Technology: LCD projector, laptop, speakers, Internet access, and student computers
Limited tech/Homework handouts: 2.1a: Issue Brief - Parthenon, 2.1b: Issue Brief - War Against Sparta
Other Materials: Index cards
Note: Plan how you will divide students into research groups before class. You may prefer to put students directly into their groups at the beginning of class.
If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following option:
Mini Lesson: Instead of showing the animated program, engage students in a discussion about the importance of getting all of the facts on an issue before making a decision. Ask them to talk about times when they have had a very strong opinion about something, but reconsidered their opinion after finding out more information.
Student Activity: Distribute Issue Brief Homework handouts during class. Have students define the issue on an index card to submit at the end of class.
Objectives
Students will begin to learn how to conduct research.
Students will define their issues and be able to explain different perspectives on them.
The class will watch an animation that discusses the importance of being informed before making a decision. Students will read briefs of the issues. They will learn how to define their issues to demonstrate understanding. Students will post their definitions for other students and the teacher to view on the Class Weblogs.
Focusing Question
How do you define an issue to research?
Mini Lesson
Defining an Issue(15 min.)
Introduce the focusing question that guides this lesson. Connect this question to the previous lesson.
Show and discuss Animated Program 2: Get All the Facts.
Go to Step 2: Explore Perspectives of the student area. Select the link entitled Issue Brief: Parthenon. Explain what the Issue Brief is. As a class, read the Issue Brief. Stop between paragraphs to summarize the information.
Preparing for Student Activity:
Divide students into research groups and let each group know which issue they will be studying.
Explain to students that it is important to define the issue before they begin conducting research. Give them an example of an issue definition, including a brief explanation of the issue, the reasons why people are "for" the issue and the reasons why people are "against" the issue.
Explain to students the concept of a weblog, often called a blog. Explain that the responses they post on this blog will be used as an assessment of their understanding of this lesson.
Direct students to use the computers. Instruct students to read their Issue Brief and define their issue as a group. Select the link entitled Class Weblogs at the top of the page.
Show students how to find your Class Weblogs posting. Show students how to respond to your weblog post.
Ask students to write their definitions in the weblog.
The focusing question for this lesson is: How do you define an issue to research? In previous lessons, we explored the geography of Greece. Now, we are ready to begin our research on issues the Assembly faced in ancient Athens.
In the animation, the gods Zeus, Athena, and Ares comment on looking at both sides of the issues when researching the Parthenon and the war against Sparta.
1. What does it mean to look at both sides of an issue? Sample Response: Looking at both sides of an issue means reading about different perspectives on a particular issue or event.
2. Can an issue have more than two sides? Sample Response: Yes. An issue can be seen from many perspectives. There are as many perspectives as there are people.
3. What is an informed choice? Sample Response: It is a choice that is made after you research and discuss an issue. Often people need to discuss their perspective with others to learn important information.
Let’s go to the student website and click on Step 2: Explore Perspectives. Let’s look at the Issue Brief for the Parthenon. The Issue Brief gives you important background information on your issue. You will start your research by reading the Issue Brief and summarizing what this issue is really about. In research we call this defining the issue.
Let’s read the Issue Brief for the Parthenon together and answer the questions at the bottom of the page.
Let’s take a look at the Issue Brief for the war against Sparta, and answer the questions at the bottom of the page.
Now you need to define what your issue is about. For example, if we were conducting research on building a stadium in Manhattan, we might define the issue by stating what the controversy is about and what people on both sides of the issue think.
It might sound like this: "New Yorkers were recently debating whether or not to build a new football stadium. Some people thought it would be a good idea because it would create jobs, while others thought that it would create too much traffic."
Student Activity
Define Your Issue (25 min.)
Students should read the Issue Brief for their issue with their research group. Together the group should define their issue and post their definition to the weblog.
Observe students’ writing. Encourage students to use ideas from the Issue Briefs in their definitions.
Group together students who may have difficulty writing their ideas with students who can express their ideas in writing well.
Instruct students who complete the writing activity early to view other students’ ideas on the class weblog and respond to them.
Lesson Summary
How do you define an issue to research? (5 min.)
Ask students questions about how to define an issue to research.
Homework Activity: Distribute Handout 2.1a: Issue Brief - Parthenon to students researching the Parthenon and Handout 2.1b: Issue Brief - War Against Sparta to students researching the war against Sparta. Ask students to complete the questions at the end of the Issue Brief for homework.
Let's try and answer some questions to summarize the main points we discussed in class today:
How do you define an issue to research?
What is research?
What information did you get from the Issue Brief on the Parthenon?
What information did you get from the Issue Brief on the war against Sparta?
Assessment
Review students' definitions of their issues. Assess students' understanding of how to define an issue when conducting research.
