Goals and Objectives:
Goal: Students will understand the role that major battles played in the course of World War II.
Objective: Students will evaluate eight major battles that occurred during World War II and analyze their significance by identifying their key characteristics, outcomes, and importance.
Objective: Students will evaluate eight major battles that occurred during World War II and analyze their significance by identifying their key characteristics, outcomes, and importance.
California State Content Standards:
10.8.3 Identify and locate the Allied and Axis powers on a map and discuss the major turning points of the war, the principal theaters of conflict, key strategic decisions, and the resulting war conferences and political resolutions, with emphasis on the importance of geographic factors.
Common Core Literacy Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.7
Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Driving Historical Question:
What was the impact of the major battles discussed in this lesson on the course of World War II?
Lesson Introduction:
When students arrive in the classroom the teacher will begin the lesson by asking students to take out their warm up sheets and write down the quick write that the teacher will administer orally and write on the board. The prompt will be to write about what is a battle, what are the purposes of a battle, and what makes a battle significant? After students write down their responses, the teacher will asks for volunteers to share their response with the class, as well as randomly call on students.
Vocabulary:
1. Battle of Britain
2. Battle of Midway
3. Battle of Stalingrad
4. Battle of Guadalcanal
5. D-Day
6. Battle of the Bulge
7. Battle of Iwo Jima
8. Battle of Okinawa
Vocabulary will be introduced and discussed throughout the lesson. The lesson’s vocabulary words will also be written on the board in order to familiarize students with the terms that will be used throughout the lesson. Students will be given a vocabulary handout with the definitions of the lesson’s terms so that students have something to reference when the terms are discussed during the lesson.
2. Battle of Midway
3. Battle of Stalingrad
4. Battle of Guadalcanal
5. D-Day
6. Battle of the Bulge
7. Battle of Iwo Jima
8. Battle of Okinawa
Vocabulary will be introduced and discussed throughout the lesson. The lesson’s vocabulary words will also be written on the board in order to familiarize students with the terms that will be used throughout the lesson. Students will be given a vocabulary handout with the definitions of the lesson’s terms so that students have something to reference when the terms are discussed during the lesson.
Content Delivery:
The teacher will briefly provide students with background information about battles, their various purposes, and significance. This will help students familiarize themselves with the material that they will encounter as they interact in the lesson. Background information will be presented in the form of a short power point presentation that briefly discusses the battles that will be analyzed in this lesson. Throughout the classroom there will be a historical gallery walk that consists of eight stations which each covers a major battle in World War II. Each station will consist of photographs, political cartoons, charts, document excerpts, and important information that relates to one of the eight battles addressed in this lesson. Furthermore, there will be a blank poster paper next to every station on which groups will write at least one group thought regarding each battle. Students will then be split up into groups of four and be provided with a handout that includes the eight major battles of World War II. Each group will start off in a different station in the historical gallery walk and rotate every five minutes. In each station students will work together in order to discuss and analyze the sources posted for each battle. As they discuss each battle they will complete the major battles handout and work together in order to formulate at least one group thought regarding each battle that they will write on the poster papers. When every group has been to every station in the historical gallery walk the teacher will instruct them to go back to their first station and observe what other groups wrote on the poster paper. The teacher will then facilitate a discussion regarding what students learned about the battles and something interesting that was added to their first station’s poster paper by another group.
Student Engagement:
Students will engage in the historical gallery walk by working together in groups in order to analyze the sources, discuss their ideas, and complete the major battles handout using the information presented in each station. Students will also work together in their groups in order to formulate a group thought regarding each battle, which they will post on the poster paper. As students move from station to station they will observe the responses of other groups and add their own. After every group has been to every station, groups will be instructed to go back to their first major battle station and observe what other groups added to the poster paper. Students will analyze what other groups added and write down at least one of the responses on their handout. During the whole class discussion students in each group will be randomly called upon to share what they learned about the major battles of World War II and something interesting that another group added to their first station’s poster paper.
Lesson Closure:
Students will be asked to write down on a piece of paper at least one thing that they learned during the lesson as they were analyzing eight of the major battles of World War II. The piece of paper will serve as students’ ticket out the door. This closure activity will give students another opportunity to reflect on what they learned throughout this lesson. It will also be helpful for the teacher in order to assess whether students understood the concepts and information presented in the lesson, as well as identify any common misconceptions that students still hold regarding the lesson.
Assessments (Formative and Summative):
Formative Assessment: The warm up entry at the beginning of the lesson will serve as a formative assessment. Student discussions and responses will also serve as formative assessments.
Summative Assessment: The major battles handout would serve as a summative assessment. The handout would be collected and graded for completion and accuracy of information. Students would then be returned their worksheets with a grade and comments regarding their work. The ticket out the door would also serve as a summative assessment, which would be used to assess students’ understanding of the concepts and information presented in the lesson.
Summative Assessment: The major battles handout would serve as a summative assessment. The handout would be collected and graded for completion and accuracy of information. Students would then be returned their worksheets with a grade and comments regarding their work. The ticket out the door would also serve as a summative assessment, which would be used to assess students’ understanding of the concepts and information presented in the lesson.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs:
Accommodations for English Learners: The use of photography, charts, and political cartoons will give English Learners a visual representation of the content. Having the opportunity to interact with their peers will give English learners the opportunity to practice their English speaking skills and be exposed to proficient English speakers. Having a vocabulary sheet will also be helpful for English learners throughout the lesson because it will familiarize them with the content and serve as a point of reference.
Accommodations for Striving Readers: The use of a variety of sources will enable striving readers to view the content from different perspectives and reinforce what they read in the texts. Furthermore, working collaboratively with their peers will allow striving readers to receive clarification answers from someone besides the teacher. This is important in order to help create a positive learning environment.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs: Being presented with material in a variety of ways will give students with special needs multiple opportunities to understand the material. Furthermore, working with peers will allow students with special needs to interact with their classmates and be active participants in the classroom. Furthermore, special accommodations will be made according to the needs of individual students.
Accommodations for Striving Readers: The use of a variety of sources will enable striving readers to view the content from different perspectives and reinforce what they read in the texts. Furthermore, working collaboratively with their peers will allow striving readers to receive clarification answers from someone besides the teacher. This is important in order to help create a positive learning environment.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs: Being presented with material in a variety of ways will give students with special needs multiple opportunities to understand the material. Furthermore, working with peers will allow students with special needs to interact with their classmates and be active participants in the classroom. Furthermore, special accommodations will be made according to the needs of individual students.
Resources:
1. Handout
2. Textbook- Modern History: Patterns of Interaction. 2006 by McDougal Littell.
3. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii
2. Textbook- Modern History: Patterns of Interaction. 2006 by McDougal Littell.
3. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii