other
  o Give groups opportunities to practice collaborating
  o Plan activities that naturally require collaboration
  o Give students opportunities to reflect on how well their group is collaborating and how their collaboration could improve
• Students discuss what to do when a group encounters conflict
  o Break students into groups and give them a scenario or problem a group might encounter.
  o Have each group brainstorm solutions and present to the class

1. Culminating

• Students will self-select one or two people with which to work collaboratively on the Struggle for Human Rights research presentation.
• Students will use the planning tool provided to map out their project (i.e. duties, norms, timelines, goals, etc.)
• Students will reflect on their level of collaboration in their collaboration journal daily and write a reflective essay on their group’s collaboration after the project is complete.

Culminating Performance of Understanding

Assessment Descriptors

Do one for each culminating performance of understanding

Understanding Goal:

What are Human Rights?

Culminating Performance of Understanding: Human RightsQuiz and Poster

• 28-30 vocabulary terms correctly defined
• 5 rights identified
• 3 examples of rights violations

• 25-28 vocabulary terms correctly defined
• 4 rights identified
• 2 examples of rights violations

• 18-25 vocabulary terms correctly defined
• 3 rights identified
• 2 examples of rights violations

• 12-18 vocabulary terms correctly defined
• 2 rights identified
• 1 example of a rights violation

• <12 vocabulary terms correctly defined
• 1 right identified
• 0 rights violations identified

Assessment Descriptors

Do one for each culminating performance of understanding

Understanding Goals 2 & 3:

How did the struggle for Human Rights influence the shaping of a new nation?

What are the components of productive collaboration – as an individual and part of a team?

Culminating Performance of Understanding:

Presentation Rubric Below (collaboration included)

• All members contribute fully participate in the research, construction and presentation

• Members respectfully and constructively solved problems as they arose

• All members consistently contributed to the task

• Information was accurate and presented in a concise, logical sequence.

• All aspects of the project were included

• Effective use of graphics, transition and fonts made the presentation easy to read and interesting

• Text was well crafted and succinct

• Few, if any, technical errors (grammar, spelling, capitalization, etc.)

• There was a moderate imbalance in participation in construction and presentation of ppt.

• Members occasionally slid into destructive communication patterns when solving problems

• Group did persevere through issues and remained in tact

• Group members struggled with staying on task and contributing to the task.

• Few inaccuracies in information

• Presentation seems choppy or has a lack of flow at times

• Presentation may be missing a part/s of the required content.

• Some use of graphics, transitions and font style were used to enhance the presentation

• Text was confusing at times

• Occasional technical errors

• Group work was significantly imbalanced

• Group may not have remained in tact

• Group members were rarely on task and working toward completion of the task.

• Presentation is choppy

• Presentation is incomplete.

• Presentation used few or no graphics or style elements to enhance the presentation

• Text was difficult to follow

• Several technical errors make the presentation difficult to read.

Unit Overview – Week by Week

Week 1

Dates:

• What are rights?
• What is the Declaration of Human Rights?
• DOHR vocabulary

• When have your rights been violated?
• Read and discuss the history of the DOHR

• Vocabulary discussions and group work
• Work in small groups to paraphrase 2-3 articles in the DOHR

• Assess vocabulary comprehension – collection #1
• Share paraphrasing

• Draw images on word webs that show the meaning of the words
• Show artistic interpretation of DOHR on youtube

• Engaging personal examples of injustice
• Modeling word webs and allowing class time with teacher assistance
• Social construction of learning (group work)

• Vocabulary word webs
• Paraphrasing on sticky notes on the white board

• Vocabulary packet with word webs

Week 2-3

Dates:

• Examine HR in current events
• Continued work on vocabulary word webs

• Teach mini-lesson on examining current events (5W’s & current event summary sheet)
• Discuss HR violations throughout world history

• Work in pairs to summarize and identify HR violation in Junior Scholastic article – present to class
• Work in small groups to summarize and identify HR violation in one of two current events from The Guardian – present to class
• Vocabulary word webs

• Circulate among groups
• Summary sheet and presentations
• Continued work on vocabulary word webs – turn in #2

• Provide modeling and examples of strong responses
• Provide class time to work and ask questions

• Current event summary sheet

Week 4

Dates:

• Make posters that will educate others about HR
• Summarize & review: What is a right? What are our rights as humans? What are examples of HR violations? Why should we care?
• Continued work on vocabulary word webs

• Candy distribution activity - affective
• Poster requirements
• Mnemonic devices – studying strategy
• Review and study for quiz

• Students work in small groups to create a poster with four sections (see above)

• Vocabulary turn in #3 (final)
• HR Quiz (content and vocabulary)
• Evaluate and vote on best posters to hang in the halls

• Creation poster – aesthetics, communication, use of medium

• Posters
• Teaching test taking/studying strategies explicitly so that everyone can be successful
• Allowing re-take of the test after determining who needs extra study help (based on test results)

• Poster model
• Human Rights quiz

Week 5 - 6

Dates:

• How did the struggle for HR influence early America? – Setting the context

• Exploration of why immigrants left their homelands for N. America
• Video about colonial times to establish context
• Articles and discussion of N. America and Native Americans in 1400’s-1600’s
• Exploration – What was going on and why?

• Students work in groups to create mind maps of the political and social dynamics of the time period (England, Ireland, Africa, N. America, Spain, etc.)

• Exit slips with key questions:
• - What did the Spanish want and why?
• - What did the N. Americans want and why?
• - What did the Colonial people want and why?
• - What did the Africans want and why?
• - What did the Irish want and why?
• -What did the English want and why?

• Including many groups, including African Americans, who had active interests in Early America
• Studying indigenous groups and African communities to establish those groups as sophisticated and advanced cultures prior to colonization and slavery

• Mind maps

• Comparison document to contrast some of the different groups who had personal and political interests in Early America

Week 7

Dates:

• Begin research project/power point
• Students will decide on a topic and map out a plan of action with a timeline and key tasks
• Students will identify how the group will collaborate in an equitable and respectful way to create a successful project

• Teach the rubric of the final product
• Introduce and review the project overview/checklist
• Mini-lesson on struggle and resistance
• Mini-lesson on collaboration
• Identify 4-6 struggles that took place prior to 1776 (Columbus/N. Americans, Separatists/England, Colonial Americans/England, Boston residents/British Army, slaves/slave holders, abolitionists/pro-slavery movement

• Students research Early America using a variety of teacher provided sources and the internet
• Students work in groups to decide on a topic and make a plan of action

• Students use rubric and planning guide to reflect on and assess progress
• Students confer with teacher

• Students who may be struggling will get additional support from teacher and/or parent volunteers
• Allow working lunches with computer access and teacher assistance

• Project planning guide
• Rubric
• Project overview/checklist

Week 8

Dates:

• Students will gain the necessary skills to construct a basic power point presentation with 8-10 slides and 5-6 images
• Fun power point presentations will include certain basic information about their topic (student decided)

• Share power-point examples (good and bad)
• Power point mini lessons (style devices)

• Students will experiment/play with the power point program
• Students will create an informal presentation to become familiar with power point.

• Students will create a fun power point on a topic of their choice to become familiar with the functions of power point and how they are employed to create a presentation that communicates clearly and in an interesting way.

• Students will select a topic/group of that is of interest to them
• Students who may be struggling will get additional support from teacher and/or parent volunteers
• Allow working lunches with computer access and teacher assistance
• Working in groups of only two increases the participation/engagement of each person and decreases potential for interpersonal conflicts that distract from learning

• Power points can be uploaded to the blog

• Rubric and checklist for project/presentation
• Planning guide

Week 9-10

Dates:

• Students will create the final product: A power point presentation that meets the criteria outlined in the rubric

• Students and teacher will revisit and study the rubric and planning guide daily
• Mini-lesson on engaging and persisting
• Mini-lesson on collaboration
• Other studio habits of mind mini-lessons as they apply to the process/needs

• Students will work collaboratively to research their area and create a power point presentation
• Students will create a timeline for their project
• Students will research their topic

• Students will reflect on their progress and collaboration daily, incorporating the studio habits of mind

• Students should include at least one piece of art in their presentation that represents the struggle.

• Progress and studio habits of mind reflection sheet
• Planning guide
• Folders for group work and planning documents

Week 11-12

Dates:

• Students will finish their projects and begin to present to the class

• Mini-lesson on oral presentation skills
• Students will engage in active listening (using a graphic organizer) as they hear about the struggles presented in their classmates’ presentations

• Students will practice their presentations for test audiences (5th/6th grade?)

• Students will reflect on the project and self-assess their work

• Students who may be struggling will get additional support from teacher and/or parent volunteers
• Allow working lunches with computer access and teacher assistance
• Invite parents to view presentations in class

• Power points and videos of presentations can be uploaded to the blog for formal sharing

• Self-reflection sheet
• Rubrics

Unit Resources