US History

Final Project: “Teach us in 10”

Objective: For students to research various aspects of American culture and politics during their chosen decade. This is also an opportunity for students to work on research, communication and presentation skills.

Directions:

  1. Students will sign up for their desired decade. Decades will be from the 1960s to the 2010s. Presentation dates are posted - make sure you are not going to be gone for your presentation date!
  2. Ms. Spark-Stahl’s class: 4 groups of 4, 1 group of 3
  3. Mr. Salvati’s class: 4 groups of 4, 1 group of 5
  1. Each group will divide the topics between themselves. Topics should be split as evenly as possible. No pairs for topics unless cleared with your teacher.
  1. For each topic, the assigned student will create a 10-minute (no shorter than 5, no longer than 10) lesson. You will “teach us in 10.”

(1)There are guidelines for each topic, but you may be creative in how it is taught, as well.

(2)You may include audio/video, but they should take up no more than ½ of your presentation time. Videos must be cleared with your teacher first. Audio (songs) must be school appropriate.

(3)Your lesson must begin with an objective. What are your students going to learn?

(4)Your lesson must have a visual element, whether this is a slideshow, handout, fill in the blank notes, etc.

(5)Your lesson must include 2 well-crafted questions that assess how well your students understood your lesson. You should allow 1-2 minutes for students to answer the questions (those minutes can count as part of your presentation).

(6)Your lesson must include at least 2 valid sources cited in MLA format.

  1. Topics: (Order of Presentation)

(1)Values (Culture, what was important, slang, etc.)

(2)Politics

(3)Economy

(4)Inventions, technology

(5)Big News

(6)Music

(7)Entertainment/Recreation/Leisure

(8)Fashion/Clothing/Hairstyles (men and women)

(9)Interview with someone from decade

  1. BONUS POINTS:

i)Students who sign up for earlier decades will receive extra credit, as they have to present first and have less time to prepare and they don’t get the chance to see what everyone else did.

  • 1960s = 5 extra credit points or equal amount of points excused from a missing assignment
  • 1970s = 4 extra credit points (Or equal amount of points…)
  • 1980s = 3 extra credit points (Or equal amount of points…)
  • 1990s = 2 extra credit points (Or equal amount of points…)
  • 2000s = 1 extra credit points (Or equal amount of points…)
  • 2010s = 0 extra credit points
  • Students who take on more topics than others will also receive extra credit, though topics will be divided evenly in groups where possible.

Teach Me in 10 Topic Directions

1)Values/culture

a)Seek to answer the following questions in your presentation:

i)What was the typical home life like for an average American? What did their homes look like?

ii)What was school like in that decade? Did they have homework?

iii)What were some slang terms used?

iv)Were they any social movements or major revolutions? How did they view women? People of color?

b)In your presentation, give many visual examples. Make us feel like we are in the 60s or 90s!

c)If time is available, you may include information outside of those listed above.

2)Politics

a)Give a brief political overview of the entire decade. Include the following information:

i)Who were the presidents during the decade?

ii)Any political events? (i.e. scandals, major laws, major changes in policy)

iii)Any wars? How did they affect the political situation of those in decision making roles?

iv)Pick one major political event that occurred during the decade, and explain it detail as a step-by-step progression (ie, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Watergate scandal, etc.). Include photos, sound clips, and any other relevant media.

3)Economy

a)Teach the class about the economic state of our country during your decade. Include the following:

i)How was the economy at the time?

ii)What are some practical examples of the national trends in economics (i.e. shortages, advertising, products, etc.)

iii)60s-90s Groups: Include a slideshow with a “Guess the Price” game.

(1)Create a minimum 10 slide set of slides that has a product on each slide. Students will guess the price of the item during the decade.

iv)00s-10s Groups: Come up with another “game” type activity for the class that involves the economy. Think Price is Right!

4)Inventions/Technology

a)Choose two* new inventions or pieces of technology (scientific, medical, household items, etc) that had a significant impact on the American people. Teach us:

i)The story behind the invention/tech

ii)What impact did this tech have immediately?

iii)What impact does this tech still have today, if any?

*If you feel like you are not going to have enough to talk about for at least 5 minutes, you may choose more than two.

5)Big News

a)Big news stories could be:

i)Celebrity/Political scandals

ii)Social movements (protests, etc)

iii)Natural disasters

iv)Tragedies (Oklahoma City Bombing, 9/11, etc)

v)Scientific discovery

b)Choose two stories* and teach us:

i)The basic details of the story (what’s the story?)

ii)What impact did this have immediately?

iii)What impact does this story still have today?

*If you feel like you are not going to have enough to talk about for at least 5 minutes, you may choose more than two.

6)Music

a)This lesson will consist of two parts:

i)Music of the decade overview - what was popular in this time period? What new types of music were popular? Was music popular in other forms of media (like TV)? If so, how? What form did it take?

ii)“Song of the Decade” - the class will listen to what you decide is ‘the Song of the Decade’, and you will teach us about the song - why you chose it, what it means to the historical era, etc.

b)Make sure to account for how long the song is in your planning. Remember, your song, at most, can be 5 minutes long.

c)You may choose to any version of the song to show us - music video, live concert version, remix, etc. - as long as the version is school appropriate.

d)Make sure your song is available on YouTube for your teacher to play, or that you have it on a device that can be plugged into the computer with an AUX cable. It is always best to check the audio/video on your teacher’s computer before your presentation!

7)Fashion

a)Research what types of clothing was popular during this decade. Look not just for clothing, but popular hairstyles and accessories.

b)Find examples of this fashion being used in pop culture (being worn by celebrities, on TV or in movies, etc.)

c)Make sure to tell us who this popular style was for - men? women? Rich people? Poor people? Was it only in a certain area of the country, or all over? How did it start? Etc.

8)Entertainment/Recreation/Leisure

a)This section is very open. Some key things to include in your presentation:

i)Hollywood and Film!

ii)What were the top films of that decade? Include a film trailer or two.

iii)Were there genre trends? Horror, action, sci-fi?

iv)How did people listen to music during this decade?

v)What did people do in their spare time?

vi)What did a teenager do in their spare time?

vii)What were some popular sports?

viii)Provide a dance lesson for the class (kidding). What were some popular dance moves of the decade?

Feel free to provide the class with more examples and more content.

9)Interview with Someone from the Decade

a)You may not interview someone who is being interviewed for another decade (even by someone in the other class).

b)Find a person who lived completely through this decade. (For instance, Ms. Spark-Stahl was born in 1984, so you could not interview her about the ‘80s).

c)Create 10 questions to ask your interviewee. You can find information on how to create good questions and even look at some sample questions here :

d)It is very important that you ask specific, open ended questions that guide a discussion between you and your interviewee… an Example of a BAD question, “Do you remember when Kennedy was shot?” This question allows for just a yes or no answer, you want details about the event. Example of a GOOD question, “What do you remember about the Kennedy assassination?” It allows for a better response. What if the interviewee doesn’t remember the event you are asking about? Be prepared to ask other questions…That is why you are writing things down as you conduct the interview. ***Each answer to each question should have a 3-5 sentence response, even if you have to ask more questions***

e)Your presentation should have the following particulars:

i)Date of the interview-

ii)Name of interviewee-

iii)Relation to student-

iv)Interviewee date of birth

v)Where interviewee lived during the era-

vi)10 questions AND the responses (hand write it first, then type later if you can)

vii)Picture of you and your interviewee

f)For your lesson, go over the interview: what did you learn from your interviewee that you’d like to pass on? You do not have to go over every answer.

g)Make connections with the other presentations in your decade.

i)Example: “Mrs. ______talked about wearing scrunchies on her wrists in school, like we brought up in the fashion segment.”

Higher Order Thinking Question Stems

Comparison

  • How is ______like ______?
  • How are ______and ______different?
  • Compare the ______before and after ______.
  • Distinguish between ______and ______.
  • Compare ______with ______.

Inference

  • Predict what will happen if ______.
  • Develop of plan to ______.
  • Based on the presentation, what can you conclude about ______?
  • What if ______?
  • What generalization can you make from this information?
  • Propose a solution to the problem of ______.

Evaluation

  • Was ______worth the costs? Explain your answer.
  • Was the argument convincing? What makes you think so?
  • Did ______behave appropriately? Why?
  • What would you have done in this situation? Why?
  • Judge which is the best solution to the problem of ______? Why do you think so?
  • Did ______choose a wise course of action? Give reasons.
  • What would you have done in this situation? Why?
  • Which ______is the best? Why do you think so?
  • Whose arguments/evidence was more convincing? Why?
  • Give and justify your opinion on ______.

Learning Objectives: Stems and Samples

Generally, learning objectives are written in terms of measurable outcomes: What do you want your students to learn as a result of the lesson? How can they demonstrate their learning?

1. Create a stem. Stem Examples:

  • After completing the lesson, the student will be able to . . .
  • By completing the activities, the student will . . .

2. After you create the stem, add a verb: (below are some samples):

After completing the lesson, the student will be able to:

  • explain the meaning of the legal term(s): _____.
  • edit a draft for a specific purpose such as _____ (word choice, etc.)
  • identify the definition of _____ (legal terminology).
  • analyze and synthesize relevant case law using the Socratic (law school) method
  • make inferences of intent from a legal decision
  • define the legal term _____
  • re-tell in his/her own words the
  • summarize the reasoning of a legal decision
  • demonstrate understanding by writing three facts about a legal argument

Decades Project Rubric

Student name: ______

Lesson Topic: ______

4 = Exemplary 3 = Very Good2 = Satisfactory1 = Needs Work

Self / Presentation Rubric / Teacher
Content:Information is clear and accurate. Lesson hits all major points from the directions.
Presentation: Students uses multi-media in presentation. Presentation is easy to read and follow.
Objective/Questions: Student includes learning objective to start the lesson. Student creates two Higher Order Thinking questions to ask at end of presentation. Questions are an appropriate level for 11th graders. Questions are relevant to the content.
Overall Presentation:Organized and fluent presentation, with use of visual aids, an attention getter, introduction and conclusion. Students present an engaging lesson that is easy to follow. Most importantly, the students learn something!
Total: ____ / Total points possible: 12 / Total: ____
Self / Research / Teacher
Documentation: Used at least 2 different sources. Included source information (MLA format) with the project.
Thoroughness:Researched decade thoroughly. Answered all questions in each section.
Total: ____ / Total points possible: 8 / Total: ____

Total Points: ______/20Grade: ______