Grade+8+Burning+Questions+Unit

=**Unit Planning Template**= [|unit template.doc]

__Burning Questions--A Multi-Genre, Communicative Unit [|And then they came for me]

__Supporting Questions:__ 1. How have innocent people suffered so that others have gained?** =**-appropriation of land in South Africa - (OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS) [|African Safari land]** [7c51746d342762e473444079fbcd2177|South Africa: Worse Now Than Under Apartheid?]=
 * The Essential Question:**__
 * In what ways are we responsible to each other?

[|South Africa: Living With the Legacy of Apartheid Study says more blacks evicted from farms since 1994]
=**-land claims in Canada (DEBATES) [|Ontario Aboriginal Affairs][|Saskatchewan Information]**= =**-wealth stolen from Jewish people in WWII (CREATING OPPOSING ARGUMENTS) -** [TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011022|Swiss Banks Confront Nazi Past]=

[|Law-Related Resoures on Nazi Gold and Other Holocaust Assets,Swiss Banks during World War II, and Dormant Accounts]
[|World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss Banks]

[|Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany]
2. How could the suffering of innocent people been allowed?**
 * reflection journal (print/blog) responding to the supporting question and the essential question

=**-laws (freedom of speech, changing laws to suppress rights of groups/for political/financial/ego/ gains)**= [|Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany: 1935] //[|The Nuremberg Race Laws] //

[|Race, Racism and the Law Speaking Truth to Power!!]
[|Free Game where players attempt to colonize a new land.] - this includes forums where students could make topics and be required to do a certain number of posts on topics.
 * -colonization

-racial supremacy/racism - "[|And Then They Came for Me]" - poem used to illustrate that anyone can be the victim of prejudice. [|Strange Fruit] - Song that illustrates the horrors of lynching.** [|Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit] - video


 * 3. Why are innocent people still suffering today?

-religious persecution

-poverty: slavery, [|Stop Blood Diamonds] [|Website on actions to accompany the movie "Blood Diamond"]**

[|What You Can do to Avoid Buying a Conflict Diamond]

 * [|Youngblood: Children of war] - excellent webquest site about child soldiers with lots of information and quizzes and even a good crossword.**
 * (movies: Blood Diamond, King of Scotland)**


 * -power: political, ecomonic, physical** **-

4. How could we prevent people from suffering in the future?

-awareness/education campaign - self educate (watch the news, read the newspaper)**[|Convention on the Rights of the Child]


 * -self-change, internalize, understanding - give case example, role-play/drama

-action: community service, picketing, writing letters, informational brochures, posters

Picture Book Resources: The Journey That Saved Curious George - The True wartime escape of Margret and H. A. Rey by Louise Borden Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti - a young girl discovers a concentration camp, feeds the children there, The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson - children on opposite sides of the fence become friends against their parents wishes The Flower by John Light - a child grews a flower that is then taken away from him, he then finds it again Mississippi Morning by Ruth Vander Zee - a child discovers his father is a part of the KKK What if the Zebras Lost Their Stripes? by John Reitano - what happens when the zebra loses its white stripes? black stripes? Sister Anne's Hands by Marybeth Lorbiecki - a nun starts to teach in the south children realize later that the teacher is of a different race The Yellow Star Dear Willy Rudd The Three QuestionsbyJon J. Muth- an excellent resource to introduce the entire unit Prejudice, discrimination, racism, hate crimes, war, euthanasia, genocide, injustice, torture, murder, child soldiers, chemical and biological warfare, sterilization, abortion, stem cell research, cloning, racial cleansing, etc.

__Objectives:__ Listening: -Participate in conversation and in small group and whole group discussion showing an understanding of when to speak and when to listen -Listen for a variety of purposes, including: to gather information, to follow directions, to participate in a discussion, to form an opinion, to understand information, and to enjoy and appreciate. Reading: •Read for a variety of purposes, including to gather information, to follow directions, to give a response, to form an opinion, to understand information, and to enjoy and appreciate. Viewing: •View for a variety of purposes, including to understand and gather information, to form an opinion, to enjoy and appreciate Speaking: •Use talk to express and to share feelings, ideas, opinions, and aesthetic responses in one-on-one, small group, and large group discussions: –Share ideas/knowledge clearly and logically –Encourage others to contribute –Disagree courteously/sensitively –Take turns speaking –Answer others’ questions clearly and politely –Give reasons for opinions and point of view –Add to others’ ideas –Repeat points for clarification –Restate points already made for emphasis and reconsideration –Summarize main ideas discussed and conclusions drawn Writing: •Write to convince and to persuade. •Proofread final drafts for language conventions.

__Final Outcomes__ Students will complete a contract that will allow them some choice as to what they wish to complete. The projects will be divided into four areas with five projects in each area. Students will need to choose one project from each area. Projects can be varied and modified depending on individual student needs and abilities. Each assignment listed below will be given a mark. Students must choose assignments so that the total equals a minimum of 90 marks. __Formal Writing:__ Opposing Viewpoint Report (cg p.243-4) Book Report, (see rick's rubrics) Informational campaign, Short Story (cg p.247) Research and write a biography of a person who has taken a stand (cg. p.243-4) __Representing:__ Collage, (assessment strategies) Poster,(as) Scrapbook,(as) Informational Bulletin board, (as) Create a map of all the areas studied __Technological:__ Voice thread, (as) Video presentation, (as) Character web of novel chhosen by the student or a short story studied in class - could be done on bubblus - Microsoft publisher (brochure) ,(see rick's) Power point (see rick's) __Creative Writing:__ Graffiti board, Visual story line, Creative picture book, Letters to character/author/political official/soldier, Series of poems (cg. 243-4) __Final Outcomes__ You will complete a contract that will allow you some choice as to what you wish to complete. Each project must address the Essential Question of “What are our responsibilities as humans to others?" The projects will be divided into four areas with five projects in each area. You will need to choose one project from each area. Each assignment listed below will be given a mark. You must choose assignments so that the total equals a minimum of 90 marks. Students may use different “IT” issues mentioned during this unit or of their choice (with teacher prior approval) in each of the assignments. You are not required to use the same issue in every assignment. If you take anything off of the Internet or out of a book and use it in your presentation (assignment) you must state where it is from – copyright and plagiarism rules apply! These are individual projects.

I __Formal Writing:__ 1) Opposing Viewpoint Report – Write a report of no less than 1500 words explaining whether you are for or against one of the issues listed in this unit. Explain why your view is more responsible for the well-being of other humans? (50 marks) 2) Book Report – chose a book that needs to be approved by your teacher and write a report using the template labeled “How to Complete a Book Report.” (40 marks) 3) Informational campaign – Make people aware of an issue and what our responsibilities are for this issue by writing an essay of at least 1500 words. (50 marks) 4) Short Story – create a short story of no less than 1000 words that deals with an issue and it must take into account our responsibilities to others. (30 marks) 5) Research and write a biography of a person who has taken a stand about one of the issues. (30 marks)

II. __Representing:__ 1) Collage – On a sheet of Bristol board, arrange various pictures and/or photographs and/or headlines and/or headlines from newspapers/magazines that bring attention to an issue. Make the collage colourful, eye-catching and meaningful. (10 marks) 2) Poster – On a sheet of Bristol board, create a colourful poster depicting an “IT” issue. (Think Remembrance Day). (15 marks) 3) Scrapbook – On manila paper (or a thicker style paper or a purchased album, if you wish), create a scrapbook using pictures of an “IT” issue. Include comments and/or poems or sayings such as captions. Include artistic designs and/or scrapbooking materials in its completion. (20 marks) 4) Informational Bulletin board – This would be done on a school bulletin board or a presentation project board. It would show, describe, and educate the population about one of the “IT” topics. (20 marks) 5) Create a map of all the areas studied in this unit. Be specific in your locations and creative and colourful with your map. You are allowed to download an outline map of the regions but are not allowed to hand in only a downloaded map. You are allowed to use overhead projectors when creating your maps. The map should be at least 1 m by 2 m in size. (15 marks) III. __Technological:__ 1) Voice thread – Create a presentation using the an on-line program such as Voice Thread, Animoto, or Rock Star to bring attention to an “IT” issue and what our responsibilities are. (15 marks) 2) Video presentation – Create a video using the format of E Talk or W5 or other news presentation or show to highlight an “IT” issue that answer the four supporting questions. (25 marks). 3) Character web of novel chosen by the student or a short story studied in class - could be done on [|www.bubbl.us] – (10 marks) 4) Microsoft publisher (brochure) – create a brochure that informs the public about one of the “IT” issues. Include a column on our responsibilities as well. Make sure it is done in colour, that the formatting is correct and that you have a title page (front cover), and that it is front and back. (20 marks) 5) Power point – create a presentation about an “IT” issue and our responsibilities for it. The presentation must be at least 10 slides in length. Include a title page, sound and animation. Pictures and backgrounds are required as well as summarized information about the topic. (25 marks) IV. __Creative Writing:__

1) Graffiti board – using the long roll paper (approximately 1 m in width and 2 m in length) place sayings on it in graffiti style writing. Cover the entire paper. Font may be taken from the computer word processing program or from on-line for templates for your writing. (10 marks) 2) Visual timeline – Based on a story, novel, or the history of an “IT” issue, create a timeline that illustrates the history of the subject. (15 marks) 3) Picture book – Create a storyboard picture book about our responsibilities to each other that contains at least 10 pictures. You will receive one mark for the quality of the coloured drawing and one mark for the quality of the captions with each drawing. (20 marks) 4) Letter to character/author/political official/soldier – write one letter to a character from a novel or story, an author of one of the stories/novels, a political official in Canada or abroad, or a soldier in Canada or abroad. The letter needs to follow the standard form for a block letter with two point punctuation. It needs to convey your opinion of an “IT” issue and recommendations for our responsibilities to it. It must be relevant and respectful to the person receiving the letter. (12 marks)** rubrics for each are in brackets behind the assignment :cg - ELA curriculum guide as - Saskatchewan Learning - Region 3 Assessment Strategies Students will keep a journal (scrapbook, graffiti board, blog, etc) throughout the unit (preferably after each lesson) and will use their work to draw on to complete their final project**
 * 5) Series of poems – Write 3 poems that express your feelings and you’re your responsibilities about an “IT” issue. The poems must be three different styles and express three different emotions/topics. They need illustrated on a sheet of 8 ½ x 11 white paper. Write your name and your style of poem on the back of the page. (15 marks)

//One introduction lesson for this unit//__ Voicethread/Anamoto/Rock Star (or another website covered in this lesson) - will need the technology (headset(s), etc. - will require more instruction time Bubbl.us - simple - you just log on and start brainstorming - maybe with ten minutes of instructions __//-Writing a research report/essay, with footnotes, bibliography//__ -Short Story (is this necessary to do as a lesson?) - include the elements of a short story somewhere on this site -__//Write a biography - Teacher modeled - materials need to be found and photocopied and supplied to each student. Need a biography exemplar//__ Journals - wikispaces (Kathy used this in Canada's Record lesson) Debates (Kathy) Recommended that our technology person in our school may be able to supply us with lessons (instructions) on how to do a wikispace, voicethread, bubbl.us, etc. If not, will Donna be able to supply us with one or a link to one?
 * __Lessons that need to be created:

Lesson : What is Canada’s record? ** **Objectives:** **Assessment:** ** **Resources/Materials:** **Before Activities:** Read “A Child in Prison Camp.” Discuss the article, answering questions that students might have. How are you going to read it, a shared reading, invidually.... Can you collect their questions rather than answer them. That encourages their thinking and asks them to start forming opinions. **  **After Activities:**  **Have students respond to the article on their Wikispace, describing their reaction, thoughts and questions rather than opinions to the fact that Canada also had prison camps here. Students should indicate what they feel we are responsible for to these people.**  **Initial response and first thoughts. ** **Next:** **Before Activities:** **During Activities:**  **Read “I Lost My Talk.” Discuss the poem with the students. Could they partner read and discuss and collect reactions, thoughts, and quesitons?** **After Activities:** **Culminating Activity:** **A blog allows teachers and individual students to control what is posted. Blogs are set up as a tool for conversation, whereas wikis are meant as a colloborative creation tool. **
 * Students will express their opinions regarding prison camps and residential schools.**
 * Response Journals – their own – 5 marks x 4 journals = 20 marks**
 * - replying to others – 3 marks x 4 responses (minimum) = 12 marks
 * Wikispaces, Two articles: “A Child in Prison Camp” by Shizuye Takashima in __Discoveries In Non Fiction__ and “I Lost My Talk” a poem by Rita Joe in __Transitions__ &/or __Voices Under One Sky__. (These articles are also used in the Gr 8 Social Studies unit on Identity)**
 * Ask students to respond to the following statement on their wikispace: What is your opinion of prison camps that were (are) used during times of war? An anticipation guide would give them more support to start thinking about the issue that some may hav elittle connection to. **
 * During Activities:
 * Repeat the same activity with the next article:**
 * Have students respond to the question: “How would you feel about being taken from your home, educated in another location using beliefs unlike your own culture, and not being allowed to see your family very often?” <span style="color: rgb(23, 21, 157)">another anticipation guide **
 * Have students respond to the poem on their Wikispace.**
 * Have students view and respond to other students opinions.**

**Extra Activity:** In**
 * Allow students time to search the internet for additional information regarding Canadian prison camps and /or Residential Schools. This may lead to additional postings and/or responses on their Wikispaces.** **<span style="color: rgb(30, 43, 169)">What search tool will you introduce them to? What is the purpose....additional information....additional support for points of view expressed by individual student or their classroom. It will take some modeling.

** Sharing the Inquiry: How will the students synthesize their ideas and share them with others? **
 * Lesson Debates:

As you go through the unit, make a note of the different topics (resolutions) that really seemed to spark interest or encourage discussion. These will likely change from year to year as the students change. These topics can then be used for the debate topics in this lesson. The information below comes from the SEDA handout. ([|www.saskdebate.com]) This organization (Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association) will do workshops on debating as well. Objectives: Take from above – include: TSWBAT develop arguments (resolutions: Be it resolved that (BIRT)) to support his/her view on a chose topic. Assessment: Evaluation can be done through: peer evaluation, self-evaluation, and teacher-evaluation. The following is a copy of the SEDA student ballot that is used for evaluating debates:**


 * **Student Ballot** || **Category:** || **Style:** || **Judge’s Name:** ||

Arguments and Evidence: 5 = understands all aspects of the issue and excellent research and clear logic shown. Case development and structure: 5 = ideas are cleverly organized, effectively ordered and designed to develop a central thesis of the debate. The case is well coordinated with the partner’s speeches and there is a naturally persuasive flow to the case as a whole. Deconstruction: 5 = easily uses direct, global and case line clash to show flaws in opponents’ case, summarizes main ideas well. Delivery: 5 = persuasive, memorable, effective use of voice and body, good pace, tone eye contact, does not rely on notes. Style: 5 = concise and well thought out questions and answers; obeys rules of the style; avoids making speeches during questions and builds lines of questions equally with partner; courteous and appropriate, anticipates the significance of questions and builds lines of questions (Cross examination style); the questions are relevant to the entire debate; knows when to interrupt with questions, POIs, (Parliamentary & National styles), uses points of order & privilege, parliamentary tools, heckles effectively (parliamentary style) Your vote for the winning team:_
 * || **First Speaker** || **Second Speaker** || **Third Speaker** || **Fourth Speaker** ||
 * **Name:** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * **Arguments and evidence** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * **Case development and structure** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * **Deconstruction** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * **Delivery** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * **Debate Style** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * **Total** || **/25** || **/25** || **/25** || **/25** ||
 * Ballot Categories:

Resources/Materials: [|www.saskdebate.com] has step by step guide, teacher’s information package, games and activities guide, etc for debating, other sites include:

Before Activities: Select a resolution either a policy or values topic. Keep it simple, make sure the topic is equally debatable on both sides (not one-sided), avoid negations or double negatives in the resolution, discuss the type of resolution with the students, so they know how to approach it. Students need to learn about the topic, gather information, sort the information, and develop their arguments. The argument has four parts: label (catchy reference), explain, examples, and tie-back. Guiding principles for teachers: 1) The teacher does not have to hear and evaluate everything. 2) In any activity, each student must have a specific duty. 3) All events are timed. 4) At first, give insufficient time for the activities. 5) Get a whistle or bell to signal the end of time. 6) Depending on circumstances, debates may work better if you use teams of 3, 4 or more students. Consider the maturity of your students, the time available, and the class size.

During Activities: Debate always starts with the Affirmative team because they are suggesting a change or raising concern about something. It then moves to the Negative team. It then returns to the Affirmative team. Then the Negative. If questions are asked, the debaters may answer them in their speeches or during time allowed for questions. The debate finishes with closing speeches. After Activities: Evaluation by each member of the class who is not involved in the debate. Recap with the entire class about the debating process, the topic debated. A response journal could be assigned so students can express their opinions in writing. Possible response journal questions could be: 1) What is your opinion of the debating process? 2) What did you learn from this experience? 3) What view(s) did you side with at the end of the debate(s)? Explain why?

Grammar (mini lessons??) Cyber Bullying - Rick

Before next day- March 4 Tuesday (to write lessons/unit) each person writes a lesson, Kathy- debate; we contact each other (give Kathy a note on email if we want to meet on wiki)

Before the end of May, see how much we have been able to teach and report back.** = = [|Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust] [|Holocaust and Genocide Links] [|Genocide Teaching Project] [|The Genocide Education Project] [|Rwandan Genocide Facts] [|Guidelines for Teaching About The Holocaust] [|Questioning Toolkit] [|Holocaust Links] [|United States Holocaust Memorial Museum] [|Information about and resources to stop harassment by computer.] [|Be Web Aware - Cyber Bullying] [|Holocaust Graphic novels] [|Resources on the web for the graphic novel Maus] [|Public Agenda - Issue Guides]**
 * Best Websites for Unit Planning__