Lesson: 3 values of Confucianism
Course: 7th Grade World History
Teacher: Kaiti Kelley
Standard(s): 7.21 – Analyze the role of kinship and Confucianism in maintaining order and hierarchy
Duration: one 90 minute block
Objectives: Students will locate the warring states of China 260 BCE on a map
Bell Ringer
Students will have 2 minutes to list everything they know about Confucius and his teachings. When time has expired, the teacher will ask each student to share one thing he/she wrote, and write these things down as students say them. Students will continue to share what they wrote until everything has been listed. The teacher will then list any key words/phrases not mentioned by students and elaborate on each of them to ensure students understand each word or phrase and its significance.
Lesson Sequence
The teacher will display the following map on the projector and explain the nature of the time period. Students will be given a blank version of the map in which they will be instructed to label and take notes on during this portion of instruction.
The teacher will briefly introduce and define three values of Confucianism – Filial Piety, Humanness, and Ritual – and display an image of the Chinese symbol for each one. Students will then be divided into three discussion groups called “home groups”. Each home group will receive a set of notes on one of the three values, and a corresponding excerpt from The Analects.Each student will receive a set of questions pertaining to all three values.After 10 minutes of discussion, half of the students from one home group will rotate to another group to form “expert groups”. Students will then teach each other about the value they were assigned. After another 10 minutes of discussion, students will rotate to form the third and final expert group. Students will be encouraged to take notes during rotations, and required to answer the questions assigned. When all rotations are complete, students will reunite with their home groups for one final 5 minute discussion. The teacher will then randomly select one student from each home group to share one thing he/she learned from each expert group and fill in gaps when necessary, and clarify any misconceptions students may have.
Assessment/Evaluation
The teacher will instruct students to list five facts they learned from their peer groups on a sheet of paper and submit it to her on their way out the door. This will be their “exit slip” which is what the teacher will use - along with direct observation of student behavior and progress during group discussions and presentations - as a form of summative evaluation.