Sample Lesson Plans

Art and Music

Students travel virtually to the Louvre in Paris and the Sistine Chapel in Rome, comparing high and low Renaissance periods in Italian art.

Subject: Art, Language Arts, Foreign Languages

Grade level: Grades 7-12

Activity type: Web Simulation

Activity level: Intermediate

Timeframe: Two weeks

Participants: None

Objectives

• Students develop art criticism skills.
  
  
• Students learn what characterizes high and low renaissance art periods.
  
  
• Students write and edit.

Prerequisites

None

Materials Needed

One computer with email/World Wide Web access (one computer per several students is preferable).

Procedure

1. Pair students as "traveling buddies" for their virtual art tour.
   
   
2. Schedule students at the computer in twenty minute intervals for their art tour.
   
   
3. Assign students to visit both the Louvre in Paris http://mistral.culture.fr/louvre/ and the Sistine Chapel in Rome: http://sgwww.epfl.ch/BERGER/Sandro/33sixtine_english.html. Have student pairs search the Louvre for an Italian high renaissance painting of their choice to compare and contrast to a low renaissance painting from the Sistine Chapel. What differences, if any, do they see in style? In content? What characteristics do the paintings have in common? Have each student take his or her own notes on the paintings visited.
   
   
4. Using the Web and other library sources, have students research background information about their selected paintings, artists, and Renaissance history. (For additional paintings from the Renaissance to use in their comparison, students can see http://www.cnam.fr/louvre/, an excellent web museum organized by period and including thousands of slides and links to other online museums. )
   
   
5. Assign students to write a critical analysis comparing/contrasting the two periods.
   
   
6. Have students submit and peer edit critical papers.
   
   
7. Schedule five minute conferences with each student to give feedback on their papers. Assign second draft.
   
   
8. (optional) Using a projector compatible with your computer, have student pairs present their paintings to the class. Have students compare/contrast the paintings presented in their journals or on paper. Discuss.

Timeline

Week 1 Take the virtual art tour and research periods.

Week 1 Write critical papers.

Tips

For More Information

http://sgwww.epfl.ch/BERGER/Sandro/1frontispice_english.html is an excellent site for background information on Sandro Botticelli.

For Younger Students

Adapt this project for elementary students by providing students with an "itinerary," listing paintings and sculptures that they will visit with space for students to write something they liked about each painting. Have students make a passport out of construction paper that you then stamp as they visit each piece of artwork.

Combine Your Trip with the French Class

Don't leave anyone behind on this virtual field trip. Take a trip to Paris and explore cafes, monuments, shops, etc - all while practicing French. See http://meteora.usce.edu:8-/~norman/paris/

Language Arts

Great Expectations

Students deepen their understanding of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens through using web resources including a walking tour of Dickens' England, a site about the Victorian Era, and a 100 year-old review of the book.

Subject: English, History

Grade level:Grades 9-12

Activity type:Web Resource

Activity level: Intermediate

Timeframe: 6 class periods scheduled throughout the reading of the novel

Participants: None

Objectives

• Students research the Victorian era.
  
  
• Students analyze the text of Great Expections.
  
  
• Students improve their research skills.

Prerequisites

Students read Charles Dickens Great Expectations.

Materials Needed

One computer per three students with World Wide Web access;

Chart paper

Procedure

(Note: Each of these three focused research topics can be scheduled as modules for appropriate time periods throughout the reading of the novel, dependent on your goals and focus.)

The Setting

1. Break students into small groups to review the text of the Great Expectations. How does the setting impact the novel? Assign each student to find one citation from the text to contribute to the group's ideas.
   
   
2. Bring the group together. Have each group report on their findings and record on chart paper. Facilitate a discussion.
   
   
3. For homework schedule students to research the novel's setting using the web (or use class time if you have sufficient computers available for everyone to use.) Applicable information can be found at Dickens' Kent (http://lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsouka/CD-Kent.html).
   
   
4. Break students again into small groups to share what they have learned. How does this information deepen their understanding of the novel? (Refer back to group's earlier ideas recorded on chart paper.)

The Victorian Era

1. Schedule students to individually research the Victorian era using the web. (See Brown Universities' Victorian Web at http://twine.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/victov.html) Have them in writing address the following questions:
   
   
   • What are the characteristics of the Victorian Age? Where do we see these elements in the novel?
     
     
   • What does it mean to be Victorian in your attitudes? Which characters were the most Victorian?
     
     
   • How did the change in times: a life of gentlemanly leisure to working man effect Pip?
     
     
   • How did Dickens' childhood influence Great Expectations?
     
     
2. Bring students together in small groups to share what they have learned. Have each group report to the class on their combined knowledge.
   
   
3. Have students address the following question in journals (or in essay form if your class does not use journals): What kind of expectations do you live with? How are these expectations related to the time in which you are living?
   
   
4. Faciliate a discussion about cultural expectations.
   
   
   • What kind of expectations were put on Pip?
     
     
   • How do these expectations relate to the times he was living in?
     
     
   • What kind of expectations are put on students of today?
     
     
   • Was Pip able to meet those expectations?
     
     
   • Are you able to meet the expectations placed on you?
     
     
   • What do you do if you cannot meet others' expectations?

A Style Analysis

1. Have students read a review of Dickens' written 100 years ago (found at http://www.theatlantic.com/atlantic/atlweb/classrev/greatexp.htm). You can print the review or have students log on to review it online.
   
   
2. Have students address the following questions in their journals:
   
   
   • What does the reviewer point to specifically that makes Great Expectations a great novel?
     
     
   • What does the reviewer say about Dickens' abilities as an author?
     
     
   • Which points do you agree with or disagree with?
     
     
   • Which words or phrases did you have difficulty with? Discuss for meaning.
     
     
   • How does the style of the review compare to the style of the novel? Cite examples from both.
     
     
   • Faciliate a discussion in class: What makes a work of art in general a classic? Why is Dickens' novel considered a classic?
     
     
   • For homework have students write their own review of Dickens' novel.

Timeline

Class 1-2 Research the setting of the novel.

Class 3-4 Research the Victorian era.

Class 5-6 Critically analyze issues of style.

Tip

Creative Writing Extension

Dickens' novels first appeared serialized in periodicals. Have students practice creative writing mimicing Dickens' style in serial as they read, adding their own plot twists and turns. Begin with the very first chapter so that students can create a different but parallel story of their own.

Mathematics

A Taste of Trig

Students from different lattitudes within one time zone compute the angle of the sun using trigonometry.

Subject: Trigonometry, Geometry, Mathematics, Science

Grade level: Grades 9-12

Activity type: Web Collaboration

Activity level: Beginner

Timeframe: Three Weeks

Participants: Unlimited

Objectives

• Students apply the inverse tangent function to calculate the angle of the sun.
  
  
• Students explore relationship globally between the sun's position in the sky and latitude.
  
  
• Students acquire basic skills such as predicting, collecting, graphing, and analyzing data.

Prerequisites

Knowedge of the inverse tangent function

Materials Needed

One computer with email access

Large laminated world map

10 foot pole

tape measure

Procedure

1. Post a general message soliciting partner schools from your time zone. You'll want a fairly wide distribution of different latitudes.
   
   
2. Break students into small groups. Explain that the goal of this project is to compute the angle of the sun in different latitudes of our time zone. Ask students to together develop a methodology for the experiment, using concepts learned in trigonometry. Encourage students to draw diagrams of the earth and sun to explore the concept.

   Note: Sudents from participating classrooms can measure the shadow cast by a ten foot pole at a designated time and date everyday for the course of a week (to allow for bad weather). The angle of elevation from the sun to the earth can be calcuated by using the inverse tangent funtion.

3. Have classrooms compile and post their data to the project coordinator via email. The project coordinator then shares all data with participating classrooms.
   
   
4. Have classrooms compile and post their data to the project coordinator via email. The project coordinator then shares all data with participating classrooms.
   
   
5. Assign students in pairs to plot one classroom's data showing the day by day angle of elevation. How does it change? Have students compute average angle of elevation for their assigned school.
   
   
6. Have students then plot the average angles by latitude. How do they change by latitude? If you have an adequate data set, compute the rate by which the angle changes.
   
   
7. Classrooms share their analyses via email.

Timeline

Week 1 Post message soliciting participants and develop methodology.

Week 2 Take measurements and share data with all participants.

Week 3 Analyze and share results.

Tip

Ask Dr. Math

Don't miss the Math Forum at http://forum.swarthmore.edu/, an excellent resource for math students and teachers. The forum features a problem of the week, an ask an expert forum (Ask Dr. Math), an internet hunt, and has great additional resources, among other things. Engage students in this interesting site by offering extra credit to students who successfully solve the problem of the week.

Science

The ExTerminator Mystery Project

Students work collaboratively to write mystery essays containing clues to the location and species of an insect to stop the evil ExTerminator.

Subject: Science, Social Studies, Conflict Resolution, Art

Grade level: Grades K-12

Activity type:Cooperative Challenge

Activity level: Beginner

Timeframe: Three months

Participants: Unlimited

Objectives

• Students use science, geography, and map resource materials.
  
  
• Students think critcally to solve mysteries.
  
  
• Students learn about insects.

Prerequisites

None

Materials Needed

One computer with email access (World Wide Web access is optional).

Atlas/road maps (or you may use the Web)

Insect identification books

Procedure

Post message soliciting partner classrooms to solve the mystery of the evil ExTerminator: "The ExTerminator travels around the U.S. destroying all species of insects with which he comes in contact. Your assignment, if you should choose to take it, is to catch the evil ExTerminator by locating the city he has committed his heinous crimes and to identify the insect he exterminated." Partner classrooms will receive five mystery essays to solve on a predetermined schedule. They will have two weeks in which to solve the mystery.


1. With students create a schedule for posting mystery essays to project participants. Allow two weeks for participants to solve the mystery. Email to partners.
   
   
2. Working cooperatively in small groups and using various resource materials including road maps, atlases, and insect identification books have students develop the clues to the mystery. Each group will develop one mystery essay containing clues to the location and insect specie. Caution groups not to reveal the answers in their essays. [Optional: Use the Web to research. City Link (http://usacitylink.com//), City Net (http://www.city.net/), and Map Quest: the Interactive Atlas (http://www.mapquest.com/) all have valuable map resources for students.]
   
   
3. Test the difficulty of each mystery by circulating finished essays between collaborative groups in your classorom. Have each essay reviewed and solved successfully at least once.
   
   
4. Post the first mystery to the participating classrooms as scheduled with deadline for responding. (Participating classrooms can choose to work post individual student answers to the mystery or solve the mystery cooperatively and post one answer.)
   
   
5. Have students correct answers and respond to each participating student or classroom.
   
   
6. Repeat steps 5-6 with second through fifth mystery.
   
   
7. (optional) Create a web site for this project! The Broadmeadow School's site for this project can be found at http://pop.life.uiuc.edu/~meadow/ (See "Creating A Web Site," Chapter 3, p. xx for further information.)

Timeline

Week 1 Post message soliciting partner.

Week 2-3 Write mystery essays.

Week 4 Solve first mystery essay in coordinator's classroom.

Week 5 Post first mystery.

Week 7 Correct answers from participants. Post second mystery.

Week 9 Correct answers from participants. Post third mystery.

Week 11 Correct answers from participants. Post fourth mystery.

Week 13 Correct answers from participants. Post fifth mystery.

Week 15 Correct answers from participants.

Conflict Resolution Extension

Humanize the evil exterminator by sending messages to participating students from him. Show that the Exterminator is not all bad - perhaps he is hungry and is eating the insects or he is clumsy and really is trying to play with the insects, not hurt them. Involve students in problem solving how to nonviolently stop him. What could they say to the ExTerminator? What could they ask? Aim to construct a win-win solution where both the ExTerminator and the insects get what they really need.

Tip

Teach Key Word Searches

"I used the first mystery to discuss "key words" with the class. It was quite exciting to watch the students use a variety of resources to follow up on the key words."

- Jim Butsch

"My daughter will be eight next week and she's a homeschooled child. It was a true delight to watch her researching the answers to the Gypsy Moth mystery. She went right to the reference books on insects in the adult section of the library. . .and methodically went through each reference book for all the info on the gypsy moth."

- a parent

Social Studies

World War II History Textbooks Project

Students research and compare how events of World War II are treated in various countries' school textbooks through linking with another classroom from that country.

Subject: History, Social studies, diversity education, conflict resolution

Grade level: Grades 9-12

Activity type: Web Collaboration

Activity level: Intermediate

Timeframe: 9 weeks

Participants: One classroom per designated country.

Objectives

• Students learn about the events of World War II.
  
  
• Students explore cultural stereotypes.
  
  
• Students delve into issues of revisitionist history.
  
  
• Students use the World Wide Web to explore issues of public policy.

Prerequisites

None

Materials Needed

One computer with email/World Wide Web access

Procedure

1. Have students in small groups identify countries with which they want to partner to explore how World War II is treated in their countries' textbooks. What issues do they want addressed?
   
   
2. Bring the groups together and on the board or chart paper outline the project, including the desired countries to participate and the issues to be addressed. Some potential issues include:
   
   
   • How are the Germans/Japanese/British/Americans portrayed in each county's textbooks (positively, negatively, agressor, victim)?
     
     
   • What aspects of the Pacific War are emphasized or de-emphasixed and how might this be a result of govenment policy?
     
     
   • How is the topic of the atomic bomb dealt with?
     
     
   • How is history taught in each classroom?
     
     
   • How are history textbooks written and adopted in each classroom? What role does the government play?
     
     
   • How have textbooks' handling of this topic changed over time?
     
     
3. Post a message to international bulletin boards looking for participants in the designated countries. (IECC-projects@stolaf.edu is an excellent place to post a message for international partners.)
   
   
4. Have partner classrooms and your own research the answers to the outlined issues using the Web and other available library resources. Break students into small groups, assigning an issue per group to address.
   
   
5. Share all information with participating classrooms.
   
   
6. In small groups, have students interpret the data, comparing each countries' response on their assigned issue.
   
   
7. Have each small group do a presentation on their issue.
   
   Hold two discussions:
   
   
   1. Explore the different perspectives of each country on the events of the war. Ask: What differences were there between countries' treatments of the war? Why? What are the issues? Who are the different stake holders in the issue? What is each stake holder's perspective? What are each stake holder's positions and interests? (Positions are what each stake holder is demanding. Interests are why they need them - the underlying need being addressed by the demand.)
      
      
   2. Explore the role of history in our society. Ask: What is truth? In what ways does our society value truth? In what ways does it not? How do we acquire our knowledge about the past? In the interest of serving truth, what would be the best way of acquiring our knowledge about the past?

Timeline

Week 1-4 Identify countries and issues to research and post message for participants. Allow three weeks for a response.

Week 5-9 Research issues using the Web and other resources.

Week 10 Share results with partners.

Week 11-12 Intrepret results. Have group presentations and discussions.

Tip

Use Other Historical Resources

Supplement this activity with actual historical documents, diaries/memoirs, newspaper accounts, and films about World War II. Discuss each mode of recorded history and its relative credibility as a source.

Implementation Tips

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